shifter's Rebuilding Thread

[shifter]

On 11/29/2022 at 12:33 PM, shifter said:

So I was lying awake last night thinking about this interaction and the phrasing the guy used that told me it wasn't allowed any longer. I felt like he thought I was asking about something different, so I decided to call back and talk to another agent today. This agent didn't know anything about it and said I needed to be transferred to another department. The second agent knew exactly what I was talking about and said I needed to be eligible for a CLI on the receiving card, so he went ahead and processed that, which of course was declined.

 

I then told him what had happened and how I just got a CLI yesterday because the last guy told me combining wasn't allowed any longer. He talked to a back office specialist to see if anything can be done. They confirmed that, indeed, combining is definitely still allowed, but it has to be done on the same day as the CLI. If I had called back yesterday instead of waiting until today, they could have done it. So that's a bit of a bummer, but not really that big of a deal. I'll just rinse and repeat - hammer both cards again for the next couple of months and try again.

 

On 11/28/2022 at 7:00 PM, shifter said:

it Chrome - $5.3k -> $9.3k

it - $7.5k -> $10.5k

 

Boom!

 

Put some bigger charges through both of these cards over the holidays. Decided to try for another CLI today to see if I could merge the accounts. Approved for $3k CLI on both cards! I can merge them!

 

But...!!!!! There's a balance on my it Chrome. They can't move the credit line until it's $0 balance. Foiled again!

 

For now, took the CLI on the Chrome to $12.3k and held off on the it CLI until I PIF the Chrome on the next due date.

[shifter]

15 hours ago, shifter said:

For now, took the CLI on the Chrome to $12.3k and held off on the it CLI until I PIF the Chrome on the next due date.

Decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and took the CLI on the it also. Will just rinse and repeat and try again in another couple of months.

 

it Chrome - $5.3k -> $9.3k -> $12.3k

it - $7.5k -> $10.5k -> $13.5k

[shifter]

Citi is weird. They have been declining the wife every CLI request with nothing more than too many inquiries and now they give her another auto-CLI on her Simplicity.

 

$12.5k => $17.5k

Edited February 24 by shifter

[shifter]

On 3/28/2022 at 12:11 PM, shifter said:

Just noticed today that her CLI was increased to $12.5k. Not sure when that happened, but I think fairly recently. I think she requested a CLI since December, but I don't remember receiving any notifications and I didn't make a post here about it, which is what I do to keep track of these things.

Looks like I never updated this thread. NFCU auto-CLI'd her again at some point last year to $15k. I can't remember when, but probably in the fall.

 

And now I just noticed they auto-CLI'd her again to $19k at some point recently. They decline her for every request, but they seem to like something about what she's doing! She seems to be on the 6 month auto-CLI track. I can live with that.

Edited March 11 by shifter

[shifter]

On 3/11/2023 at 5:06 PM, shifter said:

Looks like I never updated this thread. NFCU auto-CLI'd her again at some point last year to $15k. I can't remember when, but probably in the fall.

 

And now I just noticed they auto-CLI'd her again to $19k at some point recently. They decline her for every request, but they seem to like something about what she's doing! She seems to be on the 6 month auto-CLI track. I can live with that.

Got an EX alert so the CLI was just this month. Looking back at the EX alerts, the last CLI was in July. And the one before that was in January '22. So not quite 6 months, but close. 

[shifter]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:00 AM, shifter said:

Decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and took the CLI on the it also. Will just rinse and repeat and try again in another couple of months.

 

it Chrome - $5.3k -> $9.3k -> $12.3k

it - $7.5k -> $10.5k -> $13.5k

I think "it" is finally time! I was waiting until the due date to PIF the Chrome, so it'd be ready to combine. I put some large charges on the it last month and just checked the CLI availability and it's available for $3k. I just made the Chrome payment today, so will call tomorrow and get the CLI and combine. That will give me a $28.8k limit on the it!

[shifter]

23 hours ago, shifter said:

I think "it" is finally time! I was waiting until the due date to PIF the Chrome, so it'd be ready to combine. I put some large charges on the it last month and just checked the CLI availability and it's available for $3k. I just made the Chrome payment today, so will call tomorrow and get the CLI and combine. That will give me a $28.8k limit on the it!

Went ahead and did this today, however I decided to keep the Chrome open for two reasons.

 

First, it's my oldest open account along with the QS1. Right now that doesn't matter, but my only pre-BK open account is my student loan, which will be PIF soon and then will fall off in 10 years. So in 12 or so years when all the pre-BK accounts have fallen off, these two cards will be my oldest. So it's worth leaving this one open and I left $1300 CL on it.

 

Also, I'm going to try to rinse and repeat the CLI method with this card and see if I can get that $1300 CL raised to 5 figures again over the next year or so and then try to combine again!

 

Also, Disco is great with off cycle updates, so they'll push these up to the CRAs today and will be there tomorrow. There's definitely some good things about Disco!

[shifter]

Well, just woke up this morning to a 40 point bump on EX. My last two IIB accounts fell off on their own a couple of months early. I was going to dispute them next week, but no need now.

[shifter]

On 3/14/2023 at 12:21 PM, shifter said:

Also, I'm going to try to rinse and repeat the CLI method with this card and see if I can get that $1300 CL raised to 5 figures again over the next year or so and then try to combine again!

