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Holy fico, just finished writing in order my journey back from bk7 that begin back in 2015🤯 and i went from 1 to 42 total cc's , with 12 being closed. Lol im the poor version of CC but for fun im going to add total credit limits achieved including closed just to see what i accomplished. This might be the first time ever i actually looked at credit more strategically but as of now apps will be of necessity not want. On mobile didnt even know CC added his limits. I look at them and cringe haha til i see a 30k and go woo hoo i " almost " got one of those.
@CreditCuriosity wrote:ACL? Accumulated credit lines?
Average Credit Limit. More or less your total limits divided by your total number of cards. Sort of a moot value if you consider both personal and business cards I suppose.
Nice list @CreditCuriosity. Thanks for sharing, especially since you don't publish your profile in your signature. It's interesting. Fortunately, the APR on my cards is not really important since I normally PIF, but I like to have the best rates that my profile permits. It's good insurance, and in my opinion, I've worked for it so I ask to keep them low. I have four cards below 10% and the total credit lines below 10% are $114,200. That's more than I'll ever need at a low APR, so I'm pretty well set in that department.
I start out similar to you. I added the Navy FCU Platinum last year specifically to have a very-low APR card for "just-in-case" emergencies. Fortunately, I have the lowest current rate of 5.99% APR also (but the best rate was 7.49% at the time I was approved.)
Second lowest was added this year like your's, the AOD FCU Visa Signature for 7.49% APR. For a 3% cash back card, that's awesome to have the rewards combined with such a great rate!
Third lowest is my local credit union Visa with CU Rewards (about 1% rewards) combined with 8.50% APR. Not bad for a card that gives a little back. (They have a lower APR version that goes to 7.00% without rewards also.)
Fourth lowest is my PenFed Power Cash Rewards at 9.99%. I believe it started out at 11.74% and then dropped to 9.99% where it stays, actually below the best rate they give to new applicants.
Fifth-best goes to my Goldman-Sachs Apple card at 10.99% APR. I believe that one was approved at 12.99% which was the lowest approval rate at the time I got it.
If you can believe it, my sixth-best rate is probably my Capital One Quicksilver. Even though it pays 1.5% rewards, the APR is 11.90%.
Very closely following that is my Discover IT, which I recently negotiated down to 11.99% APR, thanks to your 10/12/2020 thread on the topic, @CreditCuriosity. Thanks!
https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Lowest-Discover-APR-you-all-have/td-p/6160119
Ironically, my USAA "Rate Advantage" card isn't one of my best cards. Even though the card's APR can get as low as 6.90%, mine is currently 12.90%. I got it when my profile wasn't as competitive a few years ago so I have all the above cards that beat it and many also pay rewards to boot!! And USAA refuses to lower the APR. I would have to close it and apply for a new card for them to do it. They have some very difficult policies on the banking side. One day, when I have nothing else to do credit-wise, I may do that since the 6.90% is a great rate. But it's not a priority for me.
Of course, beyond that it gets uglier. None of the big banks like Chase or Bank of America are known for permanent low interest rate cards. I have one from Chase that lapsed to their 'penalty APR' about 20 years ago and they've never lowered it for me again. Embarassed to say it's at 27.24%. Annoying, but I never carry a balance or pay interest. I don't even recall what happened but I think I had more than one payment that was 'late' (past due date but before reporting 30 days.) I used to cut it close sometimes mailing personal checks before everything went more electronic.
@Anonymous wrote:
@CreditCuriosity wrote:ACL? Accumulated credit lines?
Average Credit Limit. More or less your total limits divided by your total number of cards. Sort of a moot value if you consider both personal and business cards I suppose.
18.5k without busines included with business cards that would be higher as those limits are 20-30kish.
@Anonymous wrote:
@CreditCuriosity wrote:ACL? Accumulated credit lines?
Average Credit Limit. More or less your total limits divided by your total number of cards. Sort of a moot value if you consider both personal and business cards I suppose.
I track mine. It's kind of my focus since I want higher credit limits overall but fewer cards. I'd rather not have 50 to 100 cards to manage. Mine is over $28K average for 19 NPSL cards right now, which I feel very fortunate to have been able to accomplish. I'd like to get it into the 30K-range for an average with a few at $50K and over. For any cards under $25K, I'm trying to get them up to that.
