Setting your *2022* Card Strategy

[Anonymous]

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@KJinNC wrote:

Three years ago, I had a couple of small secured cards and I might have had the Amazon Store Card at $1500 unsecured, not sure about exact dates but that was a major achievement around that time. Made my day that it was unsecured.

At this point, I have pretty much everything I need covered, plus some things I don't really need. I just downgraded my Delta card today from Delta Platinum, because it is just over two years old and I'm not really flying again post-covid so far. I will upgrade it back to at least Gold if I do start traveling again.

I am seriously considering downgrading my Amex Platinum for similar reasons. I do have the CAP statement credit. But still, not sure it adds up for me right now. It did last year with all of the covid statement credits they gave, but this year it's tougher to make the value add up. But I don't know ... undecided.

One of my goal cards has been the Chase Amazon Visa, which I recently got (and how - cannot believe and cannot fully explain the CL). I closed my Amazon Store Card.

It's been an amazing three years for me in terms of credit, starting with essentially blank credit reports with a few derogatory items. For 2022, I'm at a point of optimizing, probably closing as much as I open. I am interested in a Chase core card - might need to wait a month or two to get back under 5/24 - and a USAA card. Both more for the accomplishment than anything else, which probably isn't the best reason to open credit cards ... I'm wishy-washy on them.

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3 years to 800...! I salute your patience and prudence! 

It's all awry for me. 'Planned' it all wrong, in fact there was no plan lol, impulse applying in October and January(incurring tons of rejects), and applying for the wrong cards too?

Thought CO SO had sub, but tricked by Nerdwallet, there is no sub for just Good credit lol(CO website says 3 year history is a prerequisite aside from excellent scores), and I charged tons on that card this year since it had the biggest credit before Disco It approval on February(such as rental car; so it's 1% lol). I really overspent from December to March, and if I timed it right for those expenses to apply for CCs with good sub(and NOT applying so much in October, for example), it would've been terrific. But Disco It CB has no sub either lol(just 1st year 2x). Imagine if I applied for Delta Gold in the 1st quarter; would've satisfied 2k easily.

Now in retrenchment hence not so easy to satisfy those subs now. It should be prudent to apply after 6 months from Disco It CB approval, say August, but probably will still try Delta Gold next month for trip to Seoul(or not lol). Plenty of CB cards now, Citi DC/CFF/CO SO/Disco It CB, so from now on will concentrate on travel cards(applying not too often!). And also hoping for CLIs, especially for CFF and CO SO, Disco it too I guess(too early for now).

[KJinNC]

There is a longer story, but this isn't really the thread for it ... To say it in the minimum detail, I didn't worry about credit-seeking behavior for my first year or so and just kept adding stuff. I've added some in the last two years, but more strategically, for example, I added some US Bank/Elan cards after I hit 0/12 and now I'm eyeing some Chase cards since I'm right around 5/24. I didn't follow conventional wisdom in how I did things and it worked for me, but it may not work for every situation.

I'm in a different phase now, doing a little pruning and optimizing, but mainly settling in for solidity.

[xenon3030]

I am gardening happily and I will become 4/24 in a few weeks. Since I may want to upgrade my car, I will keep gardening till finalizing the car plan. It is hard to find a good car without MSRP markup, due to chip shortages.

Afterward, I plan to shop a few cards. Not sure about Chase cards, but I may go for a few cards with high SUB or high rewards (PenFed pathfinder, Citi premier or double cash). Since Covid may hit again due to possible mutations, I do not want to risk to go for prime travel cards with high AF (unless there would be an option to PC it to a non-AF later).

[PlatinumCredit]

Considering I just applied for 2 credit cards and one PLOC with PenFed as a new member this month, and just got my Cash Rewards from Navy Fed last month, I am NOT applying for anything else for the next 2 years.

