USAA'ers

[phumanr]

II thought that USAA was very generous with CLs...they started me out with $1K for a MC, and I have tried twice for the Amex...no go; however, Navy has given me $15K MC, $15K Visa, and $15 K LOC and Justice $10K Visa Gold...do you have to be with USAA for several months before they show you luv?

EQ: 678, EX: 708, TU: 696

Phumanr

[Anonymous]

They are only generous if your scores are good. Many people with scores around or below 700 get turned down. Mine was upper in the high 760's I think, and I was approved for 16k, and it was my first credit card. Discover only approved me for 4.6k

[stpn2me]

My Scores were 680 and I got the AMEX...but you probably have to keep good scores to get CLI's. It is a good company, in part because those who it lends too usuallly have good credit....

[Anonymous]

I've scores don't have to be that great. They are more gnerous depending on your customer history and how many products you have with them (insurance, banking, investing, etc). The more products you have, the more they reward you.

[Anonymous]

I have only recently joined and opened a savings.

 The rep told me not to even TRY to app for a cc with them unless I had atleast a 720 to make sure I wasn't declined. I am rebuilding, so, I am sure she took this into account. My history is short as well. I'm working on it. Time will tell. I don't want to try to apply for anything for atleast 6 months.

Scores are 644-660 last check here. I don't want to pull them again until my new cc's report.

[Anonymous]

When I applied for my USAA CC I had a socre in the high 700s...they offered me a great limit, but not the best APR. When I asked "Why?", they told me better offers are reserved for long term members who use more products. Now that I have 6 products with them instead of 2, I requested an APR reduction and got it (four months later)!! Mind you, my FICO score is now in the low 700s. USAA is an odd breed...but I luv 'um!

I initially got approved for a MC with an 11K CL and a 11.75 APR. That went down to 11.15 after the rate cuts. My APR is now 9.25 (which is still high compared to my other cards). I plan to ask for a CLI in two months...I'm hoping for 20K!

[Anonymous]

I need to shop for few more products. Not sure what all I am ready for. Car insurance is very soon. Will have to go over the site again and do some planning.

 I know, I need more time and patience. I'm willing. Nothing else I can do but simply wait. Have a couple of pd baddies to come off and will be stuck with a pd ambulance bill. It was minor. It is paid, I hope they are lenient to an extent. Even it will only show on TU and EX.

[MercedesV]

I just applied and was approved for a 6000 cash rewards MC instantly online about a week ago.  I don't know what my scores were at the time but I had applied and was approved for a citicard a week before that.  My scores in sig line are those 5 days after my usaa app.  They pulled EQ.  I have only a savings acct with them that I opened early 2005.  I have $25 a week automatically transferred to them.

[Anonymous]

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stef37 wrote:

I need to shop for few more products. Not sure what all I am ready for. Car insurance is very soon. Will have to go over the site again and do some planning.

 I know, I need more time and patience. I'm willing. Nothing else I can do but simply wait. Have a couple of pd baddies to come off and will be stuck with a pd ambulance bill. It was minor. It is paid, I hope they are lenient to an extent. Even it will only show on TU and EX.

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Patience is key. I really like many of their products. I have a checking acount, ROTH IRA, monthly automatic investment account, car insurance, renters insurance, and a C.D.

[haulingthescoreup]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I need to shop for few more products. Not sure what all I am ready for. Car insurance is very soon. Will have to go over the site again and do some planning.

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stef, you might want to think about a Roth IRA with them. It can double as an emergency savings, especially if you start with their money market account. The return is a lot better than with the savings account. I think you can open a Roth MMA with $250, so if you've got that in savings, you can just switch it over. Once I had about $3000 in the Roth, I switched my new contributions over to the capital growth fund, but the MMA is about as safe as you can get without being in straight savings or CD's.

You can withdraw from a Roth without penalties and a big song and dance, as long as you only withdraw what you've contributed. But you can't replace it if that takes you over that year's limit. So for instance, if you're allowed to contribute $5K a year, and you withdraw $1K, you can't replace it for that year's contribution --you'll just get $4K for that year. But still, you don't get the penalties and tax slaughter that you get if you have to pull money from a straight IRA.