@Aim_High wrote:
@NoHardLimits wrote:I have some data points to contribute which seem to corroborate the other comments in this thread.
For Chase, my maximum TCL hit $137k before having to reallocate for a new card. At that time, the TCL was approximately 45% of household income. The breakdown between personal and business lines was $127k and $10k.
For Amex, my maximum TCL hit $76k before having to reallocate for a new card. At that time, the TCL was approximately 39% of household income. The breakdown between personal and business lines was $58k and $18k.
Thanks, @NoHardLimits for those data points. I believe your profile and TCL has been part of my reason for thinking there might be something to that $135K to $145K number with Chase.
I just realized that I never provided my spending data points. Last year, I ran over $70k through my primary cardholder accounts. My monthly spend ranged from $2k to $16k.
I usually spread my card usage around to all of my lenders. Often, I am working on achieving signup bonuses. Once those are completed, I will parcel out my spend according to the highest merchant category rewards rate. For rewards rates less than 3%, I rotate usage to give each lender some love. This month, I am splitting my miscellaneous spend between Capital One and Citi. Last month, it was Amex and US Bank. Next month, I hope to be working on a signup bonus.
I have Chase Private Client status as well, but that doesn't seem to have any impact on my TCL with Chase. Max TCL did not change from prior to having CPC to after having CPC.
Not sure if this is something along the lines you are looking for but State Department CU has given me several auto CLI with minimal to no spend on my Premium Cash Back Plus. Since 2018, I went from $15,000 to $35,000.
Nvm. Just reread subject heading for Chase and AmEx. 
@NoHardLimits wrote
I usually spread my card usage around to all of my lenders ... For rewards rates less than 3%, I rotate usage to give each lender some love.
I have Chase Private Client status as well, but that doesn't seem to have any impact on my TCL with Chase.
Good stuff, @NoHardLimits. Especially interesting to see that CPC had no impact on credit limits, but I've heard that it takes a lot of $$$ to impress JP Morgan.
Like you are doing, one reason I plan to keep my number of cards fairly low is that I want to be able to regularly spread the love around instead of getting hung up on always maximizing rewards. While rewards are great, the cards and limits are a tool in my financial toolbox and keeping them all sharpened and ready for duty need not be neglected.
@minski wrote:Not sure if this is something along the lines you are looking for but State Department CU has given me several auto CLI with minimal to no spend on my Premium Cash Back Plus. Since 2018, I went from $15,000 to $35,000.
Nvm. Just reread subject heading for Chase and AmEx.
True, that was off-topic @minski, but appreciate the State Department CU data point. I had heard their limits can grow well but hadn't seen many specific about our member's experiences. Good to know.
@wasCB14 wrote:
@Aim_High wrote:
@NoHardLimits wrote
I usually spread my card usage around to all of my lenders ... For rewards rates less than 3%, I rotate usage to give each lender some love.
I have Chase Private Client status as well, but that doesn't seem to have any impact on my TCL with Chase.
Good stuff, @NoHardLimits. Especially interesting to see that CPC had no impact on credit limits, but I've heard that it takes a lot of $$$ to impress JP Morgan.
Like you are doing, one reason I plan to keep my number of cards fairly low is that I want to be able to regularly spread the love around instead of getting hung up on always maximizing rewards. While rewards are great, the cards and limits are a tool in my financial toolbox and keeping them all sharpened and ready for duty need not be neglected.
Chase is pretty strict about not letting assets sway lending decisions.
I've gotten a $600 SL (albeit my first credit) as a former JPM Private Client.
I've had a branch CPC salessuit decline to issue an Ink CC directly to an inherited business "because the business was too new" despite the fact it was profitable, debt-free, and had nearly $1M in a Chase savings account.
Wow, that is strict all right
Interesting thread, but as a blue collar skilled tradesman working stiff who just barely makes 6 figures, I'm thinking I'm in no danger of running up against any of these hard CL caps with any lenders.🤣
Getting close, but I've yet to hit a $15k SL on a single card.😥
@markbeiser wrote:Interesting thread, but as a blue collar skilled tradesman working stiff who just barely makes 6 figures, I'm thinking I'm in no danger of running up against any of these hard CL caps with any lenders.🤣
Getting close, but I've yet to hit a $15k SL on a single card.😥
Understood, @markbeiser, and income is a crucial piece of the credit limit puzzle. However, I think you might be surprised how generous your lenders will be over time as credit file thickens and ages, FICO rises, and overall debt-to-income falls for you (hopefully). While you may not be close to hitting $75K+ TCL with any of your lenders now, that income could eventually justify limits much higher than your current >$15K. Keep working it and the higher limits will come to you.
@claus wrote:I love it when the name of game is to get as much as credit as possible without even using 5% of it.
If I knew this golden rule from get-go, this game would be so easy.
Welcome to My Fico Forums, @claus.
Higher Credit Limits aren't the only name of the game and for some of our members, they matter very little if any. It is a part of my overall strategy, not only for utilization padding which helps insulate FICO score from that metric, but also just for the sport of it. But my goal is having a lot of utilization padding while at the same time maintaining relatively few cards. I don't choose to do what some of our members have done by increasing TCL through adding more and more cards, sometimes which are useless and become a hassle to maintain. For example, even though they are all $100K in TCL, I would rather have (4) $25K CLs than (10) $10K CLs or (20) $5K CLs just because I dislike that level of complexity. So that is the reason I prefer to target specific lenders for those higher limits, which allows for fewer cards without sacrificing the utilization padding. I currently have about 20+/- cards with about $700K in limits, but I've considered downsizing to somewhere about 10+/- cards but still keeping TCL at $500K or so. 
But yes, being able to maintain utilizaton under 8.9% (there are threads specifically mentioning optimum utilization break points) is part of keeping a high FICO at all times.
For some of our members, instead of high limits their focus is more about optimizing cash back rewards even if it means adding multiple 5% cards. For others, the focus is low APRs or travel perks with high-end premium cards. Some want to add cards from as many lenders as possible while others prefer a streamlined lineup. These can all be worthwhile goals, so the credit limit aspect is only one factor for most of us.