FWF N00b's App-O-Rama

After reading about everybody's AOR & BT bozana (thanks to Hindustani, darkside, and rivler), I decided to hop on the bandwagon. I plan on submitting my AOR this week after I tweak some things. My current credit scores from CreditSecure & PrivacyGuard are as follows:

CS/PG:
Experian: 761/764
Equifax: 761/765
TransUnion: 761/773

As of 12/20, MyFico reports my score is 787 (w00-h00!!!)

Age: Mid 20s
Annual Income: $60K+ (first year)
Monthly Housing Payment: $700 rent, less than 1 year of residence
No. of existing accounts: 13 (excluding the two AMEX Business cards since they don't show up on the report)
Total Credit Line: $55,275 (personal CLs)
I am carrying no balances month to month on any of the cards.
I have an outstanding student loan of $1,200 with no late payments.

My current accounts are as follows:

Card --------------- Credit Line ------------- Age (in years)
AMEX Optima -----------$2k-------------------- 10+ (parents are primary users, added on for age)
AMEX Bus. Gold --------N/A-------------------- 8 months
AMEX Bus. Plat --------$14K------------------- 8 months (did a CLI 2 weeks ago from $5K to $14)
Capital One -----------$575------------------- 8 (my first CC, and what a doozy of a CL)
Chase CashPlus? -------$7.5k------------------ 4+ (parents are primary users, added on for age)
Citi Dividend----------$13k------------------- 1+ (did a CLI and credit allocation a few weeks back)
Citi Diamond-----------$500------------------- 1+
Citi MtvU--------------$1.9k------------------ 10 months
Discover---------------$11k------------------- 5
Schwab MBNA -----------$5.7k------------------ 10 months
Bloomingdales ---------$2k-------------------- 2.5+
Macy's-----------------$2k-------------------- 6+
Dillard's--------------$400------------------- 5
Gap--------------------$700------------------- 2.5+
Bloomingdales Visa-----$8k-------------------- 2.5+ (have no idea why they converted me to a CC and gave me $8K)

Cards I'm Applying For
Card--------------------------------- Bonus --------------------- BT Offer
Chase SonyStyle---------------------- $150 ---------------------- 0% for 12 months with $75 fee
Chase Priority Club Rewards --------- $20 credit, 30K pts ------- 0% for 6 months with $75 fee
Chase Priority Club Rewards Bus. ---- 15K points ---------------- 0% for 6 months with $75 fee
Citi Diamond Pref. Rewards AMEX------ $100 ---------------------- 0% for 12 months with no fee
Citi Professional SM----------------- $150 ---------------------- 0% for 12 months with no fee
CitiBusiness PremierPass Card-------- $150 ---------------------- 0% for 12 months with no fee
AMEX Express Blue ------------------- $40 Cardoffers ------------ None (0% up to 15 months on purchases)
AMEX IN:NYC Card -------------------- $40 Cardoffers ------------ 0% for 6 months with no fee
AMEX Gold Delta SkyMiles Business --- $75 Cardoffers, 15K Skymiles - None (0% on purchases for 6 months)
AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest ------- $40 Cardoffers, 10K pts --- 2.9% for 6 months
BoA Money Return Visa Platinum ------ $30 Cardoffers ------------ 0% for 6 months with no fee
BoA WorldPoints Plat.---------------- $75 ----------------------- 0% for 12 months with 3% fee
Discover Miles ---------------------- $40 Cardoffers ------------ 0% for 12 months with no fee
PNC Platinum Business Rewards-------- $50 ----------------------- 0% for 12 months with no fee
PNC Bank Platinum Rewards ----------- $50 ----------------------- 0% for 12 months with no fee
Advanta Platinum Rewards Business---- $40 Cardoffers ------------ 0% for 15 months with $50 fee max.
Pulaski Bank Gold Visa -------------- $40 Cardoffers ------------ 0% for 6 months with no fee
First National Rewards Adv. Visa ---- $50 after purchase -------- 0% for 9 months with $75 fee

My comments are:

1. I asked in another thread about the BoA Billpay, which is touted by many as the best option for making the monthly minimum payments. I used TonySpero's link to get to FIA Card Services, but that just registers my Schwab Visa for online access, which I already had. I'm going to sign up for the BoA Money Market Savings & the $125 promo checking account. Is there a specific ex-MBNA card I'm suppose to get that allows me to pay other CCs with it?

2. I plan to hit the 89% utilization mark on my BTs.

3. I'm going to add in some Chase Business cards hopefully. I left off some cards, I'll add them in after I go through them more thoroughly.

