AMEX question

[MrShush]

As long as AMEX reports the opening date on your credit report as some previous mature date, who cares what the card says! Unless all you're into is bragging rights that says your account is really established, the credit reporting history is the most valuable benefit.

[haulingthescoreup]

---

@MrShush wrote:

As long as AMEX reports the opening date on your credit report as some previous mature date, who cares what the card says! Unless all you're into is bragging rights that says your account is really established, the credit reporting history is the most valuable benefit.

---

I think the question was asking the reverse: if you can get them to change the date on the card, does that mean that they will automatically change the date reported to the CRA's?

I got a bit tangled up there, lol.

[stan_the_man]

My wife's Zync card finally reported to one of the bureaus (EX), and it was backdated to 8/2001:

AMERICAN EXPRESS
Address:
PO BOX 981537
EL PASO, TX 79998
(800) 874-2717

Account Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Address Identification Number:XXXXXXXXXX
Status: Open/Never late.
Date Opened: 08/2001
Reported Since: 09/2010
Date of Status: 09/2010
Type: Revolving
Terms: 1 Months
Monthly Payment: $0
Credit Limit/Original Amount: NA
High Balance: $156
Recent Balance: $156 as of 09/2010
Last Reported: 09/2010
Responsibility: Individual
Recent Payment: $0

[vanillabean]

That's very interesting!

[ShootingStar]

I wonder if she gained any points.....

[stan_the_man]

It hasn't appeared on EQ yet, so no Scorewatch new account notification or score change alert yet.

I'm hoping it helps.

[vanillabean]

---

@stan_the_man wrote:

My wife's only prior relationship to Amex before applying for Zync this summer was that she was an AU of two of my Amex CCs.

When she got the card I was disappointed because it said "Member Since 10" on the card face, but I activated it for her online and it said "member since 2001."

We called up Amex and they sent out a new card with "Member Since 01".

So, they do backdate for AUs, but I have no clue what their criteria are.

---

It occured to me that the whole thing may depend on that your wife became an AU in 2001, not just that you have been a member since 2001. I take it that's the case?

[stan_the_man]

I added her as an AU to my Blue card sometime between 6/30/2010 to 7/15/2010. That was the beginning of her Amex history.

Since then, I added her as an AU to my rarely used Amex Cash Rebate card and my new Amex HHonors card (this one hasn't reported yet at all since I got it this month).

I've probably taken this AU thing to the extreme, but she's now an AU on five of my cards with pristine history. Altogether they:

Adds 1 year 1 month to the length of her credit history and 6 months to her AAoA

Give her four oldest trade lines

Drops her utilization significantly

Allowed Amex to backdate her new Amex

I'm still waiting for everything to report, but -- so far -- the net effect of credit grooming has been:

• 11/11/2009 - 680 TU Fico
• 4/19/2010 - 697 TU Fico
• 7/15/2010 - 714 TU Fico | 695 EQ Fico

[vanillabean]

So every time your wife is later added as AU on one of your accounts, her card is listed on her credit reports with the opening date that you see for your card on your credit reports?

[stan_the_man]

Yes!