@Revelate wrote:Generally one's score gets you an approval and potentially APR (if it's a variable product); it doesn't factor nearly as much in limits, also not all scores are created equally either (a 740 on 2 credit cards for 2 years is way different than a 740 on 8 years history with many and varied tradelines).
Limits in some cases might as well be determined by Oujia board (marketing / advertising reasons for customer subjective opinion) but as stated income, assets, and known spending patterns are generally the major considerations. Also the lender's underwriting policy at the time of approvals, generosity when it comes to limits waxes and wanes based on both macro economic and individual lender finances.
Then there's other things like consumers that push for CLI's vs. those that don't: I pushed on my Amex BCP and didn't on anything else though I know if I wanted a CLI on my Freedom I could likely easily qualify for one at the expense of a HP, but I just don't need more than 1K on that tradeline so I don't worry about it. I only needed the one high tradeline to break me out of the smaller limit category, and given the Amex almost assuredly got my Fidelity limit where I really can use the 7.5K CL and similarly the Barclays 4400 approval (when I massively understated my traditional income on both no less), the old school forum advice worked quite well in my case.
End of the day while I could push for higher limits whenever I have documentable income again, there's no real need for me to do so currently and as such I don't use my credit report for CLI chasing currently.
That's a big factor, especially here. I am in the same boat--pushed my BCP to the limit, but still praying every evening for a Chase auto CLI. Other people who are less committed to the garden may have a much higher line than me.
4.2K 
10K 
24.6K 
Thanks for the post revelate. A lot of good info.
To the above poster I'm just shy of $45K.
Personal:
@jamesdwi wrote:What I didn't see, mentioned was income, I may of missed it, just scrolled through the thread quickly. But an income of 60k+ a year plus credit usage and payments that are usually associated with the income level can make a large difference in your CL's, Not all CR's show payment history but there is a reason why some prime lenders like pulling EX, it shows a record of total payments made to each card each month. Even if you don't let a balance post on the card the payment history is still there, which most likely is taken into account when your CL is set, and future CLI's.
Wait. Really? So lenders can see that I've made 6 payments to my CSP in a month? And does that hurt me?
@OHWWCB wrote:
@jamesdwi wrote:What I didn't see, mentioned was income, I may of missed it, just scrolled through the thread quickly. But an income of 60k+ a year plus credit usage and payments that are usually associated with the income level can make a large difference in your CL's, Not all CR's show payment history but there is a reason why some prime lenders like pulling EX, it shows a record of total payments made to each card each month. Even if you don't let a balance post on the card the payment history is still there, which most likely is taken into account when your CL is set, and future CLI's.
Wait. Really? So lenders can see that I've made 6 payments to my CSP in a month? And does that hurt me?
It's aggregate data: if you make 6 x $100 payments during a month, it will show up as $600 for the month's payment.
@James: Actually all 3 have it now, but not all lenders report the payment data.
@Revelate wrote:
Then there's other things like consumers that push for CLI's vs. those that don't: I pushed on my Amex BCP and didn't on anything else though I know if I wanted a CLI on my Freedom I could likely easily qualify for one at the expense of a HP, but I just don't need more than 1K on that tradeline so I don't worry about it. I only needed the one high tradeline to break me out of the smaller limit category, and given the Amex almost assuredly got my Fidelity limit where I really can use the 7.5K CL and similarly the Barclays 4400 approval (when I massively understated my traditional income on both no less), the old school forum advice worked quite well in my case.
Revelate,
Can I ask why you understate your income? I am trying to figure it out in my head and I cannot come up with a good reason to state less than my provable income.
06/26/2014 - Gardening until 7/1/15
@jamesdwi wrote:
@leegreen wrote:
@Revelate wrote:
Then there's other things like consumers that push for CLI's vs. those that don't: I pushed on my Amex BCP and didn't on anything else though I know if I wanted a CLI on my Freedom I could likely easily qualify for one at the expense of a HP, but I just don't need more than 1K on that tradeline so I don't worry about it. I only needed the one high tradeline to break me out of the smaller limit category, and given the Amex almost assuredly got my Fidelity limit where I really can use the 7.5K CL and similarly the Barclays 4400 approval (when I massively understated my traditional income on both no less), the old school forum advice worked quite well in my case.
Revelate,
Can I ask why you understate your income? I am trying to figure it out in my head and I cannot come up with a good reason to state less than my provable income.
I do the same, though not massively, as a contractor, unemployment every 9-12+ months is likely, I like knowing that if i do have a few months between contracts its wont show up as I gave bad information to a lender. Some years I make more than I report, some years I have made a bit less.
I understand it in that industry between the Navy and the job I have now I worked construction and could gross 2k one week with massive overtime and be laid off getting 405 the next week...I do not miss that at all.
@leegreen wrote:
@Revelate wrote:
Then there's other things like consumers that push for CLI's vs. those that don't: I pushed on my Amex BCP and didn't on anything else though I know if I wanted a CLI on my Freedom I could likely easily qualify for one at the expense of a HP, but I just don't need more than 1K on that tradeline so I don't worry about it. I only needed the one high tradeline to break me out of the smaller limit category, and given the Amex almost assuredly got my Fidelity limit where I really can use the 7.5K CL and similarly the Barclays 4400 approval (when I massively understated my traditional income on both no less), the old school forum advice worked quite well in my case.
Revelate,
Can I ask why you understate your income? I am trying to figure it out in my head and I cannot come up with a good reason to state less than my provable income.
In between real gigs at the moment working a startup and a side gig rather than mainline employment; while I could've proved my old wages easily enough, and will likely be back at it in another few months, I simply tossed a number less than 3x the poverty line figuring I'd make that as a soccer referee if I officiated enough if everything else fell through.
Then wound up with an unlimited hour contract at a short-term contract rate and /shrug, wasn't as destitute as I figured, but apparently neither Barclays nor FIA cared.