@Anonymous wrote:I just joined NFCU yesterday and am wanting to apply for a credit card and have a few options. Here is my situation:
(EX) 701, (EQ) 684, (TU) 690.
1% util, 0 baddies, AAoA 6 mo (oldest about 8 mo), 2 accounts, 2 inq
I use about $400 total between both cards each month, then bring util down to 1% before statement cuts, then PIF right after statement.
I spend about $280 on groceries, $40 on gas, $40 on restaurants, and another $40 on miscelanneous. Income = $15k, $20k w/summer job.
Credit:
Amex BCE ($1,000) due for 1st 3x CLI in less than a month, Amex hasn't yet reported this card to the bureaus, should report by next month. Should be big score boost.
Capital One QS ($750) due for CLI in June
Deferred DoE Student Loan ($6,500)
I currently use my Amex BCE for groceries and gas, and use my Quicksilver for the 1.5% on everything else.
I want to get a CC with NFCU because of generous limits which would help my score out and AAoA for the future. I am considering the GoRewards since you get 3% at restaurants and I figured, since I'm getting a card, I might as well cover all my bases instead of getting another 1.5% card which I already have. Here my options, please let me know your advice and what you would do to maximize your credit limit across all 3 cards. I'm also a student now with a low part-time salary, but during the summer I will have a good income so that would help with CLI or applying for CC. Do you reccomend applying for CLOC at same time as CC? Is it same pull from NFCU? Also possibly considering applying for a Chase Freedom when my credit history hits 1 yr in July. Reccomendations?
1 - Apply for GoRewards right now and help my AAoA now. Worry about CL later.
2 - Wait for Amex BCE to report in 3 weeks, then after a week get 3x CLI to $3k, wait a week to report, then apply for NFCU GoRewards, so they would most likely match my $3k from Amex or give a little more. Best solution to help AAoA in long run. Would also give Capital One leverage for giving me a higher CLI in June since my other cards would be much higher. Most logical and practical plan.
3 - Wait for June CLI from Capital One and keep waiting until early Sept. for my 2nd Amex 3x CLI to $9k, apply for NFCU CC once Amex CLI reports. Get possibly $10k starting limit. Then garden for 2 years until I need an auto loan. Best plan for credit limit, worst for AAoA.
I'm primarily posting to give your thread a 'bump' and I'm sure you'll get many varied opinions on how to move forward... I'll just contribute that I don't think it will make a difference in your SL with NFCU what your other credit lines are, at least to the automation. In my own experience when I got approved for my NFCU MasterCard they blew my other CLs out of the water completely... if they had been using my existing CLs as a guide my SL would have been half of what it was.
If you have to recon it could come into play but with your good TU and no baddies I doubt you will have a problem. You might not get $20k right out of the gate, but as you probably already know their cards can grow quickly.
Good luck whatever you decide! 
@Anonymous wrote:
Great advice UncleB! Do you think with NFCU that my low income wouldn't prohibit me from getting a high-limit credit card or even one at or above my income?
I don't think you'll have a problem getting approved, but of course these things are always YMMV. At some point (of course) there will be a limit on how much it can grow if you have limited income, but IMO Navy will treat you as well as anybody and better than many. I do know of all my lenders NFCU was the first to go above $10k... at the time I was expecting $3k-$5k and they gave me a SL of $15.3k.
I'll also mention that if there's anyway possible you can honestly choose 'employed' on the application that will be the path of least resistance (for example, if you have even a part-time job you're 'employed'). I don't have data points specific to NFCU but with other lenders sometimes the automation gets hosed up when 'student' or 'other' is selected... even in that case it's not the end of the world, but it might just take a few extra steps to get you approved.
**Note that it's important to be honest and not misrepresent things in any case. 
Edit: can't spell