My card line up is as follows: Quicksilver, AMEX BCP, AMEX CM, Discover IT, PNC Cash Rewards, NavyFed Cash Rewards, NavyFed AMEX, PFFCU Rewards, Chase Freedom Flex, Apple Card, PenFed Cash Rewards, PenFed Platinum and a PLOC with both PenFed and PFFCU. 

I believe with all these cards I have all my cashback options covered! I may attempt to get CLI from the cards that do a SP in the fall, but I have no need to apply for any new lines of credit for any reason at this point. I have over 8 inquiries on my credit report that I would like to see fall off, and I now need to work on my credit age since it will drop significantly when all these accounts hit my credit report. 

**Side note: If you like getting cash back on your purchases, I have been using both a cash back and Rakuten to get double sometimes tripple the cash back. 

[MarkintheHV]

I finally got everything (except for one card) aligned exactly the way I want it, so sitting in the garden for the rest of the year.  The only change I want to make is to get a better Mastercard.  The REI card served its function, but, due to an injury, I am no longer doing the great outdoor thing, so I would like to get a better MC (maybe a Citi custom cash).  I like fewer cards, but higher CLs.

[DakotaM]

I'm gardening until Affinity gives me a pre-approval for their Cash Rewards card.  Hopefully that happens soon.  Once I get that I may apply for a Union Bank card before the merger with US Bank to get an in with them.  I want the Citi Shop Your Way card for those really nice ongoing bonuses that card has but that's further down on the list.

[collics]

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@collics wrote:

1. Garden for a full year

2. Get all credit lines to at minimum $2000 

Best chances: Apple Card and PayPal Credit

Maybes: Target, Discover

Won't hold my breath: Walmart/cap one, CITI, Dell

Further look ahead 2023: Apply for Chase Amazon and Navy Flagship 

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1. Well ain't I a liar 

Apparently garden for a year meant add 4 new cards in the first few months. 

2. Actually going well. Apple and Discover now over $2000. Walmart to $1500. May get $2000 before year is done. 
Target still a lost cause. 

[KJinNC]

I think gardening and going slow is the right answer in most situations, or if in doubt, but it's not always the right answer, depending on your goals. My theory was ... well, to be honest, in early days, I wasn't following a theory, I was just impatient. But I soon noticed that my impatience wasn't really hurting me in the short term, and it turned into a philosophy. So, my theory was, I can either go slow and have thin credit for a long time, or I can go fast and have severe credit-seeking behavior for ~2 years. When I say severe, I mean severe. I opened 11 cards and 3 installment loans in that calendar year, between March and December. I picked the second option and it seems to have worked so far. I may eat those words whenever I apply for a mortgage.

Just to revisit my 2022 plans, I got a Chase Sapphire Preferred recently, along with the Amazon card, and wish a temporary goodbye to 800+ scores due to double-pull plus two new accounts. With that, I am probably done adding cards for 2022. I will probably close my Harley card soon because of its low CL, don't feel it's worth my time getting it to grow. In 2023, I intend to downgrade my Platinum Card (not sure yet what to) and upgrade the CSP to a CSR. I don't feel like I need PPMC and Citi DC both, so I may either close PPMC, or PC the DC. I would close PPMC if not for the new 3% via PayPal thing.

Otherwise, cruise control I think ... but no promises

[Citylights18]

I guess for me this is a mid 2022 strategy at this point.

1) PC Citi Rewards+ to Custom Cash. 5% on Groceries up to $500 would be a nice perk.

2) Downgrade AMEX Gold. I may cancel all together or at least move it to an AMEX Green.

3) Jet Blue Business card. Offering 80,000 points and with it you get 11% on basic fares. Not bad for an airline card.

There isn't much else I can do and I'm not getting another personal card even though I am 1/24 in a couple of weeks. My business doesn't make that much revenue so I'm holding off on higher AF business cards for the moment.

[ChazzieT]

Late to the game here, but I'll be spending the rest of 2022 trying to concentrate really hard and will into existence a "5% cash back on every dollar spent with no cap" card, from an FI that tells no one but me about it.

(Don't worry, I'll PM you all about it, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else!)