markkundinger said:So, is the only adverse action you've had from Chase and Discover so far?

Also, I didn't catch it in time, but if your due date on the AMX IN card was in early february, you probably could have shifted the statement cycle to late February, and still gotten 0% on everything.

And I wouldn't worry about the increase in utilization on your business card. It doesn't report, after all.

Oh, and I looked a the totals of your AOR again. Good job. We both reported about the same HHI, but you had fewer preexisting existing cards than I did. But you still got almost the same amount of 0% money squeezed out of the banks, which can be hard without a large "bed" of starting credit. Nice.Yes. No other adverse action - yet.

A heartfelt thanks to you, markkundinger; for both the compliment and the initial inspiration. Many thanks to all contributors to this forum as well.

I am feeling a bit jaded lately (ok a lot). Chasing between 3-3.5% for the next few months doesn't have the appeal 5-9.36% had. While most of the payments are easily managed and 2.25% after tax return is better than 0%, I feel it's time for this rookie to retire for a while. I'm calling the game due to inclement weather - too many clouds. Apart from a few miscellaneous credit score updates and soft CLI requests, this A0R ends immediately following a SECU CD withdrawal on May 1, 2008.

Thanks again.

Adieu.

jack

Green for the content of your message. You have me pegged, mark. Although my jaded comment is entirely true, I admit I am entertaining the idea of refinancing my home (30 yr 5.25% to 10-15 yr 4.5%)....(need scores higher). Perhaps I'll sleep on it for the next 45 days....

Today's 10 year fixed rate did drop... TREMENDOUSLY.

Some have seen this information in other posts. Others may not have...

Basically, I'm trying to increase my "bed of credit" now with a combination of softs and bumpable hards while I carry $18k on my BOA card in the hopes that they will bump me higher to net a BT... Make sense?

CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI CLI

Here are my CLIAOR results:

• BOA

03/05/2008 – (soft EX) ONLINE CLI request to $30,000 from $20,000.
Congratulations! Your credit line increase request has been approved. Your new credit line of $24,100.00 is now available for purchases, cash, access checks, and balance transfers.
04/03/2008 – (soft EQ) AR-FIA CSNA
05/29/2008 – (soft EX) ONLINE CLI request to $30,000 from $24,100. (letter response = [denied]...you currently have sufficient available credit with us considering your income)

• Citi

For fun I requested increases to 5 of my 6 Citibank credit cards (all five are zero balance). I have one CitiBusiness Card which is 91% utilized with a $28,000 credit line. I requested increases back April 25, 2008 based on this link and requested increases again May 29, 2008.

My one 12 year personal account immediately told me to contact customer service.

The three 10-month personal accounts each had me fill out a form asking for the usual income and banking information.

My one 10-month business account provided a form but did NOT ask for banking information:Citi® MasterCard® Div Plat Sel age=12yr 6mo Line =3000
Please contact Customer Service at 1-800-950-5114 to check on the status of your request.
Citi ProfessionalSM Card age= 0yr 10mo Line=23500
By submitting this form you authorize Citibank (South Dakota) to check your credit history.
We received your Credit Line Increase request and have forwarded it to our Credit Department for review.
(letter response = We regret ... You already have the highest credit line that ou policy allows based on the income you reported to us)
Citi® Upromise® Platinum Select® age= 0yr 10mo Line=11000
By submitting this form you authorize Citibank (South Dakota) to check your credit history.
We received your Credit Line Increase request and have forwarded it to our Credit Department for review.
AT&T Universal Platinum Card age= 0yr 10mo Line =1000
By submitting this form you authorize the issuer of the AT&T Universal Card to check your credit history.
We received your Credit Line Increase request and have forwarded it to our Credit Department for review.
(letter response = We regret ... You already have the highest credit line that ou policy allows based on the income you reported to us)
CitiBusiness PremierPassSM Card age= 0yr 10mo Line =2000
This form is to request purchase line increase only. If you are requesting an increase in the cash advance
limit, a credit line decrease, or an emergency increase, then you should contact Customer Service at 1-866-
606-3382

Inquiries appear as follows:
05/29/2008 – (EQ) PROCD/CBSD 05/29/2008 Equifax
05/29/2008 – (EQ) CITI 05/29/2008 Equifax
05/29/2008 – (EQ) UNVL/CITI 05/29/2008 Equifax
05/29/2008 – (EQ) CITIUSA 05/29/2008 Equifax

• Wells Fargo

04/21/2008 – ACCOUNT REVIEW INQUIRY ON EXPERIAN BUREAU
05/20/2008 – ACCOUNT REVIEW INQUIRY ON EXPERIAN BUREAU
05/27/2008 Called in and requested CLI to $21,000. Rep advised the initial review would be internal and that no hard inquiry is needed. Upon discovering I did not qualify for the requested amount, rep told me “Unfortunately additional review by a credit analyst is needed” at which time I declined the transfer offer to credit ninja.
05/28/2008 Called in the very next day and requested CLI to $20,000. Rep said she had no immediate answer for me but that a letter would be mailed within 7-10 business days explaining results of this request.(letter response=[denied]...INSUFFICIENT CREDIT BUREAU INFORMATION; number of months you have carried a balance on your credit card account; amount of recent purchases on your credit card account; amount of your payments as a percentage of the balance on your account.

