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BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted for posterity and to provide some data back to the FWF A0R'ing community.
Hopefully, it's an easy read. Thanks to all the regulars (too many to name) who give so much to
this forum and help us all play this game better, your advice has been invaluable and priceless. Did a successful A0R for myself in Dec 06' and was gearing up to do A0R 2.0, before deciding
to drag DW's largely untapped credit potential into this game. Goal was to get some free money
for interest rate arbitrage! WOR Profile:
Age: early-mid 30s
HHI: ~150K
location: Tri-State Region
Years in Biz: 0
Biz Revenue: $0
Credit history: 13 years, 5 months
Credit cards: 4 currently open (2 are AUs)
Charge cards: 6 currently open
Average account age: 6 years, 6 months
Real estate accounts: residence - $377K,
heloc on residence - $0 ($50.5K CL),
rental property - $78K
Installment accounts: 1 old paid off car loan
FAKOS: TU-774, EX-750, EQ-712
inquiries: TU-1, EX-3, EQ-2
checking credit: daily via PM123
New HELOC: on 2/5 - got new heloc for 100K with Third Federal to replace existing heloc
- however to date, original heloc still shows up on credit report
CRA updates: requested CRAs to remove 2 other AU accounts (one had 27K balance) around 3/3. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXISTING CARDS
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Issuer Card Biz/P Age (Yrs) Bal CL Comments
MACYz/DSNB Charge Card-Macyz P 13.5 0 2.5K PIF every month
MACYz/DSNB Charge Card-Macyz P 11.7 0 2K inactive
WFFNB/LTD Charge Card-Limited P 10.9 0 1K inactive
MACYz/DSNB Charge Card-Macyz P 6.7 0 .5K inactive
CITI Charge Card-DellFS P 6.4 0 7K inactive
CITI Charge Card-? P 2.4 0 6.5K inactive
Chase Cash Rewards Visa (AU) P 2.0 0 1K inactive
BOA/FIA Fidelity 529 P 2.0 0 25K PIF every month
Chase Rewards Plus Visa (AU) P 1.8 0 2K PIF every month
Chase Cash Rewards Visa P 1.8 0 10K inactiveTOTAL Existing Credit: 54.5K (not including AU cards)
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NEW CARDS APPLIED FOR (IN ORDER OF APPLICATION):
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(most apps on 3/5/08)
business apps: 8 -> 6/8 accepted
personal apps: 14 -> 13/14 accepted
Total new apps: 22 -> 19/22 accepted
Key:
Status - D = deferred, A = Accepted, R= Rejected
Offer - BT Offer/ BT Length/ BT max fee; 1P = bonus after first purchase Issuer Card Biz/P Status CL Offer Comments
1. BOA NEA WorldPoints Visa P D,A 0K 0%/12/$30 no new credit granted;
20K BT on app
2. BOA AMEX_ Power Rewards P D,A 8K 1P->$100
3. Barclays BankAtlantic Biz B D,A 10K 0%/15/$75 26.7K BT on app->No go
4. Barclays Juniper Natl Parks P A 12.5K 0%/12/$50
5. Citi Biz w/TY B D,A 12K 0%/12/$0 1P->15K TY pts
6. Citi Citi Associated Bank P A 25K 0%/12/$0
7. Citi Biz Premier Pass w/TY B D,A 12K 0%/12/$0 1P->15K TY pts
8. Citi Professional w/TY P A 15K 0%/12/$0 1P->15K TY pts
9. Chase Sony_ P D,A 7K 0%/12/$75
10. Chase Biz Cash Rewards B D,R --- 0%/12/$99
11. Chase Platinum Visa Biz B D,A 10K 0%/12/$99
12. Advanta Plat Biz B D,A 2.5K 0%/15/$75 20K BT on app->No go
13. Discover More P D,A 8K 0%/12/$75 20K BT on app->No go
14. Discover Biz B D,A 5K 0%/12/$75 20K BT on app->No go
15. US Bank Baylor Alumni P D,A 20.7K 0%/12/$75 20K BT on app
16. AMEX_ IN:NYC P D,A 3.2K 0%/6/$0
17. Natl City Lifespring Visa P D,A 10K 0%/12/$0 applied 3/7;
20K BT on app->No go
18. Natl City Quilter Visa P D,R --- 0%/12/$0 applied 3/7;
20K BT on app->No go
19. WAMU_ ESPN P A 10K 0%/6/0$ applied 3/8;
20K BT on app->No go
20. Citi Hilton Hhonors Visa Sig P D,A 20K 1P->15Kpts applied 3/12
21. AMEX_ Starwood Preferred Guest P D,A 1K 1P->10Kpts applied 3/12
22. BOA Power Rewards Biz B R --- --- applied 3/20 New Personal Credit Added: 140.4K
New Business Credit Added: 51.5K
Total New Credit Added: 191.9K Total Personal Credit: 194.9K
Total Business Credit: 51.5K
Total Credit: 246.4K
(calculations do not include AU cards) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3/26/08: POST-WOR
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After all CLRs complete and the smoke has cleared
(bolded numbers indicate positive CLR or BT activity)
Issuer Card Biz/P Status CL New CL Comments
1. BOA NEA WorldPoints Visa P D,A 0K 21K 20K BT->HELOC->checking
2. BOA AMEX_ Power Rewards P D,A 8K 1K CLR 7K to (1)
