I finally am pulling the trigger, and thought I would post my plans for feedback from all you experts. Thanks to Tech who has helped me refine this a bit so far, and sithlordabe who had a few good travel cards I was missing and for the post format which I stole from his.
-- Personal Info -- Age: 30 Oldest revolving account: 5.5 years Experian FICO Score: 767
-- Current Personal Cards -- AMEX Blue - 24k Citi - 9k BofA Choice Hotels - 13k Ultimate Electronics - 6k Macy's - 1500
-- Purpose for app-o-rama? -- Primary: Travel bonuses including miles and point Secondary: consolidate and get several higher limit cards when all is said and done Tertiary: Obtain a few 0% cards to dump into my Emigrant account for a while
-- Cards to Apply For -- Air: Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa Signature Chase 8+8 points Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa Business Chase Business 8+8 points Citi Platinum Select / AAdvantage World MasterCard Citi 20k miles CitiBusiness / AAdvantage MasterCard Citi Business 20k miles US Airways Dividend Miles World Mastercard Juniper 15k+10k miles US Airways Visa Signature BofA 25k miles Alaska Airlines Visa Signature BofA 20k miles + companion Midwest Airlines World MasterCard Juniper 20k+10k miles United Mileage Plus Platinum Business Card Chase Business 25k miles United Mileage Plus Visa Signature Chase 25k miles
Hotels: Starwood Preferred Guest AMEX 10k miles Starwood Preferred Guest Business AMEX Business 10k miles Priority Club Rewards Visa Signature Chase 30k points Priority Club Rewards Visa Business Chase Business 15k points Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Chase 15k points + night Marriott Rewards Business Card Chase Business 15k points + night Hilton Hhonors Platinum AMEX 15k points Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Citi 15k points + Silver VIP
Misc (BT): Advanta Platinum Business Card with Rewards Adventa Business Advanta Life of Balance Platinum Card Adventa Business CitiBusiness PremierPass Card Citi Business 15k points CitiBusiness w/TYN Citi Business 15k points FIA Elite rewards BofA 500 points Miles Card from Discover® Card Morgan Stanley 0+12k points Diamond reward AMEX Citi 10k points
-- $$$ and Points from App-o-rama (including max BTs on some cards) -- CardOffers.com Cash = $305 Southwest: 32 points AA: 40k USAir: 50k Alaska: 20k Midwest: 30k United: 50k Starwood: 20k Priority Club: 30k Marriott: 30k Hilton: 30k
-- Breakdown by company if all are approved --
Chase - 4 Chase Business - 4 Citi - 4 Citi Business - 3 Juniper - 2 BofA - 4 Adventa Business - 2 Morgan Stanley - 1 AMEX - 3 AMEX Business - 1
-- Questions -- This is my first AOR, so I am interested in feedback.
- Am I being too aggressive? (25 new cards applications) - Are there and I am very likely to be shot down on? - Did I miss any better offers on the listed cards, or better options for cards? - I plan to BT as much as I can to my current Citi and transferring it out to Emigrant. With only a 9k limit, is there any formula for how much I can BT to that card before they get unhappy about the positive balance?
I will likely wait until next Tuesday based on a discussion with Tech and wanting to get feedback from you all.
-- Other -- Thanks in advance for any advice, and to everyone who has posted their info in FWF. I have been reading as many as I can, and I think I have a pretty good grasp of this now.
As I move into the BT phase, I found Hindustani's detailed write-up to be very helpful. link
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****************** 2pm MST update: ****************** 28 applied for 6 instant approved 1 instant denied (too many inquiries) 1 confirmed denied over the phone
Experian dropped from 767 on 1/10 to 713 so far! not sure the other two, but they are currently 784 and 752. Inquiries for today so far are: tu: 2 ex: 11
****************** 1/22 update: ******************* 28 applied for 6 instant approved 1 instant denied (too many inquiries) 1 confirmed denied over the phone 2 confirmed approved over the phone Total new CL so far: 80k
50k USAir miles 45k Priority club points 10k SPG points 20k AA Miles 15k Hilton points
Experian dropped from 767 on 1/10 to 698 so far! That is a drop of 70!
****************** 1/24 update: ****************** 784 698 748 (slight drop on TU)
Total applied for: 28 Approved: 18 Denied: 7 (going to call AMEX to re-try one) Confirmed CL so far: 225k (one AMEX started at 4.5k, but I immediately requested and got 10k, requests pending for several more)
New miles: Alaska: 20k + companion pass BofA: iPod Nano + $50 Citi TY points: 30k (maybe 40k) Discover miles: 12k
Total applied for: 28 Approved: 19 Denied: 7 Confirmed CL so far: 260k
New miles: SWA: 16 points
I also applied for one more AMEX just because I didn't have a good AMEX BT card. I don't expect it, but since I only have 1 AMEX business it may go through.
Message edited by: edlin303 on 2007-02-06 11:01:12 CST
You can only get 2 Citi personal cards in 60 days. 1 advanta, 1 juniper. Not sure how business breaks down, but I probably similar. Too many cards from same issuers, I don't know the limits for AMEX, chase, or BoA but I expect you'll find out.
