Sidewinder

Yeah he said AmEx; my question was which AmEx. They offer a lot of different cards.

*high five* Which card did you get?

I'd actually go first for whichever card the OP thinks is the longest reach; that way you're apping with fewer inq's showing. That's why I applied for (elusive) Barclay's Aviator last month before applying for less-Olympian FNBO. Got approved for both.

I daresay unsecured is better: Since of course those are extended to the better-credit folks, it'll be an asset on any future manual reviews.

Every credit card I've received (that's more than 20) has arrived with a welcome-to-your-new-credit-card letter outlining the benefits of the card, including the availability of a PIN for cash advances. The procedure for obtaining the PIN is either explained in the letter or available upon a call to the customer service number. Also available from those same sources is the length of time it will take to receive your PIN. I would suggest being more proactive in requesting and maintaining your PIN as soon as the credit card account is opened. It will lead to mellower days for you

How late were the lates? 30-day, 60-day... (gulp) 90-day? ( : / )

Yeah, sorry to help break the news but you're in with CreditOne only; not any closer to AmEx's good graces. : / How long have you had each of the three cards you listed? What does the rest of your credit profile look like?

Well to be technical they don't incur the cc fees until the transaction goes through. But yeah this is a dumb move by the hotel. : /

(Roam around the world.)

DA-da-da DA-da-da dada-da DAda-da DA-da-da!! (bom-BOM!) DA-da-da DA-da-da dada-da DAda-da DA-da-da!! (bom-BOM!) DA-da-da DA-da-da dada-da DAda-da DA-da-da!! DAda dada-DAAAA da... da-DAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! (bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bom-bommmmmmmmmmmmm... Aaaaaaand... flourish) This concludes my rendition of the Olympic fanfare. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

if you want to.

O RLY??!!? You think Silver was somehow in error not handing the trophy over to the Suns last night?

"Best" is a subjective term, as everyone's situations, spending patterns, and aims are unique. Some of us are just starting out, some are rebuilding, some are preparing for a mortgage. Some of us are a'ight and just want to get the most out of rewards programs, or get the best APR's. Tell the forum more about yourself before asking us what your best moves would be. There are, however, some universal truths: 1) Best habits for good scores are on-time payments and low util 2) Avoid, at all times and with no exceptions, opening an account with First Premier

FICO isn't the first place you should look; you need to tell us (or first find out) how the installment loan was reported to the CRA's.

Issuers report the statement balance to the CRA's within a few days after the statement closes. However, some issuers might also report mid-cycle; I have the experience of U.S. Bank doing that with my platinum Visa card shortly after I'd transferred a large balance to it.