Purpose:
Priority One: Take advantage of 0% BT offers
Priority Two: Bonus rewards and incentives Existing Accounts:
Bank of America Visa - Opened 2001 - $33,000 Limit - ~$8,700 Balance - 26% Utilization <-After approving the new Visa Platinum Rewards for $26,000, BofA reduced this one down to $10,000
Wells Fargo Visa Signature - Opened 1997 - $19,000 Limit - $0 Balance - 0% Utilization
BoA MBNA Visa - Opened 1997 - $1,600 limit - $0 Balance - 0% Utiliztion
E-Trade HELOC - Opened 2005 (for home improvements) - $28,400 Limit - ~$28,000 Balance - 99% Utilitiztion Personal Info:
Age: 33
Household income: $100,000
House Payment: $800
Last Fico (12/06): 792 Plan:
The HELOC was opened late 2005 to make significant improvements to my rental house. (Added a garage, driveway, etc.) HELOC is currently at 8.25% interest (floats with prime), but all of this interest is tax-deductible. With the current rent I'm getting for the house, I'm on a schedule to have it paid off in 10 years (assuming interest rates don't skyrocket). I wouldn't mind taking advantage of BT deals to accelerate that schedule a bit, though. I intend to use my BTs to first pay down my HELOC. After HELOC balance is zero, then I'll continue to BT into HELOC and request refund check. Cards to Apply For:
Edit: Cards are grouped by issuer and listed in application order. The assumption is that the cards applied for first will be approved before the later cards. Advanta:
Advanta Platinum Business Card with Rewards -- 0% for 15 months -- 3% max. $50 -- Cardoffers: $50 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/19) for $12,500
Advanta Life of Balance Platinum -- 2.99% for life of BT (if done within 3 months of opening) -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $50 -- LINK
<<<Perhaps someone would care to comment on a 2.99% for life? Is this a good idea?>>>
Application Status: Applied - but a screen came up saying that I already had an Advanta card (see above application)
American Express:
American Express Blue -- 0% for 15 months (purch. only) -- No BT Offer -- Cardoffers: $75 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved for $5,900
IN:CHICAGO Card from American Express -- 0% for 6 months -- No BT Fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $40 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- "System not responding" (Will send notice within 14 days) -- DENIED (Credit Acquisition Risk Too High)
Bank of America:
Financial Rewards Platinum Plus -- 0% for 6 months -- No BT fees -- Cardoffers: NONE --
Application Status: Applied -- Approved for $26,000
BofA American Express -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% BT fee, no max. (??) -- Cardoffers: NONE --
Application Status: Applied -- Pending Chase:
Chase Platinum Visa -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% max. $75 -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/18) for $11,000 -- BT'd $9,600 into Etrade (see BT notes below)
Chase Business Cash Rewards -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% max. $75 -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/29) for $10,000 -- BT check for $8,900 into personal checking account
Sony Visa Card (Chase) -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% max. $75 -- Cardoffers: NONE (BUT $100 GC after first purchase) -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/18) for $11,000 -- BT'd $9,600 into Etrade (see BT notes below) Citibank Business:
CitiBusiness Premier Pass -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $10 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Under Review (response within 30 days)
CitiBusiness with TY Network Card -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $10 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/22) for $7,500.00
CitiBusiness Card -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $10 -- LINK
Application Status: Not Applied -- It looks like this page is the sane as the CitiBusiness with TY Network Citibank Personal:
Citi Diamond Preferred (discussed HERE) -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
<<<This offer has a 10,000 point bonus after first purchase (redeemable for $100). Enter code F1A6>>>
Application Status: Applied -- Approved for $7,300.00 -- CSR Called and switched me over to Citi Professional -- Approved for $10,300
AT&T (Citibank) Universal Rewards Card -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $30 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Under Review (response within 30 days) -- Denied
Citibank Premier Pass -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $33 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Under Review (response within 30 days) -- Denied (1/23) too many applications
Citi Home Rebate Platinum Select -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $30 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/22) for $7,500.00 Discover:
Discover Gas Card -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $40 -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/19) for $12,000 -- BT'd $9,600 into Etrade (see BT notes below)
Discover® Platinum American Flag Card - 0% for 12 months -- No BT fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: $40 -- LINK
Application Status: Denied -- Said I'd already applied for a Discover (Gas Card above...) HSBC:
GM Flexible Earnings (HSBC) -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% max. $75 -- Cardoffers: $35 -- LINK
Application Status: Did not apply due to forum comments
HSBC Platinum Mastercard -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% max. $99 - Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved for $2,500.00 Other Issuers:
First National Bank of Omaha Platinum Edition Visa Card -- 0% for 15 months -- 3% max. $75 -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Denied (too many inquiries, etc.)
