I'm in the bucket

[Anonymous]

I also apped for the blue card, which was dumb. Should have gone with the ED card. Ugh

[jamie123]

When lenders or FICO give reasons for why your app was declined or what is keeping your score down in FICO's case, they are listed in order of importance. Some lenders hate bankruptcies and judgments and will automatically decline you if you have them. AMEX is one of those lenders.

You need to post in the "Credit Card" forum and ask them which lenders are judgment friendly. Don't app unless you have at least a 50/50 chance of approval.

You won't get an AMEX with a judgment but you can get perhaps a BoA Rewards or Discover.

What are your scores?

What other cards do you have?

What are their ages and credit lines?

[Anonymous]

670 673 664, I have 2 cap 1 cards 2500,2000 May 2014 nov 2014
Merrick bank 550 next month cli 1100 nob 2014
Credit one 750 sept 2013
Verve 500 nob 2014
Milestone 250 lol sept 2013
Barclays rewards 1300 May 2015
Discover it 1600 May 2015

[Anonymous]

I really want chase citi Amex, but won't bother until April when the judgement will be vacated.

[jamie123]

Yeah, you have plenty of cards now. Now you want quality cards.

I would suggest waiting until next May before apping for anything. You will have 1 year of clean file without inquiries to pull your score down. You will be a shoe in for that AMEX card.

[Anonymous]

Next year should be a good year. Nov 2016 I will also have about 5 inq gone as well. I do have 120 late from 2011. Hopefully that won't hurt my chances too much.

[cem13]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for that insight. I'm new at all this. When I was declined for an Amex last month, the first reason cited was judgement then util too high (35%) now 16, amount of personal loan to high, I just got it in nov, and short aaoa 3 years. What do you think the main reason was? Eta 647 cs.

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Keep in mind that FICO score is only 1 aspect of an U/W decision.  The details of the file is CRITICAL.

I had a BK7 discharged in JUN2011.  I was in the garden for 2 years while I prepared for a mortgage, which closed on 31MAR2015 (yay for me).  So then I went all ape-$h!t on the mother-of-all-app-sprees.  I was approved for about $60k in unsecured debt.  So I decided to app for Discover IT which I burned IIB.  They denied.  I recon'd and asked for a $500 limit just to get back in.  They still denied.  

So I had Banks & Credit Unions give me CC for $20K Visa, $13K AMEX, $10K Visa and $10K Visa and yet Discover denied a $500 SL?  All my scores were slighly above 700.    I also apped for Delta AMEX and the only reason for denial, BK7 showing.  I recon'd and they told me to app when I hit the 5 year post BK7.  So a score by itself is not the only factor in credit granting.   

I app'd to NASA for the Space Shuttle Card on a SP.  Instand denial.  I recon'd and wrote there were 3 different circumstances why I was force to file BK7: job loss, divorce and medical bills.  They approved me for $5K within 1 hour.  Of course I would have accepted a $500 SL for the coolest of cards (IMHO).

[Anonymous]

Wow you got some awesome cards and cl!! Congrats on your house!!! In my Amex denial the lates weren't listed as a reason for denial, so that's a good thing. I think gardening for 10 months is my best bet for now. Don't want to hurt my score anymore than it is. 😁

[cem13]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Wow you got some awesome cards and cl!! Congrats on your house!!! In my Amex denial the lates weren't listed as a reason for denial, so that's a good thing. I think gardening for 10 months is my best bet for now. Don't want to hurt my score anymore than it is. 😁

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Thanks.  My re-build has been a roller coaster for sure.  I was forced to file BK7 in 2011.  Then I found this wonderful forum and I learned so much from many people.  Of course everyone has a different and unique story with their life.  I did not know how to spell F-I-C-O until I found this board.

I went into the garden for 2 years and it seemed like forever.  I did some inner reflection and actually became a changed man; so much that my wonderful wife (err ex-wife) came back home.  We were high school sweethearts and was married for 25 years with 2 great daughters before Armageddon hit.  

We fought about money all the time.  Now we still fight about money but it is centered on "where do you want to go for vacation" and "what color carpet, furniture, drapes should be buy?"  Now I like to think that our relationship is 50/50.  So I learned that we do have a 50/50 relationship, she picks out the color and I pay for it.  Sounds fair to me.

Here is a quote from Confucius that I like.  It related to the Credit Garden so much, among other things.  

"There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest."

Sound familiar?????

[Anonymous]

Haha too funny! Women rule the roost! 😉

Idk how much more my score can possibly go up, but I will take what I can get!!😜