Please Critique/Comment on My Planned App Spree

[cv91915]

TUC is currently pristine, and EFX will be in a matter of weeks. That includes ZERO inquiries on both. I'll pull the trigger when the last derog on EFX drops.

I already have a stable of four or five "decent" V/MC/AE cards, so my goal is to maximize my ongoing rewards/cash back, round out my credit profile and get back in Citi's good graces. I am NOT focused on maximizing sign-up bonuses this time around... that will be for next time. The signup bonuses are mentioned here only as a point of interest. The numbers before the card name indicate relative priority and sequence for applying. I will stop at five approvals and garden for at least six months.

 

Note that I do not want to apply for anything the hits EXP at this point... that'll be the last one to be free of crap.

 

 

1) Pen Fed Premium Travel Rewards American Express [EFX]

 

- 5x on airfare (I spend ~$7,000/year on airfare for work)

- First in app spree due to inquiry sensitivity

 

2) Nordstrom Store or Visa [EFX]

 

- Upscale retail tradeline for future benefit

- Also inquiry sensitive, which is why it's #2, but I’d rather have the Pen Fed card if I had to choose between the two

 

3) JCB Murakai Premium [unknown bureau]

 

- ~3% cash back on everything

- I live in CA, so the card is definitely available to me

- Not enough data to know which bureau they’ll pull. This will be my daily card, and I’ll use it for everything except airfare.

4) Barclays Priceline Rewards Visa (conditional) [TUC]

 

- 2% cash back on everything

- 5,000 bonus points upon signup

- Will apply for this card if I get declined for the JCB.

- This will be my daily card for everything except airfare.

5) Barclays US Air Dividend Miles MasterCard [TUC]

 

- 40,000 US Air miles after spend

- Will merge programs with AA post-merger (bulk of my existing miles are AA)

- > 7 months since my last Barclays. If I get declined I can try to recon and split the limit on my existing Barclays card

 

6) Best Buy Store Card [EFX]

 

- Need an “in” with Citi after letting a card CO 7.5 years ago

- Will transfer ownership to Citi

 

7) Neiman Marcus or Tiffany (conditional) [EFX]

- Backup plan for upscale retail tradeline

- Will only apply if I get declined for Nordstrom

- More likely to use Neiman Marcus. I shop there occasionally.

Edited February 26, 2013 by cv91915

[cv91915]

I would add to #5 that I am betting that Citi becomes the issuer of choice for the combined AA/US Air airline after the merger, therefore this could conceivably become a Citi tradeline.

[saintdesy]

I would apply for the JCB and the Priceline. The JCB maxes out its' cash back after 5K/year and a lot of places don't accept it. Also you HAVE to spend the full 5K, no more, no less to get the max payout (of 3.2% overall). Firstly, you're probably going to spend more than 5K a year in general CC spending, and secondly you don't want to have to have a little discussion everywhere you go to inform the clerk that he can run it as a Discover. I would say that 98% of Americans have never heard of JCB at all. All that being said I'm probably going to get a JCB Murakai myself even though I already have the Priceline Visa just to see the strange looks on people's faces when I try to use it. That and I'm a sucker for cash back cards.

[cv91915]

Thanks, saintdesy. The JCB definitely will be entertaining. And you are right, I'll definitely charge more than $5k in a year. Some months I'll burn through that in a few weeks! I didn't realize that was the cap for the max cash back. Good info.

[cv91915]

BUMP for the night crew.

[Repairerer]

JCB is going to be difficult to time as part of a spree. They only accept applications via email or snail mail, so you can't be assured of when they'll process it or inform you of the decision.

[cv91915]

JCB is going to be difficult to time as part of a spree. They only accept applications via email or snail mail, so you can't be assured of when they'll process it or inform you of the decision.

 

I see that now... Boo! OK, couple that with a max of $5,000 for the 3.x% cash back and I think I'm pulling JCB out of consideration for the first spree. It will make for a decent novelty later, but for now I have bigger fish to fry.

 

I will substitute for JCB a card or two with rotating 5% categories - that pulls either EFX or TUC. Discover should be EFX... I'll keep looking for substitutes for JCB on my list. Thanks!!! Exactly why I posted this!

Edited February 27, 2013 by cv91915

[cv91915]

Thanks, saintdesy. The JCB definitely will be entertaining. And you are right, I'll definitely charge more than $5k in a year. Some months I'll burn through that in a few weeks! I didn't realize that was the cap for the max cash back. Good info.

 

I may have misunderstood your point. The JCB Murakai Premium card does not limit the amount of cashback you can earn at the 3% tier, which is how I read your comments. Probably still not a good card for a spree due to the manual application and approval process, but there are unlimited rewards at the 3% tier. http://jcbusa.com/card_marukaica_prem.html Specifically:

★Earn up to 3% Cash Back Points*

Earn up to 3% cash back points on all purchases including spending at Marukai.