4. IIRC, people have said that 2-3, maybe 4, Citi accounts are allowed per AOR. I have 3 existing, I hope they approve my 2 personal and 2 business ones. I want to submit my apps in this order from Citi -> Chase -> Discover -> PNC -> AMEX -> BoA -> Pulaski. I don't know if it matters??

Please chime in, positive or negative, I look forward to hearing experienced FWFers with their knowledge...

Thanks

Wow lots of no fees and cardoffers and other bonuses, good for you. How did you research your potential cards? Remember Business cards dont affect your FICO so thats a good thing. My understanding is that any BofA card will get you the bill pay. Its good to have 2 though, so that you can arrange the closing dates and max out your float. Good luck!

Hey guys, I got most of my info from the recent AORs by Rivler, Hindu, and darkside. They have some cards I omitted because I try to avoid uncapped BT fees. There's a thread also devoted to CC bonuses so check that out as well.

exo, I got in on the 30 day trial of CreditSecure so they won't let me do more than 1 pull right now, but I heard people say CS are FAKO scores. I'm going to get PrivacyGuard again for my tracking (FAKOS too probably?). I'd like to get Equifax too since they give you FICOs I believe...

I just called Discover and the CSR said I can have up to 3 different credit accounts, but they won't let me reallocate my Platinum CL if I opened up a Miles account. Can anyone confirm this? If so, it's verrrry disappointing

EDIT: Just did a quick search and found the CL Reallocation thread, didn't go through it, but the Quick Summary confirms what I mentioned, but someONE did manage to get 'consolidation' done?

I would also recommend going on an account-o-rama if you can. Once everything is said and done for me, I will be pulling in 550-600. I am not sure if it even costs you an inquiry, but its good to do while you are in the mindset.

I think you could get a lot more by doing bank sign-ups with DD requirements, but I decided not to go that route.

Thanks tasha and rivler, I'll look into your suggestions

Hindustani said: Best of luck with your AOR!!

Just curious, why apply for BofA financial rewards for $5 bonus and why not for BofA Money Return and take $30 from cardoffers? Both give 0% for 6 months with no fee. Or why the $5 a typo?

Good point, I must have thought the Money Return had a fee. I'll change that, thanks for dropping by with the info H.S.

MosDeft said: Just finished my crappy A-O-R. Only instantly approved for 3 cards and 2 of my AMEX applications had processing errors so I have no idea if they went through or not

Will update all the info in the OP later today...

The AMEX probably went through. The same thing happened to me; there is a website where you can check your application status. Look in my AOR thread for the link.

MosDeft said: Yup you are correct rivler, after I posted, I went on and checked. My Delta Skymiles Business went through and I noticed my Starwood App never got submitted so I re-did that. The IN:NYC is still in process.

I guess you had to be a real business entity for the PNC Business because they require a TIN, and I don't think putting a SS# would have worked.

I was surprised Citi didn't give me one instant approval, now I gotta fax the salary info Pulaski wants. Did you have to do the same rivler?

Yeah, I had to do that for Pulaski. One warning - they will send you BT checks, but you cannot make it out to yourself - it will get returned. I made it out to BofA, went into a branch and paid off a no-fee BT that I previously took out. A few days later, called in and got another (no-fee) BT for the amount of the pulaski BT.

I put my SSN in for PNC biz with no problems.

Something to consider on the BOA money returns card. On the application, they state that there are no fees, but when I received the card it shows a 3% fee with no cap. I rechecked cardoffers, and it notes that there are no fees only on BTs done on the application. However I chatted with a customer service rep, and he said there SHOULD be no fee during the 0% apr period. He gave me a direct number to call to confirm. I'll call later today and update.

I called a credit analyst at 1.888.807.6262, who looked over my application and confirmed that there is no BT fee. However, the terms also state that the BT MUST be done at the time of application. Maybe this is new, since others have no fee for the entire promotional period. The nice credit analysts offered to put a note on my account stating that they should waive the fee on my BT (out of courtesy) since I was not aware that the BT had to be done at the time of application. When I called the regular customer service dept to get the BT done, they said they will only waive the fee once. Fine with me... Thanks FloorsMat for the tips.

PS. I called the customer service dept twice yesterday to see if they could waive the fee, but both said it was not possible. I guess the note that the credit analyst added help a lot.

FloorsMat said: pakesack said: Something to consider on the BOA money returns card. On the application, they state that there are no fees, but when I received the card it shows a 3% fee with no cap. I rechecked cardoffers, and it notes that there are no fees only on BTs done on the application. However I chatted with a customer service rep, and he said there SHOULD be no fee during the 0% apr period. He gave me a direct number to call to confirm. I'll call later today and update.

See my thread on this:
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=52&threadid=681033

MosDeft, your AOR is pretty much what I wish I would have done had I been more prepared. Good luck.

