I'm specifically interested in other member's experiences on credit limits with Navy FCU as a brand-new accountholder. (If you've banked with them for years, it seems your experience will be totally different.)
My Data Points:
Thick 35+ year file.
Prior active duty military veteran.
830+ credit scores.
Low Debt to income.
Strong six-figure income.
Highest Credit limit 70K.
Lowest Credit limit 9K.
Average Credit limit ~30K.
I opened checking and savings with them in October 2019 with about $1500 in total deposits. I waited one month and then applied for the Platinum card at the end of about a 10-new-account spree over 18 months. I was approved for $10K at lowest available APR. Not a bad SL, but not as high as some have gotten, regardless of FICO, income, and other limits. I imagine the limit was influenced by being new-to-Navy and all the other recent new accounts. I transferred $9800 in balances to the card with their 0% and no BT fee offer to build payment history. I also moved more money into my Navy accounts over time.
I paid off the BTs over three months, waited for statement cut with "0" balance due and credit score to rebound to 848, then applied for CLI at 4 statement cuts/136 days. Approved for $8K increase to $18K! 
Not bad, but still was hoping they'd hit more in the ball park of my other credit limits. I had asked for $40K and hoped to maybe get $20K to $30K.
Since they gave me less than I asked for, I got the explanation letter yesterday.
It reported with score of 848 and my key factors were:
- Proportion of balances to Credit Limits too high on revolving accounts (probably due to recent BT with Navy)
- Length of time Revolving accounts have been established (four new about 5 months ago)
- Time since most recent account opening is too short
- Too many accounts recently opened (4/6, 7/12, 10/24)
- Number of inquiries on credit bureau report (2/24, 2/12, 2/6 on EQ)
It is a lot of new accounts but one in last six months was just AU and another was opened and then closed, althought I don't think they care if it's closed regarding new accounts.
The denial reason was something I've seen other members post over and over with Navy:
"You've reached Navy Federal's maximum unsecured credit limit."
I was surprised to see this explanation given my credit factors and limits with other lenders. Navy is known on the forums for being super generous with credit limits, but that seems to be only with relationship and history. Chase, meanwhile, gave me a $35K SL on a CSR almost two years ago. I can only imagine it's because I've only had account history with Navy for less than six months that explains why $18K is the maximum unsecured limit. That's still one of my lowest limit cards and my debt payments are only 7.5% of my income. (Revolving utilization normally kept at 1%.)
For other members who have opened accounts with Navy Federal and then applied for credit within the first six months of relationship, what were the starting limits and how long did it take for reaching higher limits? I know from postings that their maximum limit per card is $50K except Flagship and maximum total limit is $80K. I'm still far from that, of course. I hear over and over that they "open the floodgates" on card #2, but seems more the case on the lower starting limits (under $10K or especially under $5K.) I do plan to apply for the Flagship and/or perhaps the AMEX More Rewards.
For anyone with top limits or close to those, how long did it take you to get there? I'm willing to build the relationship but just wonder what to expect. Thanks!
As Steve says, this was also the case for me.
I'm not a 1% like yourself. 
First CC started at $15 or $16k.
Second CC was $25 off the rip and 3rd was $22k if I'm not mistaken.
I built mine slowly with Navy. Well slowly compared to members here.😆
So I may not be a good example.
I waited two years before grabbing #2 and #3. But acquired both within 6 months of the other.
I'm at max exposure for the credit cards now, which is $80k across all three.
I do recall a member here who had an income above $500k a year. Navy handed him a $1k SL!!
He was furious!!😂
Even after reconsideration, they still wouldn't budge. I'm not sure if he kept his Navy account after that.
@Gmood1 wrote:As Steve says, this was also the case for me.
I'm not a 1% like yourself.
First CC started at $15 or $16k.
Second CC was $25 off the rip and 3rd was $22k if I'm not mistaken.
I built mine slowly with Navy. Well slowly compared to members here.😆
So I may not be a good example.
I waited two years before grabbing #2 and #3. But acquired both within 6 months of the other.