More reading required if you haven't seen the 2 limit on citi cards in 60 days.
according to The FWF Card issuer faq Advanta limits you to 1 card. I don't know if it is correct, but something to consider. Firstnational did 54 apps in his AOR, and I am planning 75+ and my friend maybe 100-200 apps. You could add some more banks, or CUs. You only have 3 accounts so far, so your score may take a big hit with all the new accts lowering average age.
Thanks guys. I have seen the limits you mention, but also heard conflicting reports, especially when dealing with co-branded cards. It seems my worst risk is having some declined, right? I am definitely applying in the order of importance JIC.
As for the hit, I don't plan to need the credit anytime soon, so I don't mind the ding on my score for a while.
I've also added a few more cards I somehow missed in the initial post. They will help my average time a little bit.
BTing tons to any one card could raise a red flag. That was my biggest concern during the big AORs. I would spread mine out. If the BT to Debit card works with certain bank accounts, that sounds like the way to go. I would like to hear more people confirming, that say, Citi or XXX bank or CU debit cards work, before I take a hard pull to open a Citi checking acct. Citi is also SLOW with sending the refund checks, so look to lose almost 1mo in interest. BofA ACHd to my Checking within 2 days, but before the MBNA merger. There are other threads on this very topic. Debit card BTing Getting 0% money out of cards that won't BT to checking
I like it. You'll probably start getting a lot of rejections near the end based solely on the number of applications, so make sure you have the cards triaged by desirability.
And, as has already been mentioned, you're probably over your Citi allotment. No point in not trying, but don't expect success.
If you want some cushy lounge access while doing all the new flying, you could consider a card that gets you some airport lounge access, like the AMEX Platinum (pretty hefty fee) or the Merrill+ card (if you do a lot of spending).
Also, how about opending some financial service accounts for more miles? The biggest recommendation would be the Fidelity double dip $100 and a bunch of either AA or UA miles offer. You can also get miles (or cash) with a new Citibank account, and I think Ameritrade.
I have applied same strategy as you until my cards age enough to do a 0% BT AOR. I think all your Chase cards carry an annual fee. I made sure to start out with a no fee card from each issuer so I can consolidate and keep the CL and age in my credit report.
Edlin, I recently applied for 17 cards and I got 15. The only reason I didn't get the lsat two was due to Discover's 1 card every 30 days limit and Chase said my one of my apps for the Rewards Plus was a duplicate to the Chase Cash Rewards card. Had I applied for 2 different cards, I suspect I'd have been 17 for 17. Don't be afraid to go for 25 - I wish I had done a couple more.
markkundinger: Thanks for the tip on other accounts. I was waiting until after my AOR to open a citi bank account for the AA bonus. Didn't know about Fidelity, so I'll look into that.
Andjen: good point. I'll see if I can get another chase card higher up the list that I can consolidate onto.
With all of this feedback (and because some of my cards may not go through from the big guys, I may look for a few more 0% cards to round out my list. I would like at least a few cards to try out the 0% thing this time around. Maybe I'll try some smaller banks or credit unions.
andhravala said:I am also looking to apply for southwest airlines cards. It will be great if you can update the thread with the links when you are ready to apply.
i will post my final spreadsheet when I am ready to go, but this should be all the current links I plan to use. I hope the formatting comes out ok.
For the southwest, I see both card offers when I log in to my account on southwest.com btw.
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa Signature Chase 8+8 points http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=southwest_airlines&page=cont&mkid=6NV5 Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa Business Chase Business 8+8 points http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=southwest_airlines_bizcard&page=cont&mkid=6GQT Citi Platinum Select / AAdvantage World MasterCard Citi 20k miles http://citi.bridgetrack.com/USC/06/multi/AA/plat/20_5kBM/1_8fn/default.htm?promoCode=fly&app=UNSOL&sc=4XN2B8H6&m=7TAPZJPW8NW&langId=EN&siteId=CB&B=A&BTData=C02117F726861775D564F46BBBEB2A6AD98958490FBFFF2E5EAC5C2DE67799D6&BT_TRF=394693&ProspectID=1672732C8 CitiBusiness / AAdvantage MasterCard Citi Business 20k miles http://citi.bridgetrack.com/USC/06/multi/AA/plat/20_5kBM/1_8fn/default.htm?promoCode=fly&app=UNSOL&sc=4XN2B8H6&m=7TAPZJPW8NW&langId=EN&siteId=CB&B=A&BTData=C02117F726861775D564F46BBBEB2A6AD98958490FBFFF2E5EAC5C2DE67799D6&BT_TRF=394693&ProspectID=1672732C8 US Airways Dividend Miles World Mastercard Juniper 15k+10k miles http://www.mostmiles.com/app/japply/lp/domains/mostmiles_aep.jsp?source=hpbug US Airways Visa Signature BofA 25k miles http://cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=1102 Alaska Airlines Visa Signature BofA 20k miles + companion http://www.bankofamerica.com/alaska_airlines_site/index.cfm?template=cc_alaskaair_sig Midwest Airlines World MasterCard Juniper 20k+10k miles https://www.juniper.com/app/japply/lp/15780.jsp?campaignid=0000554&obcreative=0000000&obadloc=013&obchannel=019&ibchannel=03&partnerid=011 United Mileage Plus Platinum Business Card Chase Business 25k miles http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=united_bizcard_25k_afw&page=cont&mkid=6VMT United Mileage Plus Visa Signature Chase 25k miles http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=united_signature_25k_afw&page=cont&mkid=6VMT
