🚀 From 664 to 782 Overnight! Need Card Recommendations! 🚀

[FicoMike0]

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@orangetech wrote:

that ones showing 741, heres the reasons.

• Lack of recent revolving account information
• Lack of recent installment loan information
• you could get a 30+ point boost with a ssl. Look it up. If interested, post and someone will explain.
• Too few accounts currently paid as agreed

In your case, this just means too few accounts. You'll get added points for up to three.

That last line item has me confused because it almost sounds like I HAVE acounts that aren't paid as agreed, but thats false. EVERY account I have is 100% positive.

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[HammerNSickle]

My card recommendations? The None Card. That's probably not the advice you want to hear, but that's the advice you need to hear...

I don't know much about your history with credit, but from the brief information you've given and your signature I am assuming your credit journey has either been somewhat rocky or it's been a roller coaster- a slow ride up to 700 hill and then a rather quick drop with a few inversions down to the 500's. You've proven you know how to rebuild, but you keep on building your house on sand. It's time to end the cycle. So my advice is this:

• Go ahead and do the secured loan for as much and for as long a term as you can.
• Don't apply for anything else in the next three months.
• Get your personal finances in order.
• Research what cards would be the best for your needs and would be easy to obtain. If you get mailers from credit issuers, throw them out. You want to pick your cards- you don't want your cards to pick you. Don't even consider a card with an annual fee. I'm not saying there is no place for cards with an annual fee- I have 2 (Amex, and US Bank Shopper Rewards), but that's not what you need right now. 
• After 3 months, apply for a good no annual fee card. In 3 more months apply for another card. And run with those 3 cards for at least 6 months before considering anything else.

[KatzNDawgs]

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@HammerNSickle wrote:

My card recommendations? The None Card. That's probably not the advice you want to hear, but that's the advice you need to hear...

I don't know much about your history with credit, but from the brief information you've given and your signature I am assuming your credit journey has either been somewhat rocky or it's been a roller coaster- a slow ride up to 700 hill and then a rather quick drop with a few inversions down to the 500's. You've proven you know how to rebuild, but you keep on building your house on sand. It's time to end the cycle. So my advice is this:

• Go ahead and do the secured loan for as much and for as long a term as you can.
• Don't apply for anything else in the next three months.
• Get your personal finances in order.
• Research what cards would be the best for your needs and would be easy to obtain. If you get mailers from credit issuers, throw them out. You want to pick your cards- you don't want your cards to pick you. Don't even consider a card with an annual fee. I'm not saying there is no place for cards with an annual fee- I have 2 (Amex, and US Bank Shopper Rewards), but that's not what you need right now. 
• After 3 months, apply for a good no annual fee card. In 3 more months apply for another card. And run with those 3 cards for at least 6 months before considering anything else.

---

I agree with this. If it took 10 years to go from ~515 to ~615 Fico and you have a sudden surge, this may just be due to old derogs finally coming off. Continue the slow and steady approach, work on slowly getting 3 cards that will *work* for you (no AF, good rewards), pay them off, and have some sort of installment account such as SSL for max credit score. But honestly, I wouldn't even go for a SSL (you will lose some $$ yes, though can mitigate loss), unless you have aims to need a credit purchase such as house or car in the next year or so.

[Thomas_Thumb]

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@orangetech wrote:

Hey myFICO community,

I woke up this morning to an incredible surprise—an AU account hit my report, and my score jumped from 664 to 782!!! 😲🎉 Just yesterday, I applied for and got approved for a CAP1 Quicksilver One with a $500 SL (wish i would have waited another day, lol), which is now my only open account, besides the AU account.

Here are my current details:

• Current Score: 782
• Open Accounts:
  • CAP1 Quicksilver One: $500 SL (just approved)
  • AU Chase Freedom: $7500 limit, 1% utilization
• Closed Accounts: 4 (PIF, never late)
  • 3 CC's + 1 Savings Secure Loan
• Goals:
  • Apply for a high SL card with a 0% interest offer
  • Get the best cards that don't have an annual fee or its less than $40 a year
  • Take out an SSL with my CU to cover installment credit

This is my first time ever reaching a score this high—I've always been in the low to mid-600s at most, even was in high 4's forever! What cards would you recommend I apply for, given my current situation? Any tips on maximizing my credit profile from here would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations!