So far the plan is working. I maxed out the paltry CL this month and was going to wait to pay it off, but decided just to pull the trigger last night on a CLI request. They gave me another $1.5k to make it $2.8k while it was maxed out, lol.

[shifter]

On 11/29/2022 at 12:05 PM, shifter said:

This card hasn't been used at all since the last CLI outside of a few charges in August - one very large. After the luck on my cards yesterday, decided to try for a CLI on her card.

 

$15.5k -> $18.5k

 

Not even 6 months from the last CLI. And that's another data point that usage is important to Disco, but maybe not as much usage as I thought is necessary. Maybe just one month with a large charge or two and let the statement cut. I'll have to try that again early next year on all the cards and see if we can get another CLI before too long.

Put some large charges through the wife's Disco card last month and just paid it off yesterday. CLI request today.

 

$18.5k -> $21.5k

[A Credit Ed]

On 5/8/2023 at 9:26 AM, shifter said:

CLI request today.

 

$18.5k -> $21.5k

Thanks for this post Shifter.  I saw it, then for S&G I hit the Discover love button myself.  I was expecting a hard "No Way" response (I received this card, did a BT using it, and haven't touched it since) and was pleasantly surprised to see my CL go from 12,500 to $14,500.

[shifter]

CLI season is here.

 

Citi DC $23k -> $28k

 

Since this is my daily driver, it's nice that it's finally getting towards a useful limit.

 

Citi Costco $19.5k -> $27k

 

Nice to get the daily double from Citi!

Edited May 30 by shifter

[shifter]

3 day message from C1 again. Pretty sure that's going to be yet another decline. They want me to use the card and I refuse. So I'll just keep not using it and trying for CLIs every few months.

[shifter]

CLI DC for the wife

 

$23.5k -> $26.5k

[shifter]

22 hours ago, shifter said:

3 day message from C1 again. Pretty sure that's going to be yet another decline. They want me to use the card and I refuse. So I'll just keep not using it and trying for CLIs every few months.

Declined as always.

[shifter]

DCU CLI approved!

 

$10k -> $25k

 

I guess I should have asked for more...

[StantheMan]

6 hours ago, shifter said:

DCU CLI approved!

 

$10k -> $25k

 

I guess I should have asked for more...

Greed is good

[hdporter]

On 5/29/2023 at 8:43 PM, shifter said:

3 day message from C1 again. Pretty sure that's going to be yet another decline. They want me to use the card and I refuse. So I'll just keep not using it and trying for CLIs every few months.

 

I'm not sure I'm going to give you credit for perseverance here. 

 

My Quicksilver has been stuck at $15k for going on a decade and it's apparent that it won't be increased without active use (a charge every 18 mo doesn't cut it, apparently).  Since C1 doesn't provide any real incentive to use their card over any other, I've declared a CLI to be among many "lost causes" and put it out of mind.

[shifter]

14 hours ago, hdporter said:

I'm not sure I'm going to give you credit for perseverance here. 

I'm sure I'll give up eventually, but at this point I'm still firmly in beggars can't be choosers mode.

[shifter]

Apped with Amex today and declined for BL again. Will rinse and repeat next year.

 

Apped with Chase today for the Prime Visa and got declined for past relationship. Called for recon and as expected got put through the ringer about my BK. She didn't make a decision on the phone, but said it needed to go for a second review by another lender and I'd get notified about the result.

 

Was going to try out BofA, but can't find a decent card. Is there anything decent at all from them these days?

[hdporter]

4 hours ago, shifter said:

Was going to try out BofA, but can't find a decent card. Is there anything decent at all from them these days?

 

The BA card I'm all gaga over is Customized Cash Rewards:  You select a category for which all qualified purchases earn 3% cashback (plus any relationship bonus) on up to $2500 spend each quarter.  We have "his/hers" cards, both with "Online Purchases" as the designated category.  It's like pulling up a seat at an "all you can eat" buffet (well, up to $5000/quarter for us).

[shifter]

2 hours ago, hdporter said:

The BA card I'm all gaga over is Customized Cash Rewards

Apped it and got insta declined. Will call for recon tomorrow. 

[MP80]

The puller of BofA's primary CRA is Experian. Didn’t you say that the BK report there is still holding you back?

 

Chase is always a double pull, mostly Experian as the puller plus Equifax, or Experian and TransUnion.

 

I think it's the BL and BK that happen to prevent you from getting approved regardless of your high FICO score. Some of your former creditors may not even pull credit reports, they're just browsing internal data files about you. I think time is the panacea.

[shifter]

13 hours ago, MP80 said:

I think it's the BL and BK that happen to prevent you from getting approved regardless of your high FICO score. Some of your former creditors may not even pull credit reports, they're just browsing internal data files about you. I think time is the panacea.

Yes that's why I'm testing them out now. I do have the BK on EX/TU still. And these are the creditors I IIB'd so I expect BL issues, but just seeing where I stand. Will rinse and repeat next year if denied this year. 

[shifter]

14 hours ago, shifter said:

Apped it and got insta declined. Will call for recon tomorrow. 

BofA has nerfed all their backdoor lines and tries to make it impossible to get ahold of anyone. I finally found one to get ahold of a person, but not sure if it's a UW or what. Either way he said he can't do anything until I receive the letter. So I'll wait a bit and then try calling back.