5 day AOR: optimizing the order of 34+ apps

Observations:
- some issuers are much more sensitive to the number of inquiries than others
- some issuers don't consider an app right away, so it's not enough to just schedule those early in a 1-day AOR
(search "late puller" for other observations here)

Based both on my own AOR experience and the great info from play-by-play threads, here's my current plan (with personal and business together in the hope that a few inquiries get combined):

1. Advanta, Barclays (Juniper), CapOne, National City
2. DCU (no fee BT target), GE (including a targetted LOC offer), State Farm
3. Compass (by phone), Elan, RBS, SunTrust, US Bank Baylor (?)
4. majors: AMEX, BoA, Chase, Citibank, Discover
5. utilization only: RBS Kroger, US Bank Gymboree ... any other suggestions?

Cards that some may want to try, but I'm skeptical:
- HSBC: very few get more than $600
- WAMU: few get more than $3K (if keep, ESPN WAMU might be best)

Rejected EXCEPT for the first AOR at an address, and with AT LEAST 1 day delay:
- FNBO: although I got this card last year, I've now given up
- Principal (= Infibank = FNBO): checks the same funky ICS / ARS.

Thoughts?

Great idea, I've wondered about those late pullers and how to snare 'em.
Only thing I'd offer is that HSBC gave me a big line and State farm is a complete waste of time.
Good luck

did you mean infini = fnbo a fickle or that they are the same like FIA and bofa? Cause my fnbo cards are FNBO and not infini.

cardjuggler said: devildoc said: HSBC gave me a big line
Did you already have an HSBC savings account with them (perhaps with more than token $ in it)? I know of one $12,500 CL that had perhaps a few $K in savings. Or, any other factor that distinguished your case from the majority?

devildoc said: State farm is a complete waste of time.
I know of a $9K limit, and I think WashWest got $24K. Granted State Farm pulls all 3; still looks worthwhile to me. If several people try it EARLY (possibly days not hours), we'll have more realistic data.

I had a $1.07 balance in my HSBC savings (it was as high as 150K during their 6% promo)

I think you're right about State Farm, getting in way before any other inqs might help. I wonder if having State farm insurance already makes a difference.

Wizard83 said: I got a $12.5K line from HSBC but I did have several thousand in their online savings at that time.

Maybe this is the reason why only a few get good CL from HSBC and most end up with a paltry $500-$800 CL. I got a pre-app offer from them, so I will try it as the last app tomorrow. I don't have much in my HSBC savings account.

It took me a year of on time payments and several phone calls just to get my 2% HSBC card up to $1,000.

Since I think you can only have one HSBC card, I would hold out until you get the special 2% invitation.

I've had BIZ cards for about 5 years, my new chase BIZ card is the only 1 that has reported to EQ biz or any biz report. I think your BIZ apps will do much better if you get a BIZ file started (sooner the better).

EugeneV said: My pre-approved BofA Biz app was denied last summer due to some info on my ARS report, so FNBO are certainly not the only ones looking there.

FNBO (biz) also checks EQ Biz or SBFE. Again, they are not the only ones. This is a good thread, but you need more data points and better strategy.

It may be easier to eliminate inquiries from the same issuer on the same day (sometimes within 30 days) as "duplicate".

BTW, I got 21.5K initial CL from HSBC. I've been using them as my main bank for over 10 years and I had over 100K there when I applied, IIRC. My wife, who did not have any accounts with them, got 1.5K CL with similar credit history and the same HHI. This was a year ago.

you mentioned FNBO checks EQ biz, thats why the last post

I can't figure out why my other biz cards never reported? So I assume there are other people in my situation (biz cards that don't report).

I got my FNBO in JAN 07 BT 9500 or 10000 and made 10% payments every month and used the card. Then I paid it off in Aug. and they declined my CLI request. It just doesn't make sence what formula they are using.

dolmar said: I keep getting CLI without asking for them from FNBO. I got that card durning my Mini App-O-Rama in Feb with a $25k limit. Then in Sept I got a CLI without asking for it from $25k to $35k and then this month from $35k to $40k.