I'm at max exposure for the credit cards now, which is $80k across all three.
I do recall a member here who had an income above $500k a year. Navy handed him a $1k SL!!
He was furious!!😂
Even after reconsideration, they still wouldn't budge. I'm not sure if he kept his Navy account after that.
$500 = $1k 
i remember that . I seem to recall poster did not take @Aim_High approach and understand $ doesnt = instant $ all the time.
My issue i guess with seeing give me $25k limits NOW! approach is most of the time, and im just as guilty as many here, the cards are not used heavily if at all. Its more i have so and so on this card and i want max. Thats all good, i love my feeling of actually achieving a $25k card , but in reality we should all use our Navy cards more to earn those limits.
When Navy adds external account auto pay. They'll get more use from me.
Don't understand why the largest CU in the world doesn't have this? Kinda ridiculous to me 😆
@Anonymous wrote:From my experience with NFCU and from what I have seen. A new card will always yield higher limit than a CLI.
@Gmood1 wrote:As Steve says, this was also the case for me.
I'm not a 1% like yourself.
First CC started at $15 or $16k.
Second CC was $25 off the rip and 3rd was $22k if I'm not mistaken.
I built mine slowly with Navy. Well slowly compared to members here.😆
So I may not be a good example.
I waited two years before grabbing #2 and #3. But acquired both within 6 months of the other.
I'm at max exposure for the credit cards now, which is $80k across all three.
I do recall a member here who had an income above $500k a year. Navy handed him a $1k SL!!
He was furious!!😂
Even after reconsideration, they still wouldn't budge. I'm not sure if he kept his Navy account after that.
I know, right? "First-World problems." 
Thanks for the replies, guys. It does seem that multiple cards, approved slowly over time, yields the best results. (You may get approved sooner but leave some money on the table.) I can wait them out.
Discover did that exact same thing to me. It's that closed account I referenced above. I had a $50K limit card with them, then applied for the IT Miles card. Got a $1K limit. Say What?!? I was beyond insulted, TBH. Then my DW applied with much lower personal income, no prior Disco history, and lower credit score applied and they gave her $9K. Go figure. I knew the $1K would grow (eventually) but I just didn't want to fool with it. (I got it more for the first year bonus anyway.) So I closed mine and had her add me as AU to hers. (I can only imagine it was a combination of "maximum exposure reached" with Discover or else the other new accounts I had recently added.)
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
@Gmood1 wrote:
I do recall a member here who had an income above $500k a year. Navy handed him a $1k SL!!
He was furious!!😂
Even after reconsideration, they still wouldn't budge. I'm not sure if he kept his Navy account after that.
$500 = $1k
My issue i guess with seeing give me $25k limits NOW! approach is most of the time, and im just as guilty as many here, the cards are not used heavily if at all. Its more i have so and so on this card and i want max. Thats all good, i love my feeling of actually achieving a $25k card , but in reality we should all use our Navy cards more to earn those limits
Thanks AJC. Yes, $ doesn't always = $ all the time. I'm willing to groom my Navy FCU relationship. I wasn't willing to groom that small Discover card. I did something similar with Capital One (grew a Platinum with $1K SL to QS with $25K limit) and it was ridiculously painful. Don't want to do that again on such a small limit. So ... it just depends. I understand not getting maximum exposure out-the-gate but $1K is insulting on a major bank card when your other limits are $10K and much higher.
Yes, I know Navy wants to see some use so I will give that to them and build even more payment history. I'm also thinking about a mortgage refinance soon while rates are low. They would love me for that. Lol
There were a few of us here I can recall right off the bat... (not naming names though as they can speak up if they wish)... me being one of them. Similiar scenario as you in that I joined Navy one day, apped the next day for the Flagship, and although my income / scores / cards were all in great shape I was given the lowest APR and $10k limit. Alot of great folks across MyFico, many starting with that $25k limit, but I didn't receive that until I earned it with them the hard way, a few CLI's later... and then my 2nd card finally yielded the $25k amount. Can't explain what they look at exactly but, still a phenominal CU to be a part of!