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Fico score won't jump that much due to an AU. I'd suspect F8 to be in the 710-730 range. Having open revolving accounts on file is a significant score booster. Make sure you report a non $0 statement balance on your card. Recommend reported balance between $5-$40. After 90 days, request a soft pull CLI, if available. I'd suggest asking for a $1000 CLI or an increase in card CL to $1500.

I'd wait 6 months before applying for a 2nd card to establish some ontime payment history with your open cc account. That will increase your likelihood for approval and a higher starting limit. After you get the 2nd card, wait another 6 months before shopping for a 3rd card - perhaps one offering a 0% apr promo.

I'd forego an SSL at this time. A 720 Fico 8 score is really all you need for prime cards. Re-evaluate setting up a SSL in 12 months or after getting the 3rd card, whichever comes last.

[dahx]

Fwiw, my first card was a secured Discover. After some months, it was unsecured, followed by a few auto CLIs over the years. After a year of Discover, I apped for Boa CCR and was approved with a $1.3k starting limit. My journey began with a blank slate though.

I would wait at least 3-6 months and then try Discover's pre qualifier. Note that the odds of Discover asking for tax returns are high, but you don't need a lot of income to be approved.

[FireMedic1]

@orangetechYou can get your free FICO score from EQ here:

https://www.myfico.com/products/fico-blp?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=19574614722&u... 

And EX free FICO here:

https://www.experian.com/lpt/credit-score-tmpl.html?conf=frsc_a&pc=sem_exp_google&cc=sem_exp_google_... 

Some creditors ignore AU accounts also.

[orangetech]

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@HammerNSickle wrote:

My card recommendations? The None Card. That's probably not the advice you want to hear, but that's the advice you need to hear...

I don't know much about your history with credit, but from the brief information you've given and your signature I am assuming your credit journey has either been somewhat rocky or it's been a roller coaster- a slow ride up to 700 hill and then a rather quick drop with a few inversions down to the 500's. You've proven you know how to rebuild, but you keep on building your house on sand. It's time to end the cycle. So my advice is this:

• Go ahead and do the secured loan for as much and for as long a term as you can.
• Don't apply for anything else in the next three months.
• Get your personal finances in order.
• Research what cards would be the best for your needs and would be easy to obtain. If you get mailers from credit issuers, throw them out. You want to pick your cards- you don't want your cards to pick you. Don't even consider a card with an annual fee. I'm not saying there is no place for cards with an annual fee- I have 2 (Amex, and US Bank Shopper Rewards), but that's not what you need right now. 
• After 3 months, apply for a good no annual fee card. In 3 more months apply for another card. And run with those 3 cards for at least 6 months before considering anything else.

---

Thanks for your advice and taking the time to respond. I definitely see where you're coming from, and I appreciate the perspective.

Just to clarify, the scores in my signature are pretty outdated—those haven't changed since I first joined the forum over 10 years ago! The accurate score is what I mentioned in my original post. I've been diligently building my credit for years, but a derogatory mark was holding my score back. When it finally fell off, that’s when I saw the big jump.

I’ve already applied and have been approved for a few new cards and plan to garden for the next year or two, except for the SSL I’m planning to take out in the next few months. A home purchase is on the horizon, likely in 2+ years, so I’m focusing on strengthening my profile and making smart choices moving forward.

I’ll definitely update my signature soon to reflect where I’m at now. Thanks again for the solid advice!

[orangetech]

---

@KatzNDawgs wrote:

---

@HammerNSickle wrote:

My card recommendations? The None Card. That's probably not the advice you want to hear, but that's the advice you need to hear...

I don't know much about your history with credit, but from the brief information you've given and your signature I am assuming your credit journey has either been somewhat rocky or it's been a roller coaster- a slow ride up to 700 hill and then a rather quick drop with a few inversions down to the 500's. You've proven you know how to rebuild, but you keep on building your house on sand. It's time to end the cycle. So my advice is this:

• Go ahead and do the secured loan for as much and for as long a term as you can.
• Don't apply for anything else in the next three months.
• Get your personal finances in order.
• Research what cards would be the best for your needs and would be easy to obtain. If you get mailers from credit issuers, throw them out. You want to pick your cards- you don't want your cards to pick you. Don't even consider a card with an annual fee. I'm not saying there is no place for cards with an annual fee- I have 2 (Amex, and US Bank Shopper Rewards), but that's not what you need right now. 
• After 3 months, apply for a good no annual fee card. In 3 more months apply for another card. And run with those 3 cards for at least 6 months before considering anything else.

