@bichonmom wrote:I am finally very happy with the selection of CCs I have. I would still like to add 1 or 2 MC, but mostly I'm good. Thrilled now that I have Amex.
My problem is that I can't seem to get past the $2k threshold. I was really hoping for a higher CL w/my Costco Amex (on the assumption that I would be approved at all, that is). I was kind of taken aback when the guy told me my CL was $2k. It was like, oh, no, not another one. I really thought that if I was approved, it would be around $5k.
Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful that Amex approved me. I'm just frutrated because all of my CL seem to be stuck at that point. It's like no one wants to be the first one to go beyond $2k.
I have $2000 NFCU, $2200 Barclays and $2500 local CU, and now $2000 Costco Amex (plus 2 pitiful Cap Ones, one of which is going bye-bye at the end of this month).
So, my question is: How do you get a higher limit card? How do you get a decent CL to $10k? How long does it take to go from smaller CLs to a good one? What kind of strategy should I have?
Thanks!
Wait 61 days and ask for 3x CLI with AMEX! 
Well, patience has never been one of my strong suits. It seems like I have waited SO long. Well, it's been 10 years since I've had credit, so it has been a LONG time! Hopefully I'll get a decent CLI from Navy and Amex. I'm not expecting much from Barclay's and don't want the HP. And my local CU is the same -- not big CLI and require a HP. 
I hope Amex will be generous in a couple of months. 
Not sure how long to wait for Navy. I just got the card in November, and they want me to wait 6 mos. to ask for a CLI. I don't know if I can wait that long. 
Yeah, it's a waiting game, huh?!
@bichonmom wrote:Well, patience has never been one of my strong suits.
I hope Amex will be generous in a couple of months.
Yep, waiting is the hardest part, but it DOES work. I waited an additional year, with a bunch of 500-750 CL cards and finally got in the door with Amex late last year (Zync NPSL), Target with a 2k CL, and Discover Business with 4500k CL. Recently, my WF Secured card was increased from 700 to 1100 with no adding of funds (not quite graduated, but as good as it gets with them for now). Just cool your jets for 6 months to a year and build that payment history.
Yeah, I was really disappointed, too. It seems like I'm in a small group of people who got really low limits from them. I always PIF before the stmt cuts because the CL is so low, and I run almost everything through it for the 1% rewards. I am hoping for a good CLI, but I'm waiting till 6 mos. at their advice because of the HP.
@chromonso1 wrote:I'm kinda surprised w/ the NFCU limit. They just gave me $12,5 on cashRewards which is great considering i'm only 22!
Bichonmom;
I know what you mean by the time and frustration factor. After realizing I needed to get back into the "credit game" years after closing all my cards, I found out what those accounts dropping off my reports could do (my last report before they dropped off was a FICO 840, then the nose dive came).
So I ended up getting a couple cards around 2008\2009, it's been a VERY slow process adding a card once in a while since, to where in 2011 I was finally able to get approved for $1000+ cards and CLIs.
The funny thing is, my 2 oldest cards are still stuck at their 500$ (BoA gold) and 300$ (Kohls) limits. I'm really on the fence about closing the BoA 500 (as I call it), being I'm curious what might happen with it once the dust from the BoA\FIA and the USBancorp deal settles. It has a 59$ AF so I'm not thrilled with keeping it (and I can't STAND BoA anymore), it's just my oldest card and I'm thinking I might give it one more year in light of the BoA Card division being even odder than usual for the time being (I still won't recommend anyone apply for anything BoA however, I'm just stuck with them for a bit).