• HSBC GM Flex Earnings card (remember? the $600 credit line?)

05/09/2008 - AR-HOUSEHOLD BANK
05/29/2008 – submitted online CLI request (letter response = [denied]...INSUFFICIENT LENGTH OF ACCOUNT HISTORY

• Juniper/Barclays

Since forever, they have been pulling monthly AR at TransUnion (BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE)
05/28/2008 - cli request made via phone in... (letter response=your card program is not eligible for individually-requested credit line increases.)

• CHASE CARD SERVICES (FIRST USA,NA)

05/28/2008 – Requested online CLI from $503 to $20,000 on Home Rewards card. Listed 109727 as HHI. Same day response and $497 increase appeared online. Hard inquiry showed on EQ (FUSA, NA)
05/29/2008 – (EQ) FIRST USA BANK 800 Brooksedge Blvd, Mailstop OH1-0552, Westerville, OH 430812895 (letter response = [denied]...You already have the maximum amount of credit we can offer you

• WASHINGTON MUTUAL

02/28/2008 To WAMU regarding Credit Line Increase (inquiry treatment):
I'm considering transferring a balance to this card from another issuer. The amount I'm considering transferring exceeds my current available credit limit for this card. Is there an option to increase my credit line WITHOUT a hard credit inquiry on any of my credit bureau reports? securemail response=...we do not process credit line increases by customer request. We do periodically review your account. If your account qualifies for a higher credit line, we will notify you by mail and the increase will be reflected on your monthly statement.
They've been pulling monthly soft AR's on both EQ and TU.

• PRINCIPAL / INFIBANK

04/10/2008 – (EX) ACCOUNT REVIEW INQUIRY ON EXPERIAN BUREAU
05/06/2008 PAID BALANCE IN FULL
05/16/2008 – (EX) INFIBANK Date: May 16, 2008
05/21/2008 CL INCREASE LETTER RAISES LIMIT TO $16,000 (from 14,000)

• M & T Bank (Elan)

05/14/2008 – CLI from $10,000 to $12,000

• DISCOVER

05/28/2008 – Called to request CLI Was told review would be internal 1st and that if I wanted an external review, a hard inquiry would occur. I was denied increase to $12,000 from $1,000.
They have been doing monthly AR pulls at TU...

• NATIONAL CITY

05/28/2008 – submitted inline CLI request
(letter response=[denied] The credit report indicates an excessive number of new trade lines opened in the last 12 months.Thank you for contacting us on 05/29/2008. Your request to increase your credit limit has been declined. You will receive a letter in 7 to 10 business days explaining the reasons why.
05/29/2008 – (TU) NCB CRD SRVS 4661 E MAIN ST COLUMBUS , OH 43213-3129 (800)738-3888

• Kroger 123 rewards (RBS)

I called to request a CLI for my RBS Kroger 1-2-3 rewards card. Rep said the system automatically grants increases from time to time but if I were requesting one specifically, a hard inquiry is done at EQUIFX. Granted increase from $6,500 to $20,000 (Initially approved for increase to $12,000 [note: I only asked for $12,000]. I called back 5 minutes later and asked for an additional $8,000 in case I needed to do a BT from another card. They used the existing EQ credit report)

• AM.EX

05/28/2008 Online CLI request from $64,100 to $70,000. letter response=[denied]...our bank policy does not permit us to increase the line of credit on your account within 60 days since opening this account or within six months since increasing the line of credit on one of your existing American Express accounts
I opened this card after reading this post on 4/22/2008.... perhaps that is why they did not grant an increase.

I've never used points for anything other than cash. I would like to fly this coming February and found these two links for Northwest and Delta.

Are there any other sources I can reference to help me figure out the lingo? Admittedly the jargon is a intimidating for me....

Per hyperlink....Oops. I missed a payment to Citi due to the Memorial weekend holiday (ok - I'm lying to myself - it was due to not following conservative FWF advice). The due date was 5/27/2008.

Statement said:Your late fee was based on your account balance as of the payment due date (05/27/08), which was $ 26,429.00

The Annual Percentage Rate on your promotional or transferred balances has been increased due to one of the following reasons stated in your card agreement with us: you failed to make a payment to us when due, you exceeded your credit line or you made a payment to us that was not honored by your bank.

05/28         ELECTRONIC PAYMENT-THANK YOU                     -446.00

06/02 06/02   PURCHASES*FINANCE CHARGE*PERIODIC RATE  Offer 4   223.01 
06/02 06/02   LATE FEE - MAY PAYMENT PAST DUE                    39.00 

06/02/08 06/02 REFUND LATE FEE        XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-7516  $39.00 
06/02/08 06/02 CREDIT FINANCE CHARGES XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-7516 $223.01

markkundinger said:Okay, but how did you actually miss the payment? Just forgot it, or had some sort of funds crunch?Neither forgot nor was there a funds crunch... I was simply trying to be too sophisticated with payment timing (trying to get as close to the due date as possible).

Lesson learned...

Classic FWF advice is to pay early and I got proud late in the game thinking I was smart...

we're done here ... encore