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Qtip, search for my post on "AMEX SPG Frustration"...I requested a $400 line increase to AMEX SPG and they said no. I have NO baddies on my report at all. You can see my credit profile above in this thread. You can also see my utilization. I just don't get it...This is why I get really discouraged...I have no idea how people that make $55k get $10K lines and I can't get these and I make more, have awesome credit and always keep low utilizations...It really boggles my mind. ;( All I asked for was $400, not $4000.
:-( Again...I sit on the island of misfit credit lines.
-M
weird - def not in the same boat - it can seem cryptic how they choose CLs - what are your FICO scores?
also what about getting a secure card, one that eventually turns to unsecured? I think in most cases it only takes a year to 18 months.
Unfortunately, I'm on my iPhone so the scoring sites give me grief. They are around what yours as Natas...I don't need a secured card, why go for a secured card when I have all these high end cards (with the exception of Home Depot)? I think it'd be a slap in the face to myself to go with a secured card. I shouldn't have to. It just disappoints me.
I think in the end it's my 3 installments of mortgage, car, and student loan that kill me...Even though personally I have a healthy balance of debt.
yeah, I understand about not wanting to do the secure card but... I am thinking of doing it myself. Just disappointed about the low CLs. I want higher and if I have to get a 10K secure I might just do it... does anyone know the best place for a secure card and best way to go about it?
natasjlp, what are the reported balances (the balances showing on your credit reports, not whether you are currently paid off) on these cards?
And it's quite true about high CL's not being necessary for scores in the 800's UNLESS you are allowing balances to report. If you have big enough balances reporting now, your revolving util will be correspondingly higher, and that will definitely hold down your scores.
my balances are very low - I am always somewhere between 1% and 9%.
ok, I understand about not needing high CLs for a high FICO but won't it matter when I try to buy a house and need a mortgage? will the lender take into consideration my CLs?
and really either way I would like to have high CLs for 'just in case'.
@Anonymous wrote:My income is most likely what does it for me as I have a lot of debt too. $200K for education, $650K mortgage, $110K business loan, $90K for autos, etc.
Wow, you have over a million dollars in debt? Kudos for being able to manage that, but it's just unfathomable to me. The idea of a $150k mortgage is frightening enough.
@natasjlp wrote:my balances are very low - I am always somewhere between 1% and 9%.
ok, I understand about not needing high CLs for a high FICO but won't it matter when I try to buy a house and need a mortgage? will the lender take into consideration my CLs?
and really either way I would like to have high CLs for 'just in case'.
Oddly, some mortgage lenders have been known to gripe about people having too high CL's on their CC's, or at least some have said so here. Don't know how true that is. At any rate, you have good CL's on three of the four cards you have, and you have low util, so you are showing that you are able to manage revolving credit, which of course is the ticking time bomb of personal credit.
Who or what is Citizens? Local bank or CU, maybe? That might be part of the issue, that they just don't do super-high CL's. So three out of four of your cards are in the mid-four digits, which is good.
I'm guessing that Belden's is also a store-only card? If so, you might --repeat, might --benefit by having one more bank card, to total three. BofA traditionally gave better CL's than many of the big-boy banks, but I don't know if they still do. If US Bank is in your state, that might be another option.
But depending on your timeline for a mortgage app, you might not want to do any more apping. The belief is that mortgage lenders get antsy if you've acquired new credit in the six months or so before going for a house. They want to see that you are managing your revolving credit without drama, which makes them feel better about something big like a mortgage.
I'd do some reading around on the Mortgages board, or start a thread there asking if two bank cards and two store cards with a combined CL of not-quite $17K would pose a problem. And you might want to diplomatically ask if people are responding from their own personal experience. A lot of myths get created in forums (and everywhere else) from someone declaring thus-and-so, and then it gets repeated until it is taken as fact.
@jforsyth wrote:It comes down to basic math.
You have a $70k income, which is $5,800 per month. Why would a lender trying to assess your risk give you a $10k CL? That's almost twice as much as you make per month.
Different companies have different criteria of how they hand out CLs, and they will look what else you have, but I have the feeling that a more common initial ceiling is about one third of your yearly income for a median income.
yes, it was Citizens Bank. Thought they were national, maybe not? hmmm... didn't realize having high CLs could hurt you applying for a mortgage? I need to find out more...
The Barclays card with $3500 is a Free Spirit airline card, but can use it like a regular CC
So that and the Citizens for $5200 I just got are the only 2 real CCs
Belden $7600 (in-store) and TJMAX $300 (in-store)
I always try to keep my utl under 10% but not 0 of course lol!
I just paid off my school loans and that is it! 4 open revolving accounts. I feel in pretty good shape, but when it comes to a mortgage I want to be over prepared, you know?
would you suggest I open another bank CC? I have an account at Soveregn bank as well. maybe get a car loan and pay it off in 12 or so months?