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Finally Hit the Numbers. Consolidated my CC debt in a personal loan and it is finally paying off.
EQ - 770
TU - 767
EX - 788
TU 834, Equifax 859
Just wanted to say that "gardening" works. I took the approach of applying to credit cards with several of the major banks during/shortly after I graduated college (so by 2013-2014) and then have just not gotten any new cards since, so my average credit age grows. Occassionally I do a "product change" when a rewards program dies and better rewards programs pop up. I don't always have the absolute best rewards available but generally have pretty good cash back cards, which is what I value. I could play the "apply for new airline cards, get points, go on a trip, cancel" game but I don't travel enough for it to be worth it and for now have decided to grow my credit instead, and it's worked.
I could probably get it higher if I let all balances except one report 0. Because that has no long term impact, I haven't bothered, so most of my cards report balances each month.
I've got one hard inquiry right now that I know of, for a corporate credit card application 23 months ago (so should be falling off). The card isn't on my report but the inquiry is.
EQ: 824
TU: 803
EX: 800
Fico 8: 787
Fico 9: 790
Update:Fico8 800
As of 1/02/19
@gh17 wrote:TU 834, Equifax 859
Just wanted to say that "gardening" works. I took the approach of applying to credit cards with several of the major banks during/shortly after I graduated college (so by 2013-2014) and then have just not gotten any new cards since, so my average credit age grows. Occassionally I do a "product change" when a rewards program dies and better rewards programs pop up. I don't always have the absolute best rewards available but generally have pretty good cash back cards, which is what I value. I could play the "apply for new airline cards, get points, go on a trip, cancel" game but I don't travel enough for it to be worth it and for now have decided to grow my credit instead, and it's worked.
I could probably get it higher if I let all balances except one report 0. Because that has no long term impact, I haven't bothered, so most of my cards report balances each month.
I've got one hard inquiry right now that I know of, for a corporate credit card application 23 months ago (so should be falling off). The card isn't on my report but the inquiry is.
gh17,
Good strategy... :-)
I've made it into the group! My TU score gained 42 points after my BK fell off (early exclusion). It went from 746-788. I checked it again last night and found that it gained another 4 points to 792. I'll request an EE from EX in 6 weeks and try EQ two months after that.
I've sat tight on my credit since purchasing a home and knew this would be the year to get even higher than 760ish...I'm all 8's across the board and I hope that's a good thing. : )
I just received an alert that my EQ08 score has changed. Found that it's now at 760. That's two!