@Absolution16 wrote:
Can you explain what you guys mean byAMEXX being flexible when it comes to business accounts?
I do not have a business so I never even considered a business card. How does one go about obtaining a business card withAMEXX? What is this "flexibility" withAMEXX?
Business discussions belong more in the business forum, @Absolution16, but I'll give you a short answer as long as we don't get long-winded. Some financial institutions wouldn't allow the business applications that AMEX and Chase may approve. This can include even a small sole proprietorship with limited documented business revenue, which is my situation. Selling through online venues or a periodic "side gig" may be enough to qualify. 
@Absolution16 wrote:
Hoping maybe you guys might have some insight on a question I posted back on Post number 20in this thread, as follows:
I have 9K BCE and 20.5K EDP. If I were to decide to downgrade from EDP to ED, what is a smart way to go about to ensure that I avoid CLD/AA/closure due to SD'ing ED and low use? Is it recommended that I transfer some of the CL into BCE, which will absorb all the spending I have been putting into EDP?
I really want to avoid CLD/AA/Closure. Already been hit with closure with Chase and Barclays, and CLD with Capital1, as well as "forced" PC with Discover.
In addition, I have lately been thinking about switching my gas and groceries spend to a different product, like the Comenity AAA brand of cards. I'd prefer to do it with Chase if it exists, but they don't have a truly dedicated gas and groceries card. If I were to do this, I am not sure what to do with those AMEX cards and their CLs which make up a big portion of my total CL. I worked rather quite hard to get them there, and I'd hate to see CLD to lose all the progress I made. I still have about 130K of MR points left over so closure is a not an option since I have nothing to spend those points right now.
What do you think?
There's a lot of ways to handle this, @Absolution16.
If BCE will be absorbing the spend from EDP as you say, then yes I agree that shifting CL from EDP to BCE is most appropriate. I've not transferred CL with them before but I've heard it's possible to transfer all but about $500 in some cases, maybe $1000 tops. That would give you a $28.5K BCE, a nice limit.
If earning further MRs is not your plan, what were you hoping to do with the 130K MRs you hold? Are you saving them for a travel redemption? One option would be to just go ahead and transfer them to a hotel or airline partner and be done with it. There is currently a promotion for 1 cpp gift card redemption for Home Depot, so that would equate to $1300 spend there if it's helpful. I don't know data points about how long AMEX allows idle account to stay open, so the burden would be making yourself use that ED card even if it's not lucrative. I suppose a small recurring charge would be enough and set it autopay to PIF.
As for switching spend to the AAA/Comenity cards or others, this becomes a very personal decision we all face. Cards have their own unique attitributes of value and we all may look at it differently. Some are rewards purists and close anything that isn't top-of-wallet and paying top category rewards. Others may consider other factors such as age of accounts, CL, APRs, perks, lender diversity, payment network diversity, customer service, technology (app/website interface), etc. I have also tended to keep my older and higher CL accounts. If the BCE also is of negligible value to you, are there other AMEX cards that would be more helpful? You could eventually close the ED and also the BCE and move the remainder of the CLs over to some other card. For example, do Hilton or Marriott or Delta cards appeal to you? In my case, I decided I didn't like AMEX cash back (or) MR cards very much but I do really appreciate the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.
On the other hand, if AMEX cards don't appeal at all, don't feel like you have to force the relationship. Even though they are popular on the forums, there are many other good lenders. If long term you want to move in a different direction, build those other lender relationships with the goal of eventually divesting your AMEX cards once the CLs are replaced.
@Absolution16 wrote:
...Since I want to minimize applying for a new credit card unless absolutely necessary while preserving the CL that I have earned with AMEX, I am wondering what level of spending would be considered "safe" from any undesirable actions such as CLD/AA/closure. As a drastic example, if I were to spend only $100 a month on a 28.5K CL card, wouldn't AMEX come back with something like "we are reducing your CL to better fit your spending pattern" or something similar. I have been hit with CLDs from CapitalOne and account closures from Barclays and Chase, as well as "forced" PC from Discover for this same type of reasoning, and the last thing I want is to experience that same thing from AMEX again.
My hope is that I am overreacting and worrying too much for nothing.
I do think you're overreacting, over analyzing and worrying too much @Absolution16. If what you are saying is true, the only way to ensure no CLD would be to run unrealistic amounts of charges through your AMEX cards while betraying your commitment to better rewards, all in the hope of avoiding a CLD. So even if you are correct, you'd be breaking myFICO Rule #1: Finances Before FICO.
I know some lenders have a reputation for CLD of unused limits. From my experience, that appears highly dependent on (1) the lender in question and (2) the consumer profile at the time. I've had CLD and balance chasing from lenders back when my debts were high and I wasn't paying it off quickly enough. Capital One and Barclays are among the lenders I have heard that sometimes CLD based in-part on spending patterns. AMEX can be quirky but they aren't like Capital One, for example. AMEX may react to genuine concerns from profile whereas Capital One may react simply due to that lack of spend you mentioned. But even so, I've maintained a high CL from Capital One while others have been targeted for CLD. It's all profile-specific. For that matter, Capital One even increased my CL by $5K in the past couple of years with very low spend. 
My overall experience has been that as long as my FICO stays high, utilization and debt stay low, payments are on time, and I'm responsibly using my cards at least somewhat, I've been able to keep much higher limits than my normal spend with most of my lenders. My TCL is $742K now but I don't spend anywhere close to that. The last CLDs I had were many years ago on cards that I had sock-drawered before voluntarily allowing them to close.
You don't have data in your signature, so I don't know the overall strength of your credit profile but IMO that would be the key to forecasting risk of low utilization leading to CLD. If profile is strong, I could see AMEX allowing you to keep a $28.5K CL even with as little as $100 monthly but that is just my personal opinion.
I'll also say that if the CL is important enough for you to keep, I would consider temporarily disregarding rewards optimization and run higher spend through it a month or two out of the year. IMO, this is one of the hidden costs of a rewards optimizer approach. Always putting rewards first means not giving every card enough love and care to keep it open and thriving. I see members ask why their cards don't grow or why they get CLD or closure; then we learn the card only gets 5% category spend or the proverbial pack-of-gum life support charges.
