16 replies to this topic

[luckydriver]

just curious.

[CIO]

Ft Knox does not report AUs according to them, and I've found that to be true. They may report spouse AUs, though. Not sure about PenFed...haven't added anyone to it.

[luckydriver]

ah i didnt know spouse made a difference..this wouldnt be spouse, just other relative, different home

which card is easier to get? i have no idea their scores but they do have perfect credit their entire life and no new cards in years ..from what i recall you can apply for FT knox without joining then just join if you are approved but i believe penfed you must join just to find out if you are approved?

[Culpeper Mike]

penfed doesn't report AU's either. my wifes card doesn't appear on my credit reports and my card doesn't appear on my wifes.


personally i really like that. its almost like 50k in hidden trade lines for my wife and i, although not really hidden like business lines since they do show up on ONE of our 2 personal credit reports.

Edited by Culpeper Mike, 16 April 2012 - 08:23 AM.

[CIO]

ah i didnt know spouse made a difference..this wouldnt be spouse, just other relative, different home

which card is easier to get? i have no idea their scores but they do have perfect credit their entire life and no new cards in years ..from what i recall you can apply for FT knox without joining then just join if you are approved but i believe penfed you must join just to find out if you are approved?

Not sure if Ft Knox is easier than PenFed, but regardless, I would go with PenFed if their credit is solid. It's a much larger credit union, has more to offer and a gives larger starting limit. I saw a thread on another forum mentioning that Ft Knox supposedly capped their starting credit limits at $2500 sometime last year. PenFed will still give $20k+ starting limits if credit/income/debt ratio support it.

[luckydriver]

no debt to speak of but income is low..just looking for anything over 500 so i can start getting some gas rebates..is killing me 600 a month now

[Culpeper Mike]

ah i didnt know spouse made a difference..this wouldnt be spouse, just other relative, different home

which card is easier to get? i have no idea their scores but they do have perfect credit their entire life and no new cards in years ..from what i recall you can apply for FT knox without joining then just join if you are approved but i believe penfed you must join just to find out if you are approved?

Not sure if Ft Knox is easier than PenFed, but regardless, I would go with PenFed if their credit is solid. It's a much larger credit union, has more to offer and a gives larger starting limit. I saw a thread on another forum mentioning that Ft Knox supposedly capped their starting credit limits at $2500 sometime last year. PenFed will still give $20k+ starting limits if credit/income/debt ratio support it.

people complain about both i'm sure, but i was insta-approved at penfed so also had my wife join and she was insta-approved.

i apped twice for fort knox about 3 months apart and aside from credit products they wouldn't even let me join so...

if i had to pick one i'd obv choose penfed, but i like the penfed rewards better right now. 5/3/1 imo is better than 5/1.25 since you can get a straight 2% on everything with other cards. factor in $250 in credit card bonuses at penfed and it seems like a no brainer to me.

dont get me wrong, i'd love to add their card to my portfolio, but penfed would be my go to if i could only have one.

[luckydriver]

bonus? i guess i better look the site, it's been a while...the card will be exclusively mine for gas and nothing else. but my main concern is not having her join something unless she definitely gets the card..doesnt want to have to join then not be approved.

[CIO]

ah i didnt know spouse made a difference..this wouldnt be spouse, just other relative, different home

which card is easier to get? i have no idea their scores but they do have perfect credit their entire life and no new cards in years ..from what i recall you can apply for FT knox without joining then just join if you are approved but i believe penfed you must join just to find out if you are approved?

Not sure if Ft Knox is easier than PenFed, but regardless, I would go with PenFed if their credit is solid. It's a much larger credit union, has more to offer and a gives larger starting limit. I saw a thread on another forum mentioning that Ft Knox supposedly capped their starting credit limits at $2500 sometime last year. PenFed will still give $20k+ starting limits if credit/income/debt ratio support it.

people complain about both i'm sure, but i was insta-approved at penfed so also had my wife join and she was insta-approved.

i apped twice for fort knox about 3 months apart and aside from credit products they wouldn't even let me join so...

if i had to pick one i'd obv choose penfed, but i like the penfed rewards better right now. 5/3/1 imo is better than 5/1.25 since you can get a straight 2% on everything with other cards. factor in $250 in credit card bonuses at penfed and it seems like a no brainer to me.

dont get me wrong, i'd love to add their card to my portfolio, but penfed would be my go to if i could only have one.