Starwood Preferred Guest AMEX 10k miles http://cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=93 Starwood Preferred Guest Business AMEX Business 10k miles http://cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=1394 Priority Club Rewards Visa Signature Chase 30k points http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=priority_club_ic_30 Priority Club Rewards Visa Business Chase Business 15k points http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?mkid=6FJZ&MSC=Z0030193&partner_dir_name=priority_club_bizcard_ic&page=cont Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Chase 15k points + night http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=Marriott_premier_ic&page=cont&mkid=619C&MSC=Z0048897 Marriott Rewards Business Card Chase Business 15k points + night http://www.chase.com/ccp/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/card_acquisitions/unsolicited/page/PFSCreditCardDetails&sourcecode=7NZ4 Hilton Hhonors Platinum AMEX 15k points https://www201.AmericanExpress.com/cards/Applyfservlet?csi=4/12939/b/58/0620100015/062002414115/0/n&PID=1&EAID=EzI%2Ap8oPimU-CIoV42BY5fiQFAiGJX66Tw&CRTV=CCGHHP00001506&PSKU=HHP&afflSID=EzI%2Ap8oPimU Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Citi 15k points + Silver VIP http://hhonorscard.com/us/cards/cardserv/hhilton/home.jsp
Advanta Platinum Business Card with Rewards Adventa Business http://cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=349 Advanta Life of Balance Platinum Card Adventa Business http://cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=1144 CitiBusiness PremierPass Card Citi Business 15k points http://www.cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=1046 CitiBusiness w/TYN Citi Business 15k points http://citi.bridgetrack.com/usc/06/citibus/thankyou/popup/15kbp/default.htm?BT_TX=1&ProspectID=51D9DE23394F4693AB97E887E379CBF1 FIA Elite rewards BofA 500 points http://cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=1075 Miles Card from Discover® Card Morgan Stanley 0+12k points http://cardoffers.com/introCreditCards/directory/cards/details/card.asp?id=951 Diamond reward AMEX Citi 10k points http://www.signup.citicards.com F1N9
Its a great idea but my experience with the airline cards is that nearly all of them have annual fees that my be burdensome after the first year (but then again I am a neophyte here)
BobbyRobert said:Its a great idea but my experience with the airline cards is that nearly all of them have annual fees that my be burdensome after the first year (but then again I am a neophyte here)
True. I didn't clarify, but I intend to close almost all of these once I get the awards and move the CL to non-fee cards. I am trying to gain points to help reduce honeymoon costs.
NOT TRUE about limit of 2 accounts in 60 days. I wish all you people would stop saying that like it is gospel. I di my November AOR and applied for 30 and got 29 approved. Of the 29 approved were all SEVEN Citi cards I applied for. Two were business cards. The rest were personal. Ended up with $100k combined cl's just from Citi.
dbalkunjr said:NOT TRUE about limit of 2 accounts in 60 days. I wish all you people would stop saying that like it is gospel. I di my November AOR and applied for 30 and got 29 approved. Of the 29 approved were all SEVEN Citi cards I applied for. Two were business cards. The rest were personal. Ended up with $100k combined cl's just from Citi.
Thanks for the update. I added more than 2 because I had heard some people get more than 2 through, but I put them in order JIC some don't go through. Were any of the 5 personal cards Co-branded? The FAQ implies that they may not be held to the same limits.
You are correct. They were as follows: AT&T Universal Professional Home Rebate Citgo Rewards MC Premier Pass Elite
Business: Bus. Prem. Pass Elite Citi Business Platinum w/ TY points
I definitely think prioritizing them is the best way to apply for them. Be mindful that I was not instanly approved for any of the Citi Cards. Actually I only had instant approval on 7 out of the 30 Cards I applied for. In the end I ended up with 29 out of 30 applied for. It was funny the last card I received was the Chase Cash Plus Rewards. That was the only card I called in to apply for all others were online.
Bumping my thread. I think I will be doing this Thursday morning, so I will post updates as it goes along. Tonight I am looking for a few more banks with 0% offers since I have quite a few already with the big banks.
edlin303 said:Bumping my thread. I think I will be doing this Thursday morning, so I will post updates as it goes along. Tonight I am looking for a few more banks with 0% offers since I have quite a few already with the big banks.
Juniper/Barclays have some 0% for 12mo offers. I have seen 2 approvals for Juniper before. FNB of Omaha has 0% for 15mos. Citi 0% for life offer
There are alot of Elan 0% offers. I don't know how many you can get in an AOR.. There are more too, check out my thread, there is a link in the AoR Faq.
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