Now I only asked for $12k BT from them when I got the card. I was sending in $400 per month till the first CLI then increased my payments to $500 in Oct and after 2 more payments I got another $5k CLI.

I still have currently close to $75k in credit card debt showing on my credit reports. I think FNBO does not like BT whores nor people who make the min payment. Btw in March my min payment was $24X.XX and I was paying $400 and in Oct it was $188.XX and I paid $500.

I have never had any deposit accounts with FNBO. I never opened a savings account with them or anything. I made 1x $500 purchase to get $100 statement credit and never used the card again. So you cant say I am a profitable customer either.

win333 said: I got my FNBO in JAN 07 BT 9500 or 10000 and made 10% payments every month and used the card. Then I paid it off in Aug. and they declined my CLI request. It just doesn't make sence what formula they are using.

It is very simple to figure out. My BT was less than 50% of the limit on my card. I am very conservative on my BT normally take between 50-60% only. I always pay well above the minimum. Most of my credit cards are $50k + and I have $100k credit card too. I have $1,000,000 Heloc showing up on my credit report with a $0 balance and 2 $50k overdraft line of credit.

I make much more than $100k a year and my income to credit card ratio is less than 1:1. So even if I max out all my credit cards I can afford to pay them off in less than 1 year which I am sure is part of the reason FNBO is so willing to keep raising my limit and I am sure that fact I have very large lines of credit from AMEX, BOA, Chase and Citi do not hurt either. Also I am sure both BOA and Citi do not give $50k overdraft line of credit to every schmuck either unless they are constantly making large deposit which I am sure helps when card issuers decided how much credit they are willing to issue me.

Unlike many people on this board I don't have income to credit card ratio is 1:4 or more ie they make $50k a year and have available $200k in credit card credit.

Economist said: May want to delay Citi cards even further - they seem to report almost instantly. Chase and discover may take 2-3 weeks to get an approval. I don't think I'd apply for CapOne - as it means 1 inq on each of the 3 CR's. I'd typically leave AMEX out of AORs and use them for utilization only. Unless you're doing AMEX-only mini-AOR.

I too would leave capone out as they pull all 3 and give crappy CL.

RBS Kroger in my experience took a few days before it pulled and when they saw all the AOR inquiries they didn't approve. When I called their credit specialist for a reconsideration - he firmly denied to even talk about anything based on the # inquiries and # accounts opened w/in last 24 months. When I explained it was for bonuses, I think I was told that I'm not the type of a customer they are looking for, that normal person would never do that. Nothing new here, just heads up that they took a while to pull and they balked at the inquiries.

Hindustani said: I too would leave capone out as they ... give crappy CL.
With a preface that you've made lots of great contributions to FW, so I don't mean to pick on you in particular ... I wish people would STOP spreading this MYTH. There are plenty of reports of $20K CL business AND personal.

I'm not saying that everyone should include CapOne in their AOR, but it's clearly worthwhile for certain people. (Depends both on credit profile and how far one chooses to push an AOR.)

lhendricks92 said: as with WAMU, i'm beginning to think the best thing to do with CapOne is to wait for a pre-approved offer. that will greatly enhance your chances of getting a decent CL.
Maybe, though I'm pretty sure all the ones I know about were NOT using pre-approved offers.

I suspect the CapOne answer is something like:
- with a short credit history or modest income, don't bother
- in a modest AOR, don't bother
- either do it (somewhat) early in the AOR or don't bother

I don't have any info either way as to whether a pre-approval might mitigate one or more of those.

jairocon said: In my 25 app AOR - I had no problem getting $7k cap one biz. I was not using any pre-approved offer. Got 0% pruchase rate for 15 months. It gets more action for my regular purchases than my penfed 1.25% card, since I'm only making the minimum payments. Thus I get the same 1.25% CashBack (since capone does actually give you an extra 0.25% annually).

It's not worth it to me, 3 INQs for maybe 7,000x5 or 6%= $400. An experian inquire is worth more than that i think. Crap 1 can stick their cards IMHO