My reports will be completely clean in April, so I was planning on applying for the Venture X at that point and perhaps an Ink card relatively soon thereafter. From there, I'll be gardening for mortgage apps.
Other than that, I'll just be playing AMEX retention offer and upgrade/downgrade games.
I'm not getting any new cards this year in fact I'm probably going to be canceling cards that charge me for holding it so. I used bad cards to get my score higher and now it's time to trim the fat I guess right
I have already cancelled my Truist card due to multiple reasons. I now plan to cancel my PenFed Gold card due to the recent changes they have put in place making the card pretty useless to me at this point; my Navy Federal will easily replace it and with the same rate but with rewards. I am also pretty sure i will cancel Ally and replace it with a new 2% cash back card. Ally doesn't allow CLI requests and if they do decide to raise your limit it's usually kept under 5K and I like a limit that can grow beyond 5K with responsible use to help with utilization among other things. The three cards i would like the most are the Citi SYW MasterCard the US Bank 5% utility card and the 2% unlimited cash back PNC card...However I am blacklisted with Citi due to my Bk7 almost 6 years ago and US bank denies due to BK, they were not included, but i also have 2 inquiries and 2 new accounts and US bank hates that. And PNC's 2% is hard to get even though I have a card with them already so i dobut i will qualify but we will see. I doubt i will obtain any of those cards but it's my hope to get at least one of them by the end of the year. here is hoping 
My overall plan is to fill out some suboptimal cashback categories and bump CLs to keep my intramonth utilization low, since I don't carry any balances.
My current categories in order of spend are:
- Uncategorized: 1.5% (Quicksilver)
- Amazon: 5% (Chase Amazon Prime)
- Groceries: 2.55% (PenFed Rewards)
- Utilities: 5% (Elan MCP)
- Wholesale clubs: 1.5% (Quicksilver)
- Gas: 4.25% (PenFed Rewards)
- Restaurants: 5% (Discover It) or 3% (USAA Rewards)
With that in mind, my 2024 plan is
Jan 2024
Fix student loan balances (in deferrment while in grad school) that are double reported after a transfer. Supposedly will be done at the EOM.
Feb 2024
Apply for Citi DC (2% General) and Chase FF (5% Gas/Groceries for 2024, rotating after)
Apply for Citi CC a few weeks later (5% highest spend)
Mar 2024
Do CLIs on the PenFed (CL $1500) and Chase Amazon (CL $5800) cards that have good use but low CLs, so the individual utilization is high.
I'll probably sock drawer my barclaycard (old Sallie Mae) and Quicksilver, just because they're my two oldest.
These will be the new categories:
- Uncategorized: 2 (Citi DC)
- Amazon: 5% (Chase Amazon Prime)
- Groceries: 5% (Chase FF)
- Utilities: 5% (Elan MCP)
- Wholesale clubs: 5% (Citi DC)
- Gas: 5% (Chase FF)
- Restaurants: 5% (Discover It) or 3% (USAA Rewards)
This should get me about $200 in extra CB, $600 in SUB, and hopefully a much higher TCL (currently ~$44k). Then in 2024 I get a new groceries card (looking at the AAA Daily Advantage).
I've been gardening for almost 12 months and am waiting to be 0/6, 0/12 to apply for the notoriously difficult US Bank Altitude Reserve. Unlimited 3% on all mobile wallet spend with a 1.5x redemption value on travel is perfect for me, and I can't believe I didn't know about this card before I went on an application spree last year.
@citymunky wrote:I'm in the garden until at least February 24, when I will be at 4/24. There will be definitely no personal credit apps until at least then.
Fed 24. However, I'm looking to get in with Chase starting Ink Biz Unlimited, however since I denied from opening a personal checking/savings acct for the $900 promo bonus, I doubt I will be holding a Chase any time soon. If not I'm looking to open another Biz CC that I can hopefully to a Balance Transfer to. I think US Banks will be my only option, however they are a relationship bank, than I don't have a relationship with.
April 24. Planning to us the NY state 5 year pluge law to hopefully get rid of this CO on all my reports. (Steps are in play now to make that happen).
Apr 24. Close Prosper card before AF hits. Hands down the worst card I even held.
May 24. With hopefully updated profile, I can apply to the CSR, if not I will stay in the garden.
June 24. Close my Grow Credit LOC. (Credit Builder) before new yearly contract, would be have been open for 3 years.
Late July/Aug 24. Close my Self Card just before the AF hits. This is the last of my secured card opened for 3 years.
Sep24. Us the NY state 5 year pluge law to hopefully get rid of a '30-day late' on paid car loan.
Nov 24. 3/24. Maybe open up Charles Schwab AMEX platinum 🤔, if I'm not in with Chase.
I'll be moving cross country in the summer, that is about how far I'm going to plan.
Year round goal for all my cards below $5k, is to work on getting some CLIs. Currently working on my Cap1 Savor1, but Cap1 is being ...like Cap1.
I'm finally under 4/24. I'm looking at Chase, buy they removed their Pre-Approval tool on line (https://www.chase.com/preapproved ). I don't want to apply just yet until I know I can get at preapproved or a mailer. I'm at 5 INQs on EX and I don't want anymore if I know I'm not going to get the to open an account (3 INQ fall off Nov/Dec 2024). EX is my lowest score and creditors love to pull from EX.
I did apply for US Bank Business Platinum Card for my EIN BIZ at the end of last month, took a HP on TU (my only TU INQ), however I received a letter stating "We regent that we are unable to establish an account for you at this time because we are unable to verify identification information on the application". I call the customer Authentication Dept, and they wanted to some formation biz docs, that I had to fax in. Still waiting on a response.
