@Anonymous wrote:
I certainly think about the terms of any account I sign up for. I go into store cards with the knowledge that they aren’t for carrying balances and if I ever found myself in the position where I would have to, I would do a no-fee BT to my NFCU Platinum to make sure I didn’t pay that crazy interest rate but all of these store cards have benefits for me that outweigh the APRs so I keep them.
Congrats on the APR reductions though, they’re always nice.
As I PIF each month it is not something that is at the forefront of my mind when I spend. I have an emergency fund available that if I lose my job or am unable to work I can get by for 6 months. I can also cover an unexpected expense with my emergency fund as well.
If something were to happen and I needed to carry a balance, I too would apply for a 0% BT card at NFCU. This is my secondary backup plan.
@RSX wrote:1 other point.
I SD'd my CarCare CC for over a year, and they dropped my CL to half. I called in and got most of it back, but best to run 1 tank of gas per month/ every other month so that doesn't happen.
Until you decide to close it anyway
Thanks, good to know.
How do you keep your CareCredit active if you do not have ongoing health care expenses?
@Medic981 wrote:
@Remedios wrote:You've mentioned heavy accents in three consecutive posts for no obvious reason, so I'm hoping mine does not offend you.
I mentioned heavy accents in three consecutive posts because the last three phone converstions I have had dealing with my three Synchrony accounts have been with offshore call centers. I state this because some companies are more concerned about keeping jobs in the US than others. My first post stated that I spoke with a CSR in a US-based call center. It is just to compare and contrast, nothing more as I am not offended accents.
I felt it was for an obvious reason and it was completely relevant to the post. I wasn't offended at all. I certainly hope this wasn't motivated as a rebuke for political correctness.
It is difficult enough to take time to call into business Customer Service Centers trying to resolve an issue only to be met with someone whose native language is not your own and to have communication difficulties in trying to take care of business. It is an annoying additional hurdle. The same is true for any person worldwide, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, or other issues. And like @Medic981 I am impressed with companies like Discover who recognize that customer satisfaction is more important than out-sourcing their customer service to a lower-cost foreign call center. And who are willing to keep jobs in the USA for American workers and the health of our own economy.
I just got off the phone with American Express. (Mod cut) very pleasant guy none the less.
My AmEx account is still in its 0% introductory period until November. I called to ask what my APR would be after the introductory period was over and was told 18.74%.
I am having more fun than a tornado in a trailer park!
@Anonymous wrote:
@Medic981 wrote:
@RSX wrote:1 other point.
I SD'd my CarCare CC for over a year, and they dropped my CL to half. I called in and got most of it back, but best to run 1 tank of gas per month/ every other month so that doesn't happen.
Until you decide to close it anyway
Thanks, good to know.
How do you keep your CareCredit active if you do not have ongoing health care expenses?
You can use CareCredit to buy anything at Walgreens except cash equivalents, alcohol, and tobacco and you can use it for health care items at Walmart.
I should have known. You can use CarCare at a convenience store to buy chips and soda even if you don't purchase gas for your car.
@Medic981 wrote:Since I can't apply for new credit while in the garden I am tinkering with my credit in other ways to scratch my itch. I called Bank of America and reduced the APR on my Cash Rewards Signature Visa from 21.99% to 18.99%. I never carry a balance on this card
Good job! I've done the same thing before. I hear many on the forums say they don't care about APRs since they Pay In Full but I agree it's the principle of the thing. If you have good credit scores and a good payment history, why shouldn't they give you the most competitive APR for that product? No, I don't pay interest, but there is always the chance that something could come up where I was not able to pay off my entire bill right away. I have auto payments set up but only for minimum payments. I won't set up a payment where any bank has full access to debit my bank account for my full credit line! If I have a personal emergency or illness or accident, I might roll a balance and don't want to pay more interest than would be fair. Oddly enough, you hear about banks giving auto-CLIs but you dont' hear as often about lowering APRs unless you ask them. So it pays to be the squeaky wheel. 
And I completely agree with your awakening about "store cards" and dealing with certain banks that charge high APRs. I carry higher APRs on my 'rewards' credit cards than some non-rewards cards because most rewards card do charge higher interest to help offset payment of rewards. So I'm getting something back for the risk of possibly paying higher interest. But there is a point where covering risk and 'costs' changes into pure greed and profit-seeking. IMO, charging rates north of 25% is just excessive for any lender and any consumer, unless perhaps there has been recent default with that lender.