Alliant or PSECU?

[trumpet-205]

If you want auto loan, you might want to joing PSECU at first. While their deposit rates are not much compare to Alliant, it also means their loans "should" have lower rates compare to Alliant.

[Amnesia87]

How does applying for the Combo Card/PSL work anyway? Do you have to pick 20/20 or 10/10 up front? Or you just apply and they approve you for one of them?

I'd love the 20/20, but it seems unrealistic when my income is only 30k. I have minimal expenses, and I wouldn't really use it, but it would be amazing for UTIL.

Currently my 5 cards are:

Citi Forward - 3300 - Opened 12/10

Amex Blue Cash Preferred - 2000 - Opened 5/11 (In theory it won't actually be reporting yet when I apply, not sure if this is good or bad)

USAA - 1000 - Opened 08/06

Discover - 1000 - Opened 12/10

Amex Gold Preferred - Ummm - 5/11

Current Util is 12%

There's like 10 reporting on my citi, and 495 on the USAA.

Both statements cut before I plan on applying for any more credit.

I'm expecting like 25 on the citi (cash advance fees) and 0 on everything else. So util is definately not a problem.

When does PSECU actually pull your credit? When you do the online thing, or once they receive your papers.

I'm assuming that my current numbers would be good enough to get a checking/share as it stands now, and then I could wait until after all the other CLI and statement closures to apply for the combo. I really want to get all my inq done with before the end of June, so I don't want to wait until my last statement closes on 6/14 before I try and open the account, since then I would be unable to app for the combo until July.

Does that sound about right?

[Amnesia87]

Just gave in and applied for PSECU, was approved, just gotta send in the paperwork. Let's hope all goes well, I guess if nothing else I've got free EX Ficos.

[score_building]

btw PSECU card seems better suited for cash advance (which are ofcourse best to limit or avoid and repay ASAP to eliminate/minimize interest) compared to CIti card:

9.9apr, no fee, has not generally been reported to be an AA trigger

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@Amnesia87 wrote:

How does applying for the Combo Card/PSL work anyway? Do you have to pick 20/20 or 10/10 up front? Or you just apply and they approve you for one of them?

I'd love the 20/20, but it seems unrealistic when my income is only 30k. I have minimal expenses, and I wouldn't really use it, but it would be amazing for UTIL.

Currently my 5 cards are:

Citi Forward - 3300 - Opened 12/10

Amex Blue Cash Preferred - 2000 - Opened 5/11 (In theory it won't actually be reporting yet when I apply, not sure if this is good or bad)

USAA - 1000 - Opened 08/06

Discover - 1000 - Opened 12/10

Amex Gold Preferred - Ummm - 5/11

Current Util is 12%

There's like 10 reporting on my citi, and 495 on the USAA.

Both statements cut before I plan on applying for any more credit.

I'm expecting like 25 on the citi (cash advance fees) and 0 on everything else. So util is definately not a problem.

When does PSECU actually pull your credit? When you do the online thing, or once they receive your papers.

I'm assuming that my current numbers would be good enough to get a checking/share as it stands now, and then I could wait until after all the other CLI and statement closures to apply for the combo. I really want to get all my inq done with before the end of June, so I don't want to wait until my last statement closes on 6/14 before I try and open the account, since then I would be unable to app for the combo until July.

Does that sound about right?

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[Amnesia87]

Oh, the only card I currently have that even has interest ATM is my USAA, and I have been PIF the Citi and Discover pretty much every month since I've had them.

The fee is for the actual withdrawls, I didn't realize that Citi charged $10/5% on cash advances (which was very depressing when I released how many times I had paid 15 between the fee/atm fee to pull out 20.

But the cash advance side of the card does look nice compared to pretty much every other card I've seen. I also like the 1% foreign transaction fee, not 0, but still very nice.

[visorboy1974]

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@CS800 wrote:

Does PSECU hit you with a hard inq when you initially apply? What about every month when they give you your EX FICO?

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Hard when you apply for membership as well as each credit product.  Each month for the FICO though, it's a soft towards the 5th.   

[visorboy1974]

If you apply with Alliant, you may be better off doing it over the phone.  That way you can ask the LO if you can use that one pull for everything.  They're also known for having some glitches with the verification questions...then the message will say you're denied when in reality you're approved.  

Alliant is very good for their interest rates and ACH product (It's really fast!).  Credit products are OK for a CU, but I'd say PenFed has better CC rewards.  

PSECU so far for me has been great for the EX FICO and that's it.  They rejected me for having too many EX inquiries.  (I had 10 when I applied, but 1 non-PSECU inq within the past year).   

[CS800]

I wonder if they have a min EX score to open an account. I only have 3 ins on my EX in the last 6 months (needed a car so I got hit by 3 inqs shopping around.

[Amnesia87]

Well that was fast, sent my application by expressmail yesterday, called today to confirm it was deliverred, got an email a few hours later.

"Welcome to PSECU" blah blah blah Stuff in Mail.

Edit: Should also advise, I included last 4 paystubs, last years W-2s and photocopies of my ID and SS card. Didn't want to hassle with it.

[MojaveMoon]

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@visorboy1974 wrote:

If you apply with Alliant, you may be better off doing it over the phone.  That way you can ask the LO if you can use that one pull for everything.  They're also known for having some glitches with the verification questions...then the message will say you're denied when in reality you're approved.  [...]

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If anyone reading this is in Arizona, as of last February there's now an Alliant branch in Arizona. I say that assuming that would-be applicants can apply in person at a local branch.

http://www.alliantcreditunion.org/about/locations/

http://www.alliantcreditunion.org/news/pressreleases/alliant-credit-union-merges-continental-federal...

"Alliant Credit Union, based in Chicago, Illinois, announced that it has completed its merger with Tempe, Arizona based Continental Federal Credit Union. The merger adds over 23,000 employees, family members and retirees of Continental Airlines and U.S. Airways as new members of Alliant. [...]"