Hey everyone! Hows it going!? I'm a soph in college 18 going on 19 next month and looking for some advice, that will dictate my credit future. I'm seeking help from this community because every since I've been on here, anytime I had a question I just search it up and the answers pop up, and you guys have been awesome in giving honest opinion. Be aware I do ramble sometimes, but I love to provide the full situation and leave nothing out so you guys can give me your full judgment with all the in's and outs. (excuse my ramble, here's my situation:
I'm new to the community and credit world, but I have moved in the right direction, thanks to my parents having nothing but bad credit! (I'm trying to change that for many generations to come!) Anywho in the past year I have been with capital one, and I started with a limit of 300 on 10/26/2011. Its been 11 months almost a year, and I utilized the card pretty well (16% rule), and paid it in full every month! Too bad Cap1 stop giving CLI in march 2012. My new CLI since than though is a measly $500. That is the only thing that has been on my record, besides my Sallie mae unsubsidized and subsidized school loans of (2,000 and $3,500). The $2,000 loan is unsubsidized so I will try to pay it off by next year, and keep the other loan until I graduate and slowly pay it off afterwards so I don't have a credit report with nothing on it.
(Is this a good move?)
Also recently I did an inquiry with sprint (EQ) (trans??)-will have this removed as they promised me they would only use EQ., chase(EX.), and amex (all 3) what a bummer, they said they only did an inquiry through one bureau, they just didn't know which one they would pull from..... (sucks).., I figured since my credit scores was high, and I wanted a new phone (I been on a flip phone forever), a card with a better limit/ cash back rotating bonus(chase freedom), and a card I could always use for groceries annually (blue cash preferred) I went out on a gardening spree and applied. I got approved with sprint, and chase freedom, but amex declined me. (I will be appealing with them soon, as I feel I am a great candidate for the card) Btw: If you noticed, I tried to do one inquiry on each account but it failed miserably b/c I was lied too... -.- Amex is understandable, but still it sucks.
(Was this a bad move applying to these companies all at once?)
What I am planning to do but want advice for before I do it: I know DCU offers the free EQ score, so I wanted to open up a checking plus with them and also get a walmart card for the free TU. And as for Exp I am paying the 8:95 per month for the monitoring/score, as I like there service. Plus they offer the plus scores, and I know the supervisor there so he offers me disc. and all I would need to buy is my vantage score quarterly from them and I would have all my scores. (Which I am getting at a bargain). Would this be a good idea, or should I wait to do this? And if so when, or should I just do it, and then after that suffer for a year or two and stay away from seeking credit and focus on utilizing my credit cards/ continue doing what I was doing with my Cap1. As if I get my amex, and these things, I wouldn't be needing to seek credit anytime soon until next year when I apply for my car loan! (Mid 2013)
Lastly I know I should not be seeking out so much credit in such a short period of time, but I figured since my credit was okay/near the excellent margin, that I could use it now and get what I need; and do what I been doing, to get those points back that I lost on the inquiries further down the line! Am I in a bad mind state, and taking to big of risks, or is the process I'm trying to do common?
Thanks in advance, for taking the time out to try to help me! I know I have a lot of questions but I'm new to credit and want to move in the right direction! And please even if you can only give advice on one part of my questions please do so, as I am open to all kinds of advice/constructive criticism 
Instead of paying $8.95 a month for an EX FAKO, why not sign up for Credit Sesame? It's free and it's just as good as a pay service for monitoring your EX report. You could put the payment you were making toward a subscription to Score Watch ($14.95 or cheaper if you have a coupon code) here on myfico.com and you can keep track of your EQ FICO score and your EQ report.
Starting Score: TU: 566
Welcome to the forums!
Sometimes it's hard to sift through the data, but if you are a student your best bet would be student cards. From a pure FICO perspective you don't care what the tradelines are, but you do want 2-3 cards that report, and if you are cash flush, a secured installment loan wouldn't be a bad idea either.
To clear up something: you weren't lied to. Amex does typically pull EX except in marginal cases where they pull multiple bureaus for their revolvers. I think most people on this forum would've suggested a Zync for your situation, not all FICO scores are created equally and your file is on the thinnish side and the BCE/P is a premier revolver.
Anyway I would have suggested waiting till November for a Freedom app (reported 1 year on your C1 card), and personally I would look at applying for a Zync then as I'm a big fan of future backdating and the Zync was designed for your student situation.
Finally open up the Walmart card if you want the FICO at that point, or DCU checking isn't a bad idea either and I am finding then to be a good CU to have a relationship with.
In any event you did right in my opinion using an app spree (what I think you meant heh) I think you simply did it slightly early and with the wrong targets in some cases.
Adjust your plan, take a new swing when C1 updates that October payment, and you'll be good for a while gardening.
Sometimes it's hard to sift through the data, but if you are a student your best bet would be student cards. From a pure FICO perspective you don't care what the tradelines are, but you do want 2-3 cards that report, and if you are cash flush, a secured installment loan wouldn't be a bad idea either.
To clear up something: you weren't lied to. Amex does typically pull EX except in marginal cases where they pull multiple bureaus for their revolvers. I think most people on this forum would've suggested a Zync for your situation, not all FICO scores are created equally and your file is on the thinnish side and the BCE/P is a premier revolver.
Anyway I would have suggested waiting till November for a Freedom app (reported 1 year on your C1 card), and personally I would look at applying for a Zync then as I'm a big fan of future backdating and the Zync was designed for your student situation.
Finally open up the Walmart card if you want the FICO at that point, or DCU checking isn't a bad idea either and I am finding then to be a good CU to have a relationship with.
In any event you did right in my opinion using an app spree (what I think you meant heh) I think you simply did it slightly early and with the wrong targets in some cases.
Adjust your plan, take a new swing when C1 updates that October payment, and you'll be good for a while gardening.
@Elcid89 wrote:Unless I am mistaken, Amex has stopped offering the Zync card.
No you are not mistaken. Since 10/1 the Zync is gone for new apps.
Score Watch alerts you to any changes to your EQ credit report and also alerts you when your EQ credit score changes, so I think that would actually meet your needs. You can try a free trial and see if you like it. I've been subscribed to it for months now and it really helps a lot.