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Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

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TheFIGuy
Established Contributor

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy



Sure thing:  Chase Freedom, Chase Amazon Prime, Discover, Amex BCE, Cap One Savor, Lowe's, Citi DC.

 

I'm pretty comfortable with most categories covered by my cards above, but adding the 2 cards I'm considering would allow me to do a bit better overall.  Also by limited I was referring not so much to what the cards offer me (they aren't "bad" cards) just limited in overall number of cards relative to many of the card diehards on this forum.


Thanks, I was just curious Smiley Happy

Message 31 of 184
SanDiegoCredit
New Contributor

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

I'm all set. 5 new cards to refresh a very old mature portfolio this year. For next year I want to fix the insulting low limits from US Bank. That's it!




Credit Age:




Gardening.
Message 32 of 184
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

My 2021 strategy is pretty simple. I'm going for either Cash+ or the Elan equivalent in April and I'm going for the Chase Freedom Flex or Amazon (depends on how comfortable I feel with Synchrony) in October when I'm finally under 5/24 (or sooner if I get an offer from Credit Journey). I want both but I have an aversion to cards being shut down so I'll wait another 6 months for the other one. 

I don't have any other credit card plans at present. I intend to continue my focus on saving as much as I can until I get $10K put away so there's not much of a point in going for all kinds of cards. 

Message 33 of 184
macinjosh
Senior Contributor

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

My 2021 card strategy is 1 BofA card for BT purposes. Hopefully that will be the only BT card I get next year.

I also will open an AMEX card at some point next year.

I can't see any other cards I want next year right now though. Any other BT cards that come up for me with good rates and credit lines though, and they may happen.


Samsung Financing TD Bank $3,200


Message 34 of 184
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

P2 has a few zero balance BT cards I need to get rid of. BofAmericard, Simplicity. Will wait until later half of the year and apply a couple cards before cancel those. Currently looking at propel and reward +.

 

For myself, will try to get rid of aaps and get flex. Downgrade edp to ed. May get aviator Red if my AA miles gets low.

Message 35 of 184
coreyb80
Super Contributor

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

I make my last chapter 13 payment in September 2021 and I have my eye on a couple of cards that would be beneficial for me.  I would like to obtain another Navy Fed card prefererably the Flagship and an AMEX card at some point probably towards holiday season 2021.  I'm on the fence about Discover as it's rare to see alot of the places I go to accept them or maybe I need to just to double check.  I'm years away from Chase so they're not on my radar at the moment.  Outside oif those cards nothing else really has my eye and do not have a need/desire for anything else.

Message 36 of 184
JNA1
Valued Contributor

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

I added 5 cards in December '19 for myself and 2 for DW. This year, I only got 2 cards for myself ( and 1 for my side business) and DW picked up 4.

 

My 2021 plan for is to pick up grow our current cards, selectively app for a few of our goal cards to maximize cash back. My eventual goal is to earn as much 5% as I can through the year, and backfill with my cards with 3 and 4% on everything else. The Cash + (or Elsn equivalent), the Freedom Flex, and the Synovus Travel card are all 5% cards in categories we'll use, and I was the NFCU Plat for a low APR in case we need it. After these, I really can't any other cards I really want or need, besides maybe a 0% intro card for an extended or a big SUB card down the line (meaning a year of more after I got our goal cards). 


I think we'll cull a few of our lesser used or bucketed junk starter cards. 

 

We perhaps do things a little differently than a lot people in that we have a lot of cards that use cards daily that reward the same amounts. For instance, we have AOD, PNC, and we both have NFCU More Rewards cards. They all earn 3% on restaurants, but I use my NFCU card as my restaurant card, she uses hers for her restaurant purchases,  and when we go out to eat together or with the kids we often use the PNC card to help push the rewards to the next redemption threshold ($25) since those are bigger amounts. We use my BBVA card for utilities, hers for groceries to get 3% in store at Walmart. Again, we could just use AOD for all them, but this keeps activity and spend running through multiple cards, and keeps targeted offers, and CLI's coming. I make monthly cheat sheets we keep on our phones to maximize rewards if there's ever any question. If I get say a 6% targeted offer on either her or my BBVA card for gas, we'll use it that month instead of 4% PNC. It's hobby for us that has yielded very decent returns. We're not getting rich, but it's worth the effort and it's honestly pretty fun. I may not always feel that way, but for it's been a fun 2 years of doing this. I'll do it as long it's enjoyable and worthwhile. 