@Aim_High wrote:
Ironically, my USAA "Rate Advantage" card isn't one of my best cards. Even though the card's APR can get as low as 6.90%, mine is currently 12.90%. I got it when my profile wasn't as competitive a few years ago so I have all the above cards that beat it and many also pay rewards to boot!! And USAA refuses to lower the APR. I would have to close it and apply for a new card for them to do it. They have some very difficult policies on the banking side. One day, when I have nothing else to do credit-wise, I may do that since the 6.90% is a great rate. But it's not a priority for me.
Of course, beyond that it gets uglier. None of the big banks like Chase or Bank of America are known for permanent low interest rate cards. I have one from Chase that lapsed to their 'penalty APR' about 20 years ago and they've never lowered it for me again.
Embarassed to say it's at 27.24%. Annoying, but I never carry a balance or pay interest.
USAA has been historically known for not lowering standard APRs, much like Chase and others.
I'm curious on the "embarrassment" comment, though. While it's understandable that everyone works very hard to optimize and achieve the best scores + pricing (as applicable to individual situations), it's not like a first prize award, IMO. I mean, I doubt your spouse subjects you to any harsh punishments or scorns you for the 27.24% APR! Beyond that, no one pays mind to it since you mentioned you normally PIF and on affinity/rewards CCs (such as those from Chase, BoA, etc.), they really weren't meant to carry balances. Conversely, I can see where scores and a decent profile would be detrimental for a good rate on a mortgage, vehicle financing, business lending, etc., but unsecured CCs?
I certainly don't consider my accounts as trophies, but rather as liabilities, cute rectangular loans on plastic that allow you to do great things. They can be here today and gone/nerfed tomorrow. So, if a lender slaps your account with a higher APR, it only enforces the mindset of good discipline to PIF. It's only a number and you are not obligated to pay a penny in interest. Nothing to be embarrassed about 🤷♂️
@Aim_High wrote:Nice list @CreditCuriosity. Thanks for sharing, especially since you don't publish your profile in your signature. It's interesting. Fortunately, the APR on my cards is not really important since I normally PIF, but I like to have the best rates that my profile permits. It's good insurance, and in my opinion, I've worked for it so I ask to keep them low. I have four cards below 10% and the total credit lines below 10% are $114,200. That's more than I'll ever need at a low APR, so I'm pretty well set in that department.
I start out similar to you. I added the Navy FCU Platinum last year specifically to have a very-low APR card for "just-in-case" emergencies. Fortunately, I have the lowest current rate of 5.99% APR also (but the best rate was 7.49% at the time I was approved.)
Second lowest was added this year like your's, the AOD FCU Visa Signature for 7.49% APR. For a 3% cash back card, that's awesome to have the rewards combined with such a great rate!
Third lowest is my local credit union Visa with CU Rewards (about 1% rewards) combined with 8.50% APR. Not bad for a card that gives a little back. (They have a lower APR version that goes to 7.00% without rewards also.)
Fourth lowest is my PenFed Power Cash Rewards at 9.99%. I believe it started out at 11.74% and then dropped to 9.99% where it stays, actually below the best rate they give to new applicants.
Fifth-best goes to my Goldman-Sachs Apple card at 10.99% APR. I believe that one was approved at 12.99% which was the lowest approval rate at the time I got it.
If you can believe it, my sixth-best rate is probably my Capital One Quicksilver. Even though it pays 1.5% rewards, the APR is 11.90%.
Very closely following that is my Discover IT, which I recently negotiated down to 11.99% APR, thanks to your 10/12/2020 thread on the topic, @CreditCuriosity. Thanks!
https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Lowest-Discover-APR-you-all-have/td-p/6160119
Ironically, my USAA "Rate Advantage" card isn't one of my best cards. Even though the card's APR can get as low as 6.90%, mine is currently 12.90%. I got it when my profile wasn't as competitive a few years ago so I have all the above cards that beat it and many also pay rewards to boot!! And USAA refuses to lower the APR. I would have to close it and apply for a new card for them to do it. They have some very difficult policies on the banking side. One day, when I have nothing else to do credit-wise, I may do that since the 6.90% is a great rate. But it's not a priority for me.
Of course, beyond that it gets uglier. None of the big banks like Chase or Bank of America are known for permanent low interest rate cards. I have one from Chase that lapsed to their 'penalty APR' about 20 years ago and they've never lowered it for me again.