No limit on how much you can earn.

[patz2009]

Probably still not a good card for a spree due to the manual application and approval process, but there are unlimited rewards at the 3% tier. http://jcbusa.com/card_marukaica_prem.html Specifically:

★Earn up to 3% Cash Back Points*

Earn up to 3% cash back points on all purchases including spending at Marukai.

No limit on how much you can earn.

I disagree. Do you have any kind of triple bureau credit monitoring? If so, I'd send in the JCB application on the same day you submit the PenFed application. PenFed will still pull first, JCB maybe a couple days after, and then you can continue with the rest of the spree. The point of the 'spree' is to not have your new creditors see the new accounts cause a dip in your AAOA, not the inquiries. Get the JCB card while you can. Edited February 27, 2013 by patz2009

[patz2009]

 

Probably still not a good card for a spree due to the manual application and approval process, but there are unlimited rewards at the 3% tier. http://jcbusa.com/card_marukaica_prem.html Specifically:

★Earn up to 3% Cash Back Points*

Earn up to 3% cash back points on all purchases including spending at Marukai.

No limit on how much you can earn.

I disagree. Do you have any kind of triple bureau credit monitoring? If so, I'd send in the JCB application on the same day you submit the PenFed application. PenFed will still pull first, JCB maybe a couple days after, and then you can continue with the rest of the spree. The point of the 'spree' is to not have your new creditors see the new accounts cause a dip in your AAOA, not the inquiries. Get the JCB card while you can.

Also from the looks of it, JCB is likely to be an EX puller, with some TU sprinkled in there.

[cv91915]

 

 

Probably still not a good card for a spree due to the manual application and approval process, but there are unlimited rewards at the 3% tier. http://jcbusa.com/card_marukaica_prem.html Specifically:

★Earn up to 3% Cash Back Points*

Earn up to 3% cash back points on all purchases including spending at Marukai.

No limit on how much you can earn.

I disagree. Do you have any kind of triple bureau credit monitoring? If so, I'd send in the JCB application on the same day you submit the PenFed application. PenFed will still pull first, JCB maybe a couple days after, and then you can continue with the rest of the spree. The point of the 'spree' is to not have your new creditors see the new accounts cause a dip in your AAOA, not the inquiries. Get the JCB card while you can.

Also from the looks of it, JCB is likely to be an EX puller, with some TU sprinkled in there.

 

I won't be in a position for an EXP puller until summer. This'll have to go to round two. I'll substitute one or two of the cards with rotating 5% categories for now. Damn Experian!

[GFT]

Tiffany does not report to the CB, unless you go deliquent. They pull EQ

[cv91915]

Tiffany does not report to the CB, unless you go deliquent. They pull EQ

Looks like it's Neiman Marcus then! Thank you.

[cv91915]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Probably still not a good card for a spree due to the manual application and approval process, but there are unlimited rewards at the 3% tier. http://jcbusa.com/card_marukaica_prem.html Specifically: ★Earn up to 3% Cash Back Points*

Earn up to 3% cash back points on all purchases including spending at Marukai.No limit on how much you can earn.

 

I disagree. Do you have any kind of triple bureau credit monitoring? If so, I'd send in the JCB application on the same day you submit the PenFed application. PenFed will still pull first, JCB maybe a couple days after, and then you can continue with the rest of the spree. The point of the 'spree' is to not have your new creditors see the new accounts cause a dip in your AAOA, not the inquiries. Get the JCB card while you can.

Also from the looks of it, JCB is likely to be an EX puller, with some TU sprinkled in there.

I won't be in a position for an EXP puller until summer. This'll have to go to round two. I'll substitute one or two of the cards with rotating 5% categories for now. Damn Experian!

 

Probably still not a good card for a spree due to the manual application and approval process, but there are unlimited rewards at the 3% tier. http://jcbusa.com/card_marukaica_prem.html Specifically: ★Earn up to 3% Cash Back Points*

Earn up to 3% cash back points on all purchases including spending at Marukai.No limit on how much you can earn.

I disagree. Do you have any kind of triple bureau credit monitoring? If so, I'd setnd in the JCB application on the same day you submit the PenFed application. PenFed will still pull first, JCB maybe a couple days after, and then you can continue with the rest of the spree. The point of the 'spree' is to not have your new creditors see the new accounts cause a dip in your AAOA, not the inquiries. Get the JCB card while you can.

This is back as a key part of my plan...

[nodarkness]

"This program is available to California, Nevada, Oregon or Washington residents only."

 

Craaaap! This would have been a good one for me to have, especially when in Japan.

[cv91915]

Get a PO box in San Diego and I'll forward your mail.

[patz2009]

"This program is available to California, Nevada, Oregon or Washington residents only."

 

Craaaap! This would have been a good one for me to have, especially when in Japan.

The normal JCB card is available to a wider range of States, but it has less than a 1% rewards rate. Sad.