Thanks Floors, but I never feel prepared, even when I prepare

I had 5 approvals out of 20 applications, well below my expectations I started off with the Chase Sony and immediately got deferred. Chase deferred all of mine. I decided to go with Advanta next I think. Got it approved! Citi deferred all of mine too, even the business accounts. Maybe I'm over their card limit (have 3 already), they'll probably make me close one out? I applied for the PNC Business card around 2PM after Rivler told me the TIN wasn't a big hurdle.

pake, I found the same thing as you did. That Money Return card on its BoA Description page lists NO BT FEES, but when you do the application and look at the Terms their, it says the uncapped 3% fee (BS!!). I'll call that # you mentioned, hopefully I'll get the same because if not, that card is worthless. Thanks BTW...

EDIT: They're closed, darn it. M-F, 8-5

Thanks for the words of encouragement, HS

Thanks also Polar, I saw you put up your AOR too. I called the BoA one because of the BT fee language discrepancy.

Snyder81 said: Hindustani said: Don't worry OP. I got only 4 approvals and 15 deferrals in my AOR earlier this month. Currently I have 16 approvals, 2 denaials and still 1 to hear from.

Ditto in my experience. I did my AOR yesterday and got 4 instant approvals and 13 were deferred. (One instant approval was done on Dec 15th before the Citi 0% for Life deal expired). Hindustani, I almost mirrored your AOR except a few cards. I may post a thread over the Christmas holiday period if I feel like typing it up. Hopefully I get most/all approved soon!

I will look forward to your thread!!

Hello everyone,

For those who did BT on any AMEX card, can you tell me if you did the BT when you applied for the card? In the application, I've noticed that you can specify the accounts to transfer to. However, does AMEX allow BT to a Bank account, by using the debit or ATM card? If not, do you request convenience checks and make it payable to yourself?

I would like to tap my 40k AMEX cards for BT but still unsure on how to do it.

Thanks for any input.

MosDeft said: Updates: Got a call today from Citi approving me for the Professional Card. I told the CSR that she called me on Saturday to approve me for the Citi AMEX, but she seemed shocked I would remember her from another call. Both times, she offered to close one of my lower CLs ($500 Preferred Rewards) and switch it to the new account, but I told her to give me the minimum $1,000. Should I start the reallocation from my $13K Citi Dividend to the Professional Card and get the BT kit since it is not reported as a personal card? Maybe also do the same for my other approved cards? With the holidays and the passing of Gerald Ford, I only received the Delta Skymiles Business card...

I missed a call from Citi this morning (301 area code). I didn't want to call back because I didn't want to explain why I applied for several Citicards in such a short period of time. Did she mention anything about you applying for two cards?

Have you tried reallocation between a personal card and the Professional card yet? I'm not sure if this is possible yet, they kept telling me "soon." I do believe that the Professional Card does report to your creditreport as a personal card though.

W00t, I got a deluge of cards today, some with CLs that surprised me (one went up from the original approval!) and one denial from Pulaski who stated "Length of Employment" as grounds for denial.

AMEX Blue went down to $1,800 from $3,500
Boa Elite went down to $5,000 from $5,500

Updated Quick Summary.

I'm not aware of discover doing a credit reallocation for anybody.

I'd lean towards doing your BT's into an empty citibank card. They've been reliable BT targets for me personaly, and for many others.

I just got a few more cards this week, one of which is the AMEX IN:NYC. I was reading up on the AMEX FR threads and was worried about how much I should take out. After reallocating, my IN:NYC CL is now $38,800. I planned on taking out $34,000 (<89%). With my financial profile and recent history, do you guys think it has a good chance of triggering a FR? Maybe go lower on my initial BT?

Thanks again Mark for replying.

When I do the AMEX & Chase BTs, I will definitely go under the 89% threshhold, maybe in the 60s or so. I did my PNC BT to Citi yesterday, they said 10-14 business days is the normal wait time. I think if I get by the FR, my financials may not support my position. Now if I pull in all my BT funds, then I would temporarily show a huge amount of liquid assets ($100K maybe)...

I just hope Chase sends me notice or a telegram giving me a status update on my 3 apps

Just finished the last phase of my AOR, depositing the last Citi BT check to my account earlier today...

Positive:

- $140K exactly in BT money taken out!

- New total CL over $200K+ now!

- BT fees were minimized thanks to the thread on Chase waiving BT fees within 30 days of account opening (thanks to the OP on that thread!)

Negative:

- AMEX FR and mishandling by me ends up leaving me with all accounts closed

- Took 2.5 months to get all the BT money, would like it to go faster next time

Overall, I think my first BT went well above and beyond my expectations. I never would have expected this much success thus far and hopefully the success continues to my next AOR in 08'