I have both PenFed and Ft Knox, and I can tell you that you're not missing anything by not having Ft. Knox. Paying it is a PAIN with no ACH transfer ability like a normal bank payment system, and I never opened a checking acct with them, so pushing money in to my account is a no go. I finally set it up via bill pay with NFCU. I rarely use it and wish I'd never app'd for it. Weakness and all that at the time.

[matty8199]

am i the only one that's not intrigued by the new penfed rewards system that uses points? isn't a gift-card worth less than the statement credit, since you won't get points on purchases you make using your cash back?

or am i interpreting that wrong?

[CIO]

am i the only one that's not intrigued by the new penfed rewards system that uses points? isn't a gift-card worth less than the statement credit, since you won't get points on purchases you make using your cash back?

or am i interpreting that wrong?

Nope, I agree. Great rewards, but I'd at least prefer the option for a direct deposit or statement credit for redeeming points. Maybe they'll add it down the road.

[luckydriver]

i dont see anything about points, i do see


•Cash rewards automatically awarded to your account every month
•No caps, limits or tiers on rewards



Keep in Mind: Regardless of the amount earned, your cash rewards are automatically awarded every month as a statement credit - no need to track or redeem points. Absolutely no action is required.

edit: ok i dug deeper...now i wonder which card should i get..cash or platinum? i only need the 5% gas..not interested in anything else. seems like nice bonuses for sure though!

Edited by luckydriver, 16 April 2012 - 02:15 PM.

[matty8199]

i was talking about the points card...not the cash back one.

i originally wanted the cash back, but $250 is hard to pass up. i'm wondering if you could pull the money off the GCs using paypal/google checkout/amazon payments...

[luckydriver]

am i the only one that's not intrigued by the new penfed rewards system that uses points? isn't a gift-card worth less than the statement credit, since you won't get points on purchases you make using your cash back?

or am i interpreting that wrong?

i've only briefly looked at the rewards stuff..i see a 25 dollar GC is 2500 pts etc. and im not sure how cash back works but i was hoping it would be a reduction in my current balance for next month..thats how my sunoco card does it..takes the cents per gallon and subtracts from the balance due this month.

regardless..id say cash back really cant 'be used' to buy anything if it's just put back on your card..then again maybe i'm looking at it wrong


i do see now that you need to join penfed to even apply for a card so that stinks..25 bucks out the door without even knowing if she will be approved. and if she doesnt get the card, have to close that account because it will never be used for anything else.

[matty8199]

am i the only one that's not intrigued by the new penfed rewards system that uses points? isn't a gift-card worth less than the statement credit, since you won't get points on purchases you make using your cash back?

or am i interpreting that wrong?

i've only briefly looked at the rewards stuff..i see a 25 dollar GC is 2500 pts etc. and im not sure how cash back works but i was hoping it would be a reduction in my current balance for next month..thats how my sunoco card does it..takes the cents per gallon and subtracts from the balance due this month.

regardless..id say cash back really cant 'be used' to buy anything if it's just put back on your card..then again maybe i'm looking at it wrong


i do see now that you need to join penfed to even apply for a card so that stinks..25 bucks out the door without even knowing if she will be approved. and if she doesnt get the card, have to close that account because it will never be used for anything else.

cash back on the card (as a statement credit) is exactly what i would want...that way i can "use" that money by continuing to use the card and running up more rewards. if i'm getting my cash back as a gift card, then anything that i buy with that gift card i'm not continuing to earn rewards on...

that was my point about why i'd rather have the cash or a statement credit than a gift card...

[luckydriver]

must an auth user become a member?

[luckydriver]

i have another question...do you think someone with only about 10K in income would even qualify for one of these cards? no other debt on credit reports.