Top 5 cards to have?

[randomguy1]

Here's my list of cards I either have or are on my radar excluding Chase due to your request.

Uber Visa - cell phone insurance perk is nice. Dining perks 4%, 3% streaming, 2% online, 1% everything else

Amex Blue Cash Preferred or Everyday 

US Bank Cash Plus - The bonus categories YOU get to choose can really help you out here since you have other 5% cards. For example, you can choose Cell phone and Utilities if you want to just reduce your regular spendings.

Capital One Venture - Travel card

Wells Fargo Propel, cell phone insurance perk, 3x on Gas, rideshares, and transit;
Flights, hotels, homestays, and car rentals;
Popular streaming services

Alliant Signature $99 annual fee that's waived the first year, then you can PC change down to a card without a PC if you can't make enough money back to cover the annual fee.

[Anonymous]

@randomguy1, you are the second one here on the thread recommending Alliant card. I never heard of this one before. What is PC? What are the benefits of getting the Alliant Card?
Also, is it ok to apply for multiple cards at the same time (one after another), for eg:- Costco Visa Card, Well's Fargo Propel and one travel card, i am still researching the best one.

Or i should give some break time between applying for all the 3 cards?

[Anonymous]

The Alliant card is only worth it if you’re going to make it your primary card. The value decreases massively if you add other cards into the mix but the 3% for the first year is attractive either way. 

PC = product change. Basically call and ask them to downgrade you to their visa platinum rewards I suggested as the first response to this thread. It’s a 2% card with no annual fee. 

As for applying all at once, I wouldn’t do that with your thin file. Grab two at once and the third in a minimum of 3 months. 

[randomguy1]

Saeren pretty much answered it all. I had the card on my list but since I am going to go to the Chase UR ecosystem, it probably won't make my list anytime soon unless I'm chasing some sign up bonuses.

This abbreviation thread might come in handy:

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/User-Guidelines-General/Common-Abbreviations/td-p/88458

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

No military affliation. 

2% seems normal with many cards now. I was thinking about BoA Premium Rewards?

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The underwriting on the BofA Premium Rewards card is fairly strict; so you'd probably be better served by looking at another card.  If you search these forums you'd see that a fairly high number of denied applications for this card. And if you don't have assets on deposit with BofA/Merrill/U.S. Trust or any other BofA affiliate your chances of approval are really slim.

[KJinNC]

Since you are a Costco member and are interested in travel, I would look long and hard at the Costco Citi card. It might fit your needs perfectly. The main drawback is that rewards are paid out in the form of a paper check after 12 months, and you need to be a Costco member at that time or the rewards are forfeited.

Other cards I would consider:

- Citi DC, Paypal MasterCard, for 2% on everything

- Cap 1 Venture, or Venture One, I forget which is which, as a general-purpose travel card

- Ducks Unlimited for 5% gas cash back (also 5% sporting goods)

- You could decide to pick airline and hotel brands to be loyal to, and get cards aligned with them - I had no loyalty until I got a Delta card and a Hilton card, now I'm loyal simply to take advantage of the cards

I think you are at, or near, a point of diminishing returns as far as raising your credit score by getting more cards, though. I would think primarily in terms of the rewards at this point, vs assuming each card will boost your score.

Just my opinion. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

@MaizeandBlue, thanks for the tip. Actually i got pre-approved for various boa cards, this was based of boa's preapproval portal. I wonder if they deny the application when submitting and during HP. I also have a bank account with them, and this preappoval was based after logging in to the portal with my user/password.. and submitting the last 4 digits of SSN.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@MaizeandBlue, thanks for the tip. Actually i got pre-approved for various boa cards, this was based of boa's preapproval portal. I wonder if they deny the application when submitting and during HP. I also have a bank account with them, and this preappoval was based after logging in to the portal with my user/password.. and submitting the last 4 digits of SSN.

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BoA’s prequalification site is well known for not being accurate. I wouldn’t trust it. 

[FieryDance]

The BoA Premium is one of only 2 cards that I acquired during my recent card acquiring spree that I intend to keep long term. Even if you have to move some asset around (for free) to qualify for a higher Preferred Rewards status it is totally worth the trouble. I would recommend going for at least the Platinum level with a brokerage or a retirement account. (Don’t use savings because BoA has dismal rates).

[Aim_High]

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@FieryDance wrote:
The BoA Premium is one of only 2 cards that I acquired during my recent card acquiring spree that I intend to keep long term. Even if you have to move some asset around (for free) to qualify for a higher Preferred Rewards status it is totally worth the trouble. I would recommend going for at least the Platinum level with a brokerage or a retirement account. (Don’t use savings because BoA has dismal rates).

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Great advice.  I recently went through adding multiple Chase cards to fill out my UR options.  However, I'm a long time Bank of America banking and/or credit customer so one of my next plans was to transfer assets so that I could have up to the 2.625% cash back returns on Preferred Rewards for diversification.  If you can afford to move the assets, you really can't beat that return anywhere.