I pulled the trigger on 1/15 AM. Took about 1 hour and I was really going for a bit of everything...bonuses, points and 0% offers but I was leaning towards miles. Sorry about the formatting, did the best I could.

Here was my status before the AOR:

Card
Personal Cards------------Limit----------Year Open
AMEX Blue-----------------22500----------2004
Citi Diamond Rewards (DR)--2000----------2005
Citi Platinum Select-------8400----------2005
Citi Diamond Rewards------19300----------2003
Providian (FAKO card)------7000----------2005
Schwab MBNA---------------15000----------2005
Discover------------------10600----------2002
BOA Plat Visa-------------10000----------2006

Total CL before AOR-----121,300
Total Balance---------------230

Also have 5-6 department store cards or lines of credit (1-2k) open from 1993-1996. I closed older CC lines years ago before I knew any better.

Business Cards
AMEX Plat business--------26500 (reduced to 500 by AMEX to give limit to other cards in AOR)

Increased CL on AMEX and BOA a month or so before AOR

FAKOs before AOR
EX/EQ/TU 781/780/781
1 inquiry within past 6 months
HHI 175k

Cards Applied for--------Limit-----Cardoffers------Miles-----Other------0% terms
Personal
CitiAA-------------------------14100--------40-----------15000
Discover Wildlife (0%)---10000--------40-------------------------------12 months standard
AMEX Starwood------------19300--------40-----------10000
Chase United--------------11000---------------------25000

Citi Diamond Rewards (0% for life) DENIED

GM HSBC flex (0%)-----------600--------30-------------------------------12 months standard
Chase Freedom (0%)--------6500-----------------------------------------12 months standard
Juniper Iceland Air (0%)----22000---------------------10000 (+5k w/BT)-----6 months standard

First National Bank Omaha----------DENIED

BOA US Airways-----------15000--------40-----------25000
Penfed Cash---------------25000

Business
Advanta (0%)------------------12500--------50-------------------------------15 months standard
CitiAA Bus----------------------15000--------10-----------20000
AMEX Bus Starwood---------46000--------75-----------10000
Chase Business United----15000---------------------25000
CitiBus PremierPass (0%)-13500--------------------------------15k TY points---12 months (no fee!)
AMEX Bus Delta--------------34000--------75-----------10000

Totals from AOR
Cards Applied for-------New Credit---Cardoffers----Miles------Other----0% offers
17 (2 declined)---------259,900-------400----------165,000----15k TY---6 Cards

Overall Total
Cards-------------------Credit Line (including business)
25----------------------355,200

FAKOs after AOR
EX/EQ/TU 771/770/771
TU is back up to 780 today however, maybe due to B
15 new credit inquiries and citi hit BOTH EQ and TU for one app

Notes
Cards denied-----------------------------------Reason
Citi Diamond Preferred (0% for life)-----------Too many open lines and too high debt to credit ratio???
FNB Omaha--------------------------------------Too many inquiries (kind of expected that I guess)

First two rejection ever for credit cards

The HSBC GM flex car gave a WHOPPING limit of $600, should have listened to others in this forum. I was informed my point earnings are UNCAPPED though, big deal.

Of course I was denied for my most wanted card, the 0% for life. Don't understand why my debt to credit ratio was too high but then I looked at my credit report more closly. Under EQ my student loans were listed open with both the US Dept of Ed and my consolidation company. Total balance on the credit summary is correct, but they are listed as open under both sources in the accounts section. Not sure if this matters, but I am writing to EQ to have that changed. Maybe I should hire Codename to sue for me?

The two starwoods cards are nice because with 20k points I can now get 25k miles on carriers like AA.

20k points for the Chase United cards and 5k extra after one year. Have to pay the annual fee then to get extra 5k though.

BOA USairways charged $90 for the card...thought it was free the first year but was wrong. Still a ticket for $90 isn't bad I guess.

Have received credit for $320 worth of my card offers bonuses so far, which I am surprised about.

My older MBNA gives 0% for 6 months regularly, not great, but worth it with a higher CL
When consolidating to my Citi Diamond I checked BT offers, best was 1.9% for 12 months or 0% through August.