Our credit card journey started 3/2018


Hover over cards to see limits and usage. Total CL - $608,600. Cash Back and SUBs earned as of 5/31/24- $21,590.43
CU Memberships

Goal Cards:

Message 37 of 184
cashorcharge
Community Leader
Super Contributor

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

Funny thing, I was just thinking the other day...we should have a thread about 2021 plans and here it is...Thanks @Aim_High 

 

Need versus want...well, the fact is that I don't "need" anything else and when it comes to "want" the answer also doesn't have a lot of structure around it.  I have cash back options, point options, airline options, hotel options, low APR options and flat out..."I get little other that utilization padding" in my current line up.  I found the forums in May 2020.  I was researching approval options for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.  I had read enough of "The Points Guy" posts to know I wanted it, wasn't seeing "offers" or getting Pre-approvals so I stalled in applying until I found the forums.  Went for it, got it and then seemed like I let 2020, the year of the pandemic, be the year I racked up more new credit accounts and SP CLI's then I had in over 10 years.  Reading all these DP's, options, banks, preapprovals, credit unions, methods and timing opened up a ton of new options I hadn't ever considered.  Thank you contributors!  You've educated me tremendously, I've been fortunate and have been fortunate enough to help others I know in their journey to better credit.

 

For the longest time, I was fixated on getting the Citi AA card because I flew them so much, second to Southwest and using my Chase card.  I finally app'd and got it in OCT. I kept watching their prequal site to see if it would come back online but got impatient and it paid off.  Everything else I received this year wasn't on a list or even in my mind until this past summer.  

 

I have my eyes on a few things for 2021, again not out of necessity but more of a "because I want it" perspective.  I guess I'll figure out along the way if I decide to proceed or not:

 

  • NFCU #3 (Thinking MoreRewards would be a nice option)
  • Andrews Federal Credit Union Titanium Rewards Card
  • Second/Complimentary Citi Card
  • If travel resumes...upgrading my Citi AA Platinum to Executive so I can use the Admiral's Club (I really missed that when it dissappeared from my AMEX a few years ago) and while I travel(ed) a lot...those perks were great when I had them
  • Macy's AMEX or Bloomingdales AMEX for fun and utilization padding
  • HP CLI's on my PenFed cards

Here's to a prosperous and successful 2021!

giphy.gif

Message 38 of 184
UpperNwGuy
Valued Contributor

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy

I don't really like my current portfolio of cards.  I got rid of my travel and dining cards when their annual fees came due.  I'm not dining or traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I don't expect the pandemic to abate until 2022.  So I'll stick with my current portfolio through 2021 with no new apps.  I really only use three of the cards (PenFed Power Cash, NFCU Flagship, and NFCU More Rewards), and one of those is redundant.  Hopefully, Chase Freedom will have at least one grocery quarter in 2021 so I can bring that card out of the sock drawer.

Daily Carry: PenFed Power Cash • NFCU Flagship • NFCU More Rewards • Chase Freedom
Sock Drawer: PenFed Promise • NFCU cashRewards • Chase Sapphire Preferred • Chase Freedom Unlimited • United Explorer • UNFCU Azure
Message 39 of 184
FinStar
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Setting your 2021 Card Strategy


@UpperNwGuy wrote:

I don't really like my current portfolio of cards.  I got rid of my travel and dining cards when their annual fees came due.  I'm not dining or traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I don't expect the pandemic to abate until 2022.  So I'll stick with my current portfolio through 2021 with no new apps.  I really only use three of the cards (PenFed Power Cash, NFCU Flagship, and NFCU More Rewards), and one of those is redundant.  Hopefully, Chase Freedom will have at least one grocery quarter in 2021 so I can bring that card out of the sock drawer.


Off topic and just FYI - I see that you have the United MP in your signature.  If you feel like you won't be traveling anytime on the near horizon, you can always PC to the no-AF Gateway version until things normalize with any future travel.  This way you can save on the AF without having to close the card.

Message 40 of 184
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