Chances for CLI's while maintining low util reporting

[takeshi74]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Do they really care how much they give you?

They absolutely care.  A creditor that arbitratily extends credit is running on an extremely poor business model and probably won't make it in the long run if even the short run.

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@Anonymous wrote:
Do they just give you the amount your credit history and income can handle?

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As I stated, they consider one's credit profile and income.  Other factors may be considered in some cases but credit profile and income are the primary considerations.  Those are compared to the creditor/product's underwriting criteria to determine what one qualifies for.  If you take a person with a given credit profile it's possible that creditor A may be willing to extend more than creditor B to that profile as criteria is not identical for all creditors or even products.

How a given creditor/product determines limit is not made available to us.  We can attempt to discern it by aggregating anecdotal evidence but there are pitfalls in doing so.  The best tool I've seen is the Credit Pulls Database but it only collects information such as score and limit.  Score is only one consideration that a creditor uses.  One cannot just assume that one should get a limit or CLI of $X from a given creditor for a given score.  I've been granted very starting limits for my profile and score because of recent activity even with a score right around 800.  I've also received large CLI's with a score right around that range but that was after the new accounts and credit seeking activity were no longer a concern for the creditors.

[UncleB]

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@takeshi74 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

BUT, my question is, I'm also wanting CLI's as I'm in the garden now (have 2 secured WF, Discover and a Plat and QS from Cap1), if I"m increasing or asking to increase limits, wouldn't I need to show that I"m actually USING them and paying them in full? 

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Usage is a popular meme, but no.

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I respect that in your opinion this is a 'meme', but in my own personal experience (and many others on here as well) it's indeed very real. 

I agree that some issuers are less sensitive than others, but some (Capital One in particular) do respond positively to increased usage - again, in my own experience.  Obviously it's a 'YMMV' kind of thing, but others report having the same experience leading me (and others) to believe it's not a one-off.

I also agree that the overall profile is (obviously) important, i.e. if your credit score/income doesn't support it or you have a negative history with the lender they won't care how much you charge, you likely won't see a CL... but all other things being equal heavy usage can make a difference with some lenders.