cleverpronoun

Update:

UPDATE: Figured I'd just piggyback on my latest thread from last year rather than start a new one. Chase Freedom U: 9100 >> 15.5K Chase Freedom Flex: 6900 >> Closed by me Best Buy: 6000 >> 10K Amazon: 6000 >> $10K Disc Chrome: 4400 >> 8.4K Disc IT: 3000 >> Closed by me Amex BCE: 2000 >> 11K CU Mastercard: 1500 >> 5K Neiman Marcus: 1000 >> 9K PenFed 6.5K Scores now in the high 700s. After bouncing around in the 500s and 600s most of my adult life, it's something I never thought I'd see and I'm protecting it with all I've got. Thanks again for all the knowledge I've gathered here.

Just an update since I last posted. So much for gardening. 🙄 Why is new credit so irresistible? Planning to combine the Discover and Chase CLs. Good idea? Chase Freedom Unlimited: 9100 Chase Freedom Flex: 6900 Best Buy: 6000Amazon: 6000 Disc Chrome: 4400 Disc IT: 3000Amex BCE: 2000CU Mastercard: 1500Neiman Marcus: 1000

I can only tell you what I did. Hopefully it won't take you as long as it did me. 3.5 years ago, I had scores in the mid-500s with ~20 negs. I got a car financed through CapOne with an atrocious (16%) interest rate. Then for reasons I still can't figure out, my credit union gave me a card with a small ($500) unsecured limit. (Still sitting at $1500, but they're stingy). Then I got a secured CapOne card and a secured Discover. I used and paid those down to zero regularly. It took about a year for them to unsecure. To further offset the negs on my reports, I added an Amazon store card, and once my scores inched to the low-600s, I got approved for an Amex Delta Gold card with a $1000 limit and a CapOne Quicksilver with a $850 limit. I added Best Buy and a Neiman Marcus. FF to three years in. All but one neg had aged off and got a PFD on the other remaining. Scores were then high-600s. I applied for an Amex Blue Cash Everyday and got a limit of $2000. I hit the CLI on the BB and Amazon cards, each of which landed on $6K. My latest acquisition was a Chase Freedom Unlimited with a starting limit of $9100. And that's where I am now. My scores have taken a ~15-20 point beating due to the loss of AAoA and the inquiries, but that's the price of doing business. Wishing you all the best. Use your head. Don't get 15 store cards just because you can get approved. Focus instead on CLIs on a small handful of good bank cards. If you have minimal luck with CLIs after a couple of years as I did with CapOne and the Amex Delta Gold, kick 'em to the curb as soon as you have something worthwhile to replace them. Be smart and be picky. Ultimately, those bank cards will serve you well. Store cards with tiny limits will only guarantee that you'll keep getting tiny limits. All the best. Sorry this is so long. P.S. Re: formula/theory -- 'credit' doesn't equal 'money.' It took me decades to finally digest that if I don't have the cash to buy something, there's a good chance I can't afford it. Before long you will be using your rewards cards to get perks, which includes a stellar credit rating. This will serve you well.

It looks like OP has resolved his/her issue, but for those still reading I will chime in. I defended Cap1 for a long time -- longer than they deserved -- but I have to say that in my estimation all the snark turned out to be warranted. I peaked at $600 and $850 on two Quicksilvers in almost four years, the most recent CLI denial being two weeks ago. In that same time frame I was approved for an Amex BCE at $2K and a Chase FU at $9.1K. So really, Cap1 what's your deal? Have now PIF and kicked a total of six Cap1 accts (incl co-branded and auto) to the curb in the past two years. They served their purpose, sure, but so has Disc, and Disc has bumped my CLI several times. YMMV, but that's my humble take.

I guess I am on the right track, thanks in great part to the excellent advice here. My profile is now as follows: Chase Freedom Unlimited: 9100 Best Buy: 6000Amazon: 6000 Disc: 4400Amex BCE: 2000CU Mastercard: 1500Neiman Marcus: 1000 (maybe soon to be axed)Amex Delta Gold: 1000 *af (about to be axed) Very anxious to see what my EX and TU scores are after dumping a neg. Gardening has officially started. What will I do with my spare time now? 😕 Thanks again for your support and advice, @cv91915 @centex @hdporter and others. I appreciate it very much.

Chase Freedom Unlimited: $9,100. 😮 Very surprised and happy about this.

True. 😄 I think the "trending upward" had more to do with the charge-off being removed and the CLI reporting. Oh yeah, and those pesky Cap1 cards. 👍 It's exciting seeing the effort finally paying off.

😂 No brownie points for being aware that a FAKO is useless?

I'm very pleased that one of the negs on TU was removed as promised after settling with the CA for ~$50. Totally worth it. (It's not on my other reports.) My Best Buy $6,000 CLI is also now reporting. I bit the bullet and closed my two Cap1 cards because after three years they seemed doomed to having silly CLs, plus one has an AF. My FAKO went up over 30 points to 755, which I'm aware means nothing. lol However, trending upward is trending upward. Not app'ing for anything right now. I have two HIPAA disputes pending so no sense in getting antsy and shooting myself in the foot.

Amazon store card (Sync) $2100 >> $6000

You're welcome. If there's one thing I've learned, it's USE THE HECK out of the Discover while you're growing it and keep it paid off. I just went to $4400... that's $3K in 32 days. But I use it for just about everything. I'd heard from a number of people that once they start opening up with the CLIs, the ball starts rolling fast. You couldn't have convinced me at the time, but now I get it.

Discover $2900 >> $4400. 😮

That's good advice. Thanks very much. Got another Disc CLI. Sweet. Waiting on a EX medical dispute and two CLIs to report. If I get rid of the medical, my EX report will be squeaky clean. ✨ Meanwhile, no other apps for now. Must. Use. Will. Power. 😳

Hmm.. 🤔 That's a good question. I think part of it is being able to qualify for cards I never thought I'd be able to get. Which, I realize, is a silly motivation to open a card. lol I'll try to be more logical about it, because having the cards work for me is ultimately more important than prestige.