Embarassed to say it's at 27.24%. Annoying, but I never carry a balance or pay interest. I don't even recall what happened but I think I had more than one payment that was 'late' (past due date but before reporting 30 days.) I used to cut it close sometimes mailing personal checks before everything went more electronic.
I had the USAA rate advantage last year at 8.40%(it would be 6.90%) now. I have no rhyme or reason on why I closed it. USAA is one of my most difficult banks and I have been with them for 9 years now. Hard pulls for small cli. They wont budge on lowering my rate for amex. I dont know if it is because my card is Amex, but I dont get any balance transfer offers from them(I got the card in 2018). I did alot when I had a visa with them.
Anyway my lowest NFCU-5.99, then Chase-9.99(fixed) which was use to be Chase Military Star card- hybrid type of card, Apple-10.99, Discover-12.24 recently lowered(it was 19.74-15.24(april 2020), 15.24-12.24(nov 2020)), citi-13.49, Bank of America-13.99, us bank cash +-13.99, capital one savor-14.49, usaa-14.90, amex-14.99(trying to get it to 13.99 next year), bbva-15.24, penfed-15.49(i cant get over how banks gave me lower than this credit union, this was a preapproved account), and wells fargo-16.99(last card in a spree so it seems warrant)
@Anonymous wrote:
I had the USAA rate advantage last year at 8.40%(it would be 6.90%) now. I have no rhyme or reason on why I closed it. USAA is one of my most difficult banks and I have been with them for 9 years now. Hard pulls for small cli. They wont budge on lowering my rate for amex. I dont know if it is because my card is Amex, but I dont get any balance transfer offers from them(I got the card in 2018). I did alot when I had a visa with them.
Unfortunately, the AmEx network has no bearing on that. It boils down to USAA's internal policies. Over a couple decades ago, they were more flexible with CC APRs, but not since around ~2000. Curious as to why you closed your Rate Advantage card, though?
I always PIF, so I tend to ignore information about APRs. Out of curiosity, I decided to play along with this exercise. Here's what I found:
10.24 Citi Dividend
11.99 Discover More
13.24 Chase Freedom & Ink Cash
13.99 Citi Double Cash
14.24 Amex Amazon
14.49 Capital One Savor
15.24 Amex Delta Gold, Everyday, & Platinum; Chase Freedom Unltd & Mileage Plus Explorer
15.99 Barclays Aviator Red
17.24 Capital One Venture (just opened, first statement not yet cut)
@FinStar wrote:
@Aim_High wrote:
... I have one from Chase that lapsed to their 'penalty APR' about 20 years ago and they've never lowered it for me again.Embarassed to say it's at 27.24%. Annoying, but I never carry a balance or pay interest.
I'm curious on the "embarrassment" comment, though. While it's understandable that everyone works very hard to optimize and achieve the best scores + pricing (as applicable to individual situations), it's not like a first prize award, IMO. I mean, I doubt your spouse subjects you to any harsh punishments or scorns you for the 27.24% APR! Beyond that, no one pays mind to it since you mentioned you normally PIF and on affinity/rewards CCs (such as those from Chase, BoA, etc.), they really weren't meant to carry balances. Conversely, I can see where scores and a decent profile would be detrimental for a good rate on a mortgage, vehicle financing, business lending, etc., but unsecured CCs?
I certainly don't consider my accounts as trophies, but rather as liabilities, cute rectangular loans on plastic that allow you to do great things. They can be here today and gone/nerfed tomorrow. So, if a lender slaps your account with a higher APR, it only enforces the mindset of good discipline to PIF. It's only a number and you are not obligated to pay a penny in interest. Nothing to be embarrassed about 🤷♂️
Thanks for the encouragement @FinStar. After some major financial setbacks, I've worked hard on paying down debt, improving my credit scores, getting better cards and limits, getting these low APR cards for emergencies, and diversifying lenders. Pretty much everything I can do. So it's just a little frustrating to have a lender still "reminding" you when you review your account profiles that they still remember your errors from so long ago and refuse to forgive and move on. I know I shouldn't take it personally, but I also don't understand their stubborness! So yeah, to be honest there's some ego involved with it. It's just embarassing that I was so much more irresponsible at one point, but it is what it is. It's not the way I manage my finances today, of course. Out of the 12 new revolving accounts I opened in the past three years, I've actually gotten the lowest-available APR on all of them including five with Chase. For that, I am grateful and that's what I usually focus on.