Hope it is OK to bump this - there will likely be a 2024 thread started within a few months, at which point this will be locked, so I’m getting my update in now as I’ll be gardening for the rest of the year.
A lot has proved true with what I said a bit over nine months ago, but P2 and I decided against going for a house at the beginning of the year which massively changed things, particularly when I will get under 5/24.
What I said then:
- “Focus more on MR” + “P2 shifts to miles” - this is still true, but I am focusing on MR & TYP while P2 focuses on VM & UR - P2 will likely downgrade CSP to CFF (too much overlap) but got a great SUB, with each of us alternating opening a CSP or CSR every two years, e.g. my turn next in 2025, then P2 again in 2027
- “Apply for Amex Business Gold when the SUB timing and planned spending timing is right” - this proved to be true, jumped on it during 130k MR SUB and hit ¼ of the spending requirement via down payment on a Civic Si (which I immediately paid off)
- “Start banking TYP” - while this is true, since P2 and I decided against buying a new house this year, I jumped at the 80k Premier SUB before it went away - now that I have the Premier, the 1:2 transfer to Choice has been extremely valuable
- “Get under 5/24” - no longer true: I was aiming to be under 5/24 in December ‘23, but since we are not buying a new house, I have opened a number of cards and will now get under 5/24 in February ‘25 - basically we pushed the house back around a year and I pushed getting under 5/24 by a little over a year
- “Trim Amex lineup” + “Seek retention offers on a few Amex cards as annual fees arrive” - still true, I closed Hilton Business in February and just closed Green, both a little after the annual fees hit, will likely close Business Platinum unless a good retention offer is extended
My 2023 timeline went out the window the first week of the year when P2 and I decided against going for a house this year. This is how it played out:
- January: Citi Premier (80k SUB), Alaska Mileage Plan (just squeaked into being grandfathered into no spend requirement for annual companion pass), and PenFed Pathfinder (we are not loyal to any airline, so the $100 ancillary credit is strong for us)
- February: Curve Credit Card (works great with Premier + Custom Cash x2, more at end), Hilton Aspire (we are largely brand agnostic but stay in Hiltons more than any other chain, plus are familiar with the ecosystem including certificates), and Venture X (P2, great compliment to her grandfathered no annual fee Savor)
- March: IHG Premier (P2, got during 175k SUB)
- April: Choice Privileges Select (effectively buying 30k Choice points once per year for $95, first year waived)
- May: Amex Business Gold (as stated above, 130k SUB with ¼ of spend requirement hit with a down payment on a car) and Chase Sapphire Preferred (P2, got during 80k SUB, she will transfer to Hyatt and then downgrade to CFF after a year)
- July: FNBO Best Western Premier (will be used for non-category until $5k every 12 billing cycles for 40k points bonus, another card to use with Curve) and PenFed Pathfinder (my second, meaning $200 total in ancillary airline credit per year)
- August: FNBO Amtrak Preferred (inspired by my two train trips in July, will likely recoup annual fee from companion pass alone)
What is different:
- Even more of a focus on hotel cards - P2 and I travel a decent amount with 49 nights spent elsewhere in 2023 (possibly more), with 16x 1-night stays and 14x 2-night stays (only one trip with more, 5 nights at a Hilton to utilize 5th night free with points) - since the vast majority of these stays are at hotels and we are largely brand agnostic, we are trying to cover as many chains as possible: I currently have hotel cards for Hilton, Marriott, Choice, and Best Western while P2 has hotel cards for Marriott and IHG
- Greatly enjoying TYP - transferring TYP to Choice at a 1:2 ratio has proven to be outstanding - still enjoy MR for flights, but nice to have a strong hotel option
- Loving Curve so far - set-up is now Custom Cash x2 (typically dining / grocery) + Premier (if over $500 on either Custom Cash) + Choice Privileges (home improvement) + Amtrak (travel and transit) + Best Western (non-category) - my phone’s fingerprint sensor sucks, so whipping out one card for a bunch of common categories (including non-category) has been phenomenal
P2 
P2 Future 
Chopping Block 
I recently added US Bank AR to my wallet. Its 3X on digital wallet is good for in-store purchases at Costco. This card has a fairly small effective AF of $75, with several perks as an infinite Visa card.
I may need to buy a cheap old iphone to be able to enroll in Apple Pay to provide better digital wallet coverage for online payments (safari browser). Note that several cards also provide 5% CB coverage for digital wallet payments (co-branded US Bank cards, rotating category cards like CFF/Discover).