---

I agree with this. If it took 10 years to go from ~515 to ~615 Fico and you have a sudden surge, this may just be due to old derogs finally coming off. Continue the slow and steady approach, work on slowly getting 3 cards that will *work* for you (no AF, good rewards), pay them off, and have some sort of installment account such as SSL for max credit score. But honestly, I wouldn't even go for a SSL (you will lose some $$ yes, though can mitigate loss), unless you have aims to need a credit purchase such as house or car in the next year or so.

---

Thanks for your response and advice—I really appreciate it.

Just to clarify, the scores in my signature are outdated and haven’t been updated in over 10 years. The accurate score is the one I mentioned in my original post. You’re spot on that the surge was due to old derogs finally falling off, which made a big difference.

I’m definitely on board with the slow and steady approach. I’m planning to garden for the next year or two, with the exception of an SSL, which I’m considering in the next few months. While I don’t have immediate plans for a major credit purchase, like a house or car, I’m thinking ahead to the next few years, so I want to make sure my profile is solid.

Thanks again for your insight—I’ll be updating my signature soon to reflect my current situation.

[orangetech]

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@Thomas_Thumb wrote:

---

@orangetech wrote:

Hey myFICO community,

I woke up this morning to an incredible surprise—an AU account hit my report, and my score jumped from 664 to 782!!! 😲🎉 Just yesterday, I applied for and got approved for a CAP1 Quicksilver One with a $500 SL (wish i would have waited another day, lol), which is now my only open account, besides the AU account.

Here are my current details:

• Current Score: 782
• Open Accounts:
  • CAP1 Quicksilver One: $500 SL (just approved)
  • AU Chase Freedom: $7500 limit, 1% utilization
• Closed Accounts: 4 (PIF, never late)
  • 3 CC's + 1 Savings Secure Loan
• Goals:
  • Apply for a high SL card with a 0% interest offer
  • Get the best cards that don't have an annual fee or its less than $40 a year
  • Take out an SSL with my CU to cover installment credit

This is my first time ever reaching a score this high—I've always been in the low to mid-600s at most, even was in high 4's forever! What cards would you recommend I apply for, given my current situation? Any tips on maximizing my credit profile from here would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations!

---

Fico score won't jump that much due to an AU. I'd suspect F8 to be in the 710-730 range. Having open revolving accounts on file is a significant score booster. Make sure you report a non $0 statement balance on your card. Recommend reported balance between $5-$40. After 90 days, request a soft pull CLI, if available. I'd suggest asking for a $1000 CLI or an increase in card CL to $1500.

I'd wait 6 months before applying for a 2nd card to establish some ontime payment history with your open cc account. That will increase your likelihood for approval and a higher starting limit. After you get the 2nd card, wait another 6 months before shopping for a 3rd card - perhaps one offering a 0% apr promo.

I'd forego an SSL at this time. A 720 Fico 8 score is really all you need for prime cards. Re-evaluate setting up a SSL in 12 months or after getting the 3rd card, whichever comes last.

---

Thanks for the advice—I appreciate the detailed recommendations.

Just to clarify, my FICO 8 score is actually north of 760, so the jump wasn’t solely due to the AU account. I’ve been working on my credit for years, but a derogatory mark was holding me back. When that fell off, I saw the big increase.

I’ve already been approved for a total of three new cards, so I won’t be spacing out applications this time around, but I’m done applying and plan to garden for the foreseeable future. I’ll definitely be reporting a small balance on my card and will consider your suggestion about the soft pull CLI after 90 days.

As for the SSL, I’ll keep your thoughts in mind and re-evaluate the need for it down the road, especially since my FICO 8 score is already in a good range for prime cards.

Thanks again for your input—it's really helpful as I plan my next steps.

[FicoMike0]

One point. You get a lot of advice to go slow. That's all great agvice, with one exception. If you have a planned future credit need, such as a mortgage, you want to peak your credit toward that timeframe. To do that, you want to get all apps done more than 12 months in advance. For example, if youre going to do a ssl, the sooner you do it, the sooner that account will age past 12 months.