Kroger 1-2-3 Rewards -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% max. $60 -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Under review (response within 7-10 days) -- Denied (Unable to verify credit references as provided)
PNC Select Rewards Visa Platinum Card -- 0% for 12 months -- No BT Fee (with offer) -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/20) for $10,000
Midwest Airlines (Juniper) Platinum MasterCard -- 0% for 6 months -- 3% max. $50 -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Approved (1/23) for $34,000(!!) -- BT'd $25,000 into Etrade
GE Money Low APR Card -- 0% for 12 months -- 3% max. $75 -- Cardoffers: NONE -- LINK
Application Status: Applied -- Under review -- DENIED (Too many inquiries)
Wells Fargo Visa -- 0% for 6 months -- no BT fee -- Cardoffers: NONE --
Application Status: Applied -- Under review -- Denied (I expected this...) Breakdown of Cards Issued (by Issuer):
Advanta: 1 (of 1)
American Express: 1 (of 2)
Bank of America: 1 (of 2)
Chase (Personal): 2 (of 2)
Chase (Business): 1 (of 1)
Citibank (Personal): 2 (of 4)
Citibank (Business): 1 (of 2)
Discover: 1 (of 1)
HSBC: 1 (of 1)
First National Bank of Omaha: 0 (of 1)
Kroger: 0 (of 1)
PNC: 1 (of 1)
Juniper: 1 (of 1)
GE: 0 (of 1)
Wells Fargo: 0 (of 1)
-------------------------------
Total New Cards Issued: 13 (of 22) New Credit Issued (to date):
$137,200 (BofA reduced the CL on my existing Visa from $33,000 to $10,000 after appoving a new Visa) Balance Transfer Notes:
Chase Visa AND Chase Sony Visa: Website application said my application would be reviewed. I recieved a phone call verifying my apps for security purposes. Two days later I recieved a phone call from the BT department to confirm balance transfers. They told me BOTH cards were approved for $11,000 each. I asked to BT direct into my E-Trade HELOC and the CSR said that they could not do that. I gave them my account information (Acct. #, Linked Visa card #, and payment mailing address) for my linked brokerage account and they are sending checks (two checks for $9,600 each) to that account instead. When those post, I'll just transfer from Brokerage to HELOC over the E-Trade website. CSR said processing will take 14-21 days.
Discover Gas Card: Website application said my application would be reviewed. Got a call a week later on 1/19 to verify account info and confirm balance transer. Approved for $12,000. Asked for $9,500 to be transferred to my HELOC. Total Rewards:
Cardoffers: $220
ThankYou Points: 25,000
Sony GC: $100 AOR Date:
Friday, January 12, 2007
(Applied for Wells Fargo Visa on Wednesday, January 17) Credit Score History:
TU = TransUnion
EX = Experian
EQ = Equifax
First number is credit score
Credit report is through True Credit, using the $11.21/mo through WalMart link HERE
12/01/06 -- TU: ??? -- EX: 792 -- EQ: ???
01/25/07 -- TU: 764 -- EX: 739 -- EQ: 726
01/29/07 -- TU: 762 -- EX: 739 -- EQ: 714 -- Still going down...
02/05/07 -- TU: 718 -- EX: 704 -- EQ: 700 -- Going down into the toilet!...
02/09/07 -- TU: 743 -- EX: 704 -- EQ: 697 -- Don't know why TU would be bumping back up...
02/22/07 -- TU: 715 -- EX: 679 -- EQ: 692 -- Ouch!
03/01/07 -- TU: 685 -- EX: 668 -- EQ: 684
06/01/07 -- TU: 695 -- EX: 701 -- EQ: 699
07/23/07 -- TU: 716 -- EX: 702 -- EQ: 693
08/01/07 -- TU: 741 -- EX: 706 -- EQ: 699 -- Coming back up pretty good...
08/23/07 -- TU: 734 -- EX: 706 -- EQ: 703
09/19/07 -- TU: 732 -- EX: 722 -- EQ: 695 -- Just finally took advantage of Citicards BTs, so I anticipate further declines. Balance Transfer Synopsis:
After AOR: Had almost all CCS send BT checks to my E-Trade HELOC, then I just transfered funds from my HELOC into my E-Trade brokerage sweep account. Then I linked the sweep account to various external savings and checking accounts and moved everything over to my Emigrant Savings. This worked without a hitch, just gave the CCS the HELOC account number and mailing address.
01/31/07: Opened and HSBC Internet Savings account (6.00% APR until 04/30/07) and started the funding process
02/22/07: Finally getting everything set up to run automatically. My current balance in the HSBC savings is ~$65,000. MY HELOC ($28,000) is now paid down to zero. All of my CCs that charge interest are paid off.
09/17/07: After my 6 month deals ran out in June/July and I paid them down, I finally took advantage of my Citicard BT offers. | 