Consolidated credit lines to these cards

Card------------------Old Line-------------------------New Line
MBNA------------------15k------------------------------30k
Citi Diamond----------19.3k----------------------------30k (will move ~10k from citiAA)
Chase Freedom---------6.5K CL increase to 15k----------25k
Citi Bus PP-----------13.5k----------------------------27.5k

Other lines to use for BTs

Juniper------------------------------------------------22k
Advanta------------------------------------------------12.5k
Discover-----------------------------------------------10k

Plan

Going to stay around 50% individual utilization on cards but am still worried about the amount of CL I now have with AMEX. Don't want the dredded FR even though I can back everything up. I don't plan any BTs with them however. ~70k is going into a 5% account but I may try to get some additional miles by opening an account with Ameritrade for 20k more starwoods points. Only 25k deposit needed. Overall I plan on pulling out 70-80k for about 11 months. Expect a return of ~3k, plus or minus a few hundred. I'm too lazy to run the numbers.

Want to use some of the miles for a first class trip to europe for a friends wedding. Haven't flown anything but coach, ever. Plan to visit flyertalk to make the best of the miles.

Thoughts
Always apply for the card you want the most FIRST. I am not sure what to do about the 0% for life citi card I was denied on...really wanted that card

Also, do screen captures or pdfs of the apps as you apply for them. Chase tried to screw me on BOTH the United cards with only 11k miles. Chase does give you 1000 points for credit protector (30 day trial) and 500 for going paperless. That's an extra 3000 miles between the two cards. Just have to remember to cancel the credit protector crap. I won't carry a balance on either of these cards though and you only get charged with a balance. I'm hoping they will offer more miles when I call to cancel in 20 days or so.

Summary
~260k in new credit lines, $550 in bonuses, 165k in miles, 70-80k in BT money, 3k in interest (eventually), and possibly and extra 20k starwoods points (but lower accumulated interest).

Took longer to write this than to do the actual AOR

Wish I didn't have to add in all those damn dashes to make the formatting look okay and it still sucks anyway.

a) Iceland Air??

b) I believe Juniper also offers a US Airways card. While the damange from new accounts is already done, you might still be able to pick it up.

c) FNB Omaha seems to do a lot of too many inquiries rejections. It may not be well-suited towards an AOR (or at least the end of an AOR).

d) Opening brokerage accounts for bonuses is a GREAT method of using AOR money. Don't forget that Fidelity can get you 35,000 AA or UA miles, plus $100, if you can deposit $50,000. Plus, you get a really handy place to invest the 0% money. (I opened both Fidelity and Ameritrade in mine, but I prefer Fidelity as a brokerage). Bear in mind that Ameritrade may want you to keep your money with them for 9 months (they have for other promos, anyway).

e) It doesn't look like you're going to do BTs from AMEX, so I wouldn't worry too much about a FR. Even if they do do one, then all they're going to do is reduce CL's that you're not really using.

Anyway, nice job so far on the AOR. I hope there's a Starwood property near your friend's wedding. And I hope it's in Reykjavik

AMEX was quite generous with the Biz cards! Although it looks like there weren't 0% offers on those that had the 2 highest limits. Did you have a corp, or sole proprietor? Ein # used? Too bad citi denied the 0% for life. Maybe you can get it on reconsideration, the reason given seemed bogus!

grendhal said:thanks for the tips on fidelity and juniper, i'll check them out.

and, my flight for the wedding will take me through Reykjavik, so i was thinking about spending a weekend there too there goes my bonus money and future interest gains though...Iceland Air often has some of the least expensive flights to Europe. Stopping over in Iceland could add a very unique experience. (I end up flying over the top of it on almost every flight to Europe.)

My honeymoon was in Europe and I considered booking through Reykjavik, but ultimately decided to spend more time at our destination. Anyway, I don't think it's a strange route...!

grendhal said:

Citi Diamond Rewards (0% for life) DENIED



Does anybody have a link for this?

Thanks

02/11/07 Creditsecure FAKO Update

All accounts open, scores went from

Before AOR--------EX/EQ/TU 781/780/781
After AOR-----------EX/EQ/TU 771/770/771
After Accts open--EX/EQ/TU 749/749/749

Name: fatwallet2099
FICO and/or FAKO : 786
Applied # ?? maybe 40 plus
Approved # 25
Approved %
TimeFrame: 10/1/06 till 3/10/07
HouseHold Income: 170000
Reported Utilization Before: less than 10
Total CreditLimit Before: 40,000
New CreditLimit from AOR:250,000
Total Credit limit after AOR:290,000
Bonuses from AOR: $5500.00 $1400 of it outright credits
FICO and/or FAKO scored decreased: FICO 668
Expected Income from money invested from AOR 3,500