3. Barclays BankAtlantic Biz B D,A 10K 22.5K 20K BT->DH's CC acct
4. Barclays Juniper Natl Parks P A 12.5K closed CLR 12.5K to (3)
5. Citi Biz w/TY B D,A 12K 37K 36.5K BT-> checking
6. Citi Citi Associated Bank P A 25K 25K 23.75K BT->checking
7. Citi Biz Premier Pass w/TY B D,A 12K 1K CLR 11K to (5)
8. Citi Professional w/TY P A 15K 1K CLR 14K to (5)
9. Chase Sony_ P D,A 7K 1K CLR 6K to (11)
10. Chase Biz Cash Rewards B D,R --- --- ---
11. Chase Platinum Visa Biz B D,A 10K 25K 24K BT->checking
12. Advanta Plat Biz B D,A 2.5K 2.5K ---
13. Discover More P D,A 8K 1K CLR 7K to (13)
14. Discover Biz B D,A 5K 12K 11K BT->HELOC->checking
15. US Bank Baylor Alumni P D,A 20.7K 20.7K 20K BT->HELOC->checking
16. AMEX_ IN:NYC P D,A 3.2K 3.2K ---
17. Natl City Lifespring Visa P D,A 10K 10K 8K BT->DH's CC acct
18. Natl City Quilter Visa P D,R --- --- ---
19. WAMU_ ESPN P A 10K 10K 8K BT->DH's CC acct
20. Citi Hilton Hhonors Visa Sig P D,A 20K 20K 3 failed attempts to CLR
21. AMEX_ Starwood Preferred Guest P D,A 1K 1K ---
22. BOA Power Rewards Biz B R --- --- ---
Existing Cards:
23. BOA/FIA Fidelity 529 P 25K 11K CLR 14k to (1)
24. Chase Cash Rewards Visa P 10K 1K CLR 9k to (11)
25. Chase Rewards Plus Visa (AU) P 2K 2K Not counted in calcs
26. Chase Cash Rewards Visa (AU) P 1K 1K Not counted in calcs
27. MACYz/DSNB Charge Card-Macyz P 2.5K 2.5K N/A
28. MACYz/DSNB Charge Card-Macyz P 2K 2K N/A
29. WFFNB/LTD Charge Card-limited P 1K 1K N/A
30. MACYz/DSNB Charge Card-Macyz P .5K .5K N/A
31. CITI Charge Card-DellFS P 7K 7K N/A
32. CITI Charge Card-? P 6.5K 6.5K N/A New Totals after CLRs:
Total Personal Credit: 146.4K
Total Business Credit: 100K
Total Credit: 246.4K BT Money received:
Total Personal BTs: 79.75K
Total Business BTs: 91.5K
Total BTs: 171.25K Utilization:
Personal Utilization: 54.5%
Business Utilization: 91.5%
Overall Utilization: 69.5%
(calculations do not include $0 balance HELOC(s), should HELOCs be included?)
(calculations do not include AU cards) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INQUIRIES
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as of 3/26: TU-5, EX-15, EQ-2
BRCLYSBANKDE 3/5/2008 TransUnion
ADVANTA FINANCIAL CORP 3/5/2008 Experian
EXPERIAN 3/5/2008 Experian --Which bank pulls as EXPERIAN?
CITI 3/5/2008 Experian
CHASE BANK USA, NA 3/5/2008 Experian
U S BANK CONSOLIDATED 3/5/2008 Experian
CBSD/UFC 3/5/2008 Experian
CITI 3/5/2008 Experian
AMEX_ 3/5/2008 Experian
BANK OF AMERICA 3/5/2008 Experian
CHASE BANK USA, NA 3/5/2008 Experian
WASHMTL/PROV 3/8/2008 TransUnion
NCBK-NCCS 3/10/2008 TransUnion
AMEX_ 3/12/2008 Experian
CITI 3/12/2008 Experian
FIA CSNA 3/20/2008 TransUnion
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CREDIT SCORES
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abridged history:
3/04/08: TU-774 EX-750 EQ-712 1 day prior to WOR
3/05/08: TU-771 EX-727 EQ-738 App day! Also, EQ removed AU account w/27K balance
3/06/08: TU-769 EX-732 EQ-738 1 day after WOR
3/08/08: TU-766 EX-717 EQ-781 New Heloc shows up on EQ and boosts score!!!
3/26/08: TU-750 EX-712 EQ-786 8 new accounts reporting, but no balances yet.
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ASSORTED RANDOM MUSINGS:
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- Most creditors were Experian-happy; Barclays and Natl City were notable exceptions.
- In line with other people's recent results, Advanta is not worth the inquiry these days.
- No love from AMEX_ if you've never had an account with them before.
- Natl City personal only accepts one app at a time.
- On all cards with bonus offers after 1st purchase; made sure to make first purchase
and send payment immediately afterwards, prior to any BTs.
- CLR was fairly painless for most creditors, except Citi Hilton, which is a NPSSL card.
Will wait for bonus points to post before converting card to something that can be CLR'd.
- Did 3 BTs to my new HELOC at Third Federal without issue.
In 2 cases, used the 10 digit account #; in 1 case used the 16 digit debit card #.
- Overall personal utilization is ~55%, but utilization on a few individual cards is 95%+.
May want to pay them down to ~80% or so.
- Utilization on Biz cards...who cares?
- May need to consider freezing EXP in the future.
- Several cards were applied for through Cardselection.com for bonus money.
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