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Hi everybody, I had a rather unfortunate start with credit and credit cards. I got my first card in 2008 from USAA with a 1500 CL. I immediately maxed it out for a trip abroad. For that trip abroad I got an Banana Republic card with 600CL and an HSBC Best Buy card. During my four years of college I proceeded to miss payments and not pay attention. By the end USAA had canceled my card with me owing $1100 on it and I had paid and closed out the Banana Republic card and HSBC card. However, the damage was done. The HSBC card had been late 90 days, the Banana republic had been 30 days late 7 times and the Usaa card had been late 3 times. So fast forward to this November. I started to wonder about my credit report/score and checked it out here for the first time. EQ was 601. I decided to take up one of the Capital One offers I had received in the mail and applied and was approved for a platinum mastercard with a 1000 CL. Meanwhile I paid off the Usaa card and initiated some disputes about old information. My score started to rise. I began obsessing about my score and checking it everywhere I could. I found one blog that suggested that an immediate way to up your score is to become an AU on someone's card who has a long history and no baddies. So I got my grandmother to put me on her card that she has had since 1999 with a 15,000 CL. My score continued to go up to the point that TU was 722 and EQ was 674....thats over 70 points in two months (Experian plus score 710). So I went ahead and applied for the Delta Gold Amex card online and was immediately approved with a $2000 CL! Then the following night I said what the heck and applied for a Chase Freedom card and was instantly approved with a 4000 CL! I'm wondering how long I should wait before applying for the top cards that I want. I ultimately want a Capital One Venture card, a Chase Sapphire Preferred and an Amex PR Gold card. Any advice for how I should go from here and what my strategy should be?
Starting Score: 11/14/12 EQ 601
Current Score: 1/1/13 TU 722, EQ 674, EX plus 710
Goal Score: 740
@Anonymous wrote:Hi everybody, I had a rather unfortunate start with credit and credit cards. I got my first card in 2008 from USAA with a 1500 CL. I immediately maxed it out for a trip abroad. For that trip abroad I got an Banana Republic card with 600CL and an HSBC Best Buy card. During my four years of college I proceeded to miss payments and not pay attention. By the end USAA had canceled my card with me owing $1100 on it and I had paid and closed out the Banana Republic card and HSBC card. However, the damage was done. The HSBC card had been late 90 days, the Banana republic had been 30 days late 7 times and the Usaa card had been late 3 times. So fast forward to this November. I started to wonder about my credit report/score and checked it out here for the first time. EQ was 601. I decided to take up one of the Capital One offers I had received in the mail and applied and was approved for a platinum mastercard with a 1000 CL. Meanwhile I paid off the Usaa card and initiated some disputes about old information. My score started to rise. I began obsessing about my score and checking it everywhere I could. I found one blog that suggested that an immediate way to up your score is to become an AU on someone's card who has a long history and no baddies. So I got my grandmother to put me on her card that she has had since 1999 with a 15,000 CL. My score continued to go up to the point that TU was 722 and EQ was 674....thats over 70 points in two months (Experian plus score 710). So I went ahead and applied for the Delta Gold Amex card online and was immediately approved with a $2000 CL! Then the following night I said what the heck and applied for a Chase Freedom card and was instantly approved with a 4000 CL! I'm wondering how long I should wait before applying for the top cards that I want. I ultimately want a Capital One Venture card, a Chase Sapphire Preferred and an Amex PR Gold card. Any advice for how I should go from here and what my strategy should be?
Starting Score: 11/14/12 EQ 601
Current Score: 1/1/13 TU 722, EQ 674, EX plus 710
Goal Score: 740
You have an amex now, so if you get denied it should only be a soft inquiry on your report, so I say go for the PRG. Charges are supposed to be easier than revolvers to get (about even with the delta gold card (their easiest revolver))
CSP requires a min limit of $5000, which I doubt chase would give you right after giving you a $4,000 limit. I would wait for that one.
Try for the venture if you want (after you app for PRG, if you do). Remember cap1 pulls all 3 reports.
Does Amex allow for mulitple card applications in a short window of time? and Im wonding if I would get the 25,000 points offer since it wouldnt be my first Amex card.
You should. I plan on calling them to see if they will apply the bonus point offer on my new PRG as well as expedite an AU card for the hubby.
with amex you are able to call and ask for things even after you apply... their service is just awesome.OMG! I just applied and it said congratulations your application has been approved, you are now an American Express Cardmember. And I just got an email saying that they are expediting my card 2-3 days! You guys are the best, I would never have had the nerve to apply.
Just checked EX and there was another Amex hard inquiry, even though they just checked it two days ago for the Delta Gold card.
@Anonymous wrote:Just checked EX and there was another Amex hard inquiry, even though they just checked it two days ago for the Delta Gold card.
Congrats welcome to the AMEX family! If you are approved they will do a HP. If you get denied then it will be a SP.
Congrats on the approval. Nice card.
Thanks, now I'm wondering how the no preset limit thing works.....what if you're declined somewhere?