Fico8: EX~EQ~TU~840 (12 month goal~850).
Not sure I actually posted in this thread, I found my 2022 strategy post but not a 2023...but other than going page by page and digging it out I don't know a better way to find it so I could have just missed it. Anyway...
This year has went differently than I expected...It all started last year when I found out I could get my hands on a business AMEX and this past April I doubled down and also got myself a Blue Business Plus. It is now tied for 1st place with my FNBO card for my highest credit limit which is pretty okay by me. Better yet it gives me 2% back in MR points which admittedly isn't something I use very often but I like having the option available when I do.
I have only applied for one personal card this year and that is my USB Altitude Go and this has been a real winner. I eat out a lot because of my work and has earned me a fair share of cashback so far. Having said that redeeming my cashback is kind of a pain. Part of the pain is trying to redeem to an account outside USB...they don't let you so easily. So I have to redeem to my USB checking account first then move the money where I actually want it to go from there. It's not nearly as easy as some of my other cards in this regard.
That brings me to my next point though, I started an Ally money market account back in late July, I have started moving all of my credit card reward dollars into this account now. This is where USB still makes things difficult, they will not let me transfer out of my checking with them directly into this account. I had to start a checking account with Ally and the money has to be sent there first. Once it's at Ally I then have to move it into the money market account. So far everyone else is more than happy to deposit funds directly into this account without any work arounds. Kind of annoying.
Originally my plan was to acquire a Citi Rewards+ or maybe Premier card this year and make a Citi cashback trifecta with my DC and CC. This all changed when I decided to PC my DC card to a second CC card because of the AMEX BBP I have now. I am thinking if possible maybe apply for a Permier for the SUB then downgrade it to a Rewards+ after a year. It would still boost my two CC cards. Other cards on the table are Redstone Visa Signature and Lowe's Advantage card. Only problem with the Lowe's card is that it would be another Synchrony product...It would definitely for sure have to be my final Sync credit card. But Lowe's is the closest home improvement place to me and I actually go there quite a bit...ugh. I like the card just wish it wasn't Synchrony. The Redstone card is more of a "it would be nice to have" product for "optimization" reasons but not one that I really need at this point.
Having said all that I am currently in the garden until Jeep (and the UAW now) decides to finally build the 2024 Wrangler I ordered back in June. I probably could have had it already (Plenty of automatic 2024 Willys have been built and delivered already) but I am a troglodyte that insist a Real Jeep™ has to have a manual transmission. Only problem is they haven't started production of manual 2024 Wranglers yet and with the UAW strike ongoing we don't know how long it will be now. So until it's built and I have the financing in hand all other credit apps are on hold. I have also paid off the Renegade (with a manual!) in the meantime. I intend to trade it in for the Wrangler when it arrives. My goal is get approved at the lowest interest rate possible.
I did manage to get my Capital One accounts closed. I had been delaying it for a while but now I have divested myself from them altogether.
That is one goal I had that did get accomplished this year. So that's where I'm at right now, just gardening (wih SP CLIs to tide me over of course) until my new Wrangler gets here. However long that will be.
8/22/24
3/09/25
@Lou-natic wrote:Having said all that I am currently in the garden until Jeep (and the UAW now) decides to finally build the 2024 Wrangler I ordered back in June. I probably could have had it already (Plenty of automatic 2024 Willys have been built and delivered already) but I am a troglodyte that insist a Real Jeep™ has to have a manual transmission. Only problem is they haven't started production of manual 2024 Wranglers yet and with the UAW strike ongoing we don't know how long it will be now. So until it's built and I have the financing in hand all other credit apps are on hold. I have also paid off the Renegade (with a manual!) in the meantime. I intend to trade it in for the Wrangler when it arrives. My goal is get approved at the lowest interest rate possible.
Troglodyte is one way to put it - one of my friends called me a luddite for still wanting a manual 
I recently got a Civic Si myself, committed to the purchase in late May and was quoted July/August arrival. Once I knew the dealer would take $2.5k down on a credit card, I opened an Amex Business Gold in early June, figuring the car might be in by the end of the spending period but I'd at least be able to put $2.5k down. Salesperson kept saying not to worry about the deposit, but once early August rolled around I e-mailed her explaining that I was trying to hit a sign-up bonus, asking if they could please take the deposit. I believe that's the only time 1) I've had to spell out that I was trying to hit a sign-up bonus to someone and 2) basically demanded for a business to take my money, but she understood and took the deposit that day.
Hope you don't have to wait too long!