Seeking advice on how to improve credit when utilization is high

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@TryItAgain Hey, it's nice to "meet" you here!  Thank you for your kind and uplifting words.  I feel seen and supported! 

I appreciate your thanks for my thread.  I wasn't able to find information about my situation elsewhere (starting out with high utilization but otherwise no issues), so my hope is that this thread helps others.  I feel my situation is somewhat unique, so I hope all the good advice here & the play by play what's happened as I've implemented the advice helps others take aligned action!

And you're totally right, the contributers who have shared their wisdom here have been truly spectacular!!

Thank you for the tip about the Truist card.  I am steadily, gradually transfering balances over to 0% BTOs and there's still plenty on higher APR cards to move.  I couldn't find a pre qualify tool link for the Truist.  Was this the link you meant?  

https://creditcard.digitalcommerce.truist.com/product/welcome

keeping the faith right there with you!

[TryItAgain]

Here it is..

https://creditcard.digitalcommerce.truist.com/product/dcfo

Still works for me, I did have to clear cookies because I used it to get some cards for the wife, I also play dual player mode, managing my own and wife's apps/lines etc.  It's a soft pull, if they make an offer you need to pick the card that best fits and it's generally solid from what I have seen, YMMV.

Happy Hunting!

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@TryItAgain Wow!  Thank you for the link!  It says I'm qualified for 5 offers, and 2 of them are 0% BTOs, including the one that you mentioned, the Truist Future!

Since I just got a new PenFed card on August 24 and a new Discover card in late August also, my sense is to wait til late December to apply for anything new on the personal side...?  Spacing applications out about 4-6 months apart?

[TryItAgain]

Thats really up to you, spacing it is a good idea though.

I will tell you that Truist can take a few weeks to get you the card and over a month usually to report the new account.  Looks good to me, but you need to decide for yourself when is the right time, a new account from Truist likely reports 1st time in a month though. YMMV

Cheers

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Thanks, @TryItAgain !  Always good to know my options  

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Hey beautiful Fico friends!

OK, so shortly after I got my $25k first-ever-business-credit-card from citizens bank,

citizens sent me a "you're preapproved" mailer for a 0% APR for 18 months Citizens Clear Value Mastercard.

Normally I would wait at least four months since my last application before applying for a new card, but I just thought,

OK, they seem to love my profile, they don't seem to be operating under the same rules as everyone else for some reason,

and it would help to get more of my balances onto 0% APR cards sooner rather than later,

so I'm gonna go for it.

I applied Friday October 28th (about 2 months since my last CC applications with PenFed and Discover).

I think I called early the next week to make sure the app went through since I didn't get an email confirmation.  After some time on the phone on hold the rep reassured me they had the app and were reviewing it.

Then, today, November 14th, the card came in the mail -- exciting! 

And strange, since there was no communication via email at all.

And then the credit limit was only $2300.  

I felt disappointed... after my other new cards (PenFed $11k, Discover #2 $4k, and the citizens business card of $25k) I was expecting something much higher.  

Any thoughts on what happened here? 

My only thoughts are that maybe the underwriting for business cards is much more generous than personal cards? 

Or I just applied too close to my last personal application (PenFed card on August 24 and a new Discover card in late August also)?

Is this worth a recon to ask them to raise the limit?   

I'm almost wondering if I shouldn't activate it. 

I'm not planning on applying for anything new until another 4 months at least. 

tagging @TryItAgain @FireMedic1 @tcbofade @SouthJamaica @M_Smart007 

[SouthJamaica]

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@Expansion wrote:

Hey beautiful Fico friends!

OK, so shortly after I got my $25k first-ever-business-credit-card from citizens bank,

citizens sent me a "you're preapproved" mailer for a 0% APR for 18 months Citizens Clear Value Mastercard.

Normally I would wait at least four months since my last application before applying for a new card, but I just thought,

OK, they seem to love my profile, they don't seem to be operating under the same rules as everyone else for some reason,

and it would help to get more of my balances onto 0% APR cards sooner rather than later,

so I'm gonna go for it.

I applied Friday October 28th (about 2 months since my last CC applications with PenFed and Discover).

I think I called early the next week to make sure the app went through since I didn't get an email confirmation.  After some time on the phone on hold the rep reassured me they had the app and were reviewing it.

Then, today, November 14th, the card came in the mail -- exciting! 

And strange, since there was no communication via email at all.

And then the credit limit was only $2300.  

I felt disappointed... after my other new cards (PenFed $11k, Discover #2 $4k, and the citizens business card of $25k) I was expecting something much higher.  

Any thoughts on what happened here? 

My only thoughts are that maybe the underwriting for business cards is much more generous than personal cards? 

Or I just applied too close to my last personal application (PenFed card on August 24 and a new Discover card in late August also)?

Is this worth a recon to ask them to raise the limit?   

I'm almost wondering if I shouldn't activate it. 

I'm not planning on applying for anything new until another 4 months at least. 

tagging @TryItAgain @FireMedic1 @tcbofade @SouthJamaica @M_Smart007 

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You should certainly activate it. You've already paid the price in a new account which will report.

I don't see any harm in calling them and asking for a higher limit, explain why the limit would be constricting. And if you don't get it I'd just chill, use the card, and try for a CLI down the road.

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@SouthJamaica thank you always for your input and wisdom here

[tcbofade]

As @SouthJamaica said, call them and activate it... then call and ask for a line increase... worst thing that happens is they say no...

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Thank you @tcbofade !