I had been repairing my credit scores for over 2 years and never really thought about opening credit cards until I fell into the rabbit hole of this forum. Had EXP 696, TU 688, EQ 670 and AAoA 18yrs with a Target REDcard chargeoff from 10 years ago that I noticed in January and started to PIF. And a few lates 2.5 years ago. Not the best profile. So I was floored when I took the plunge with AmEx Brilliant BonVoy and got an immediate approval with SL $8K. Plus AmEx to me felt like an accomplishment 😂 esp after having bad credit for so long.
personal
biz
Start 1/1/19
Best 11/15/21
Current rebuild
Probably my most surprising CC approval was these two cards: WF cash Wise, and Coastal Credit Union Premier Rewards. For Wells Fargo, I was originally supposed to get a Visa card. But when I got approved, they upgraded me to Visa Signature. I thought Visa Signature isn't typically a first card to get, but my second card I got approved for from Coastal Credit Union is also Visa Signature.
Biggest surprise was everytime BoA gave me a CLI once it got over $40K...
I don't think I've tried for anything that's considered hard to obtain. BoA loves me, Synch hates me.. and I sleep just fine with that.
I do plan on going for the CNB Crystal eventually, but my butt is gardening until most of my current HP's come off and my AAoA hits five years. I've got plenty of options for now.
I had gone through a really rough patch financially around 2005, a divorce, lost my job, car reposessed, all my credit cards in collections. I couldn't even get a bank account because my ex had overdrawn the bank account and I ended up in the Chex system. Well one good thing about the experience. I learned to be financially responsible because I HAD to be, no credit to turn to, anything I wanted I had to save up for and pay cash. I learned to budget, live frugally, keep a savings (literally cash in my closet because no bank account) etc. Of course my credit was shot for years to come, no company would give me a nickle. Well in 2011 I finally got approved for a Kohls card with a $300 limit. I was so happy just to have credit I treated it like gold, never kept a balance, paid it off monthly. Then, the next year I got approved for a Merrick Bank Card with a $700 Limit, treated it the same way was bumped up to $1,400 a few months late.
And I kept those two cards for the next five years, never keeping a balance, paying them off the same month I used them. Then in 2016 I got a promotion at work that required a lot of travel. I needed a card with a higher balance as my company reimbused for travel after the fact. I had a checking account with USAA, so I applied for a credit card. Crossed my fingers hopping for $2,500...maybe even $3,000 if I was lucky. Application processes...."Congratulations! You have approved for a credit line of $10,000" What?!? I read it over thinking it must be $1,000 and I had read it wrong. Nope it was $10,000! The biggest line of credit I had ever had! After that I got a copy of my credit report, turns out while I hadn't been paying attention over the last few years, every negative account had fallen off my credit report and with the two accounts I had paid religously my credit score was a whopping 763!
My newly minted Chase Ink Cash.
I was at 4/24 in Chase terms or 6/4 if you count business and store debit card. My cold app went into pending for over a month before I was approved. Totally shocked.
On the other hand other than the lol number of inquiries I believe I was actually a good candidate. My credit scores are still good even after all those inquiries (790 to 810) and I have high income, no debt, no baddies and a legit small business (though it is not my primary source of income). I have always been financially responsible, just not particularly rewards savvy.
So maybe it was not that surprising? Besides, the SL Chase gave me is only $4.5K, much lower than any of my other recent acquisitions so it’s not like they are fully embracing me yet.
Anyway I read that Chase doesn’t like it when you go on apping more cards after them so I am gardening for 12 months before I go for my next goal card. The Amex Gold.
I was at 4/24 in Chase terms or 6/4 if you count business and store debit card. My cold app went into pending for over a month before I was approved. Totally shocked.
On the other hand other than the lol number of inquiries I believe I was actually a good candidate. My credit scores are still good even after all those inquiries (790 to 810) and I have high income, no debt, no baddies and a legit small business (though it is not my primary source of income). I have always been financially responsible, just not particularly rewards savvy.
So maybe it was not that surprising? Besides, the SL Chase gave me is only $4.5K, much lower than any of my other recent acquisitions so it’s not like they are fully embracing me yet.
Anyway I read that Chase doesn’t like it when you go on apping more cards after them so I am gardening for 12 months before I go for my next goal card. The Amex Gold.
