This is my first AOR after slowly building some credit over the past few years with just a few credit cards. I'm trying not to overdue it and am applying for 20 or less credit cards.

Income is below 6 figures. So I dont expect any insane credit lines. However I do run a business that is an LLC (100k sales) (part time) and am hoping to get some good biz lines. I didn't check my credit scores beforehand but my score usually hovers around 725 or higher.

Goals: 0% money and to expand my credit.

Age early 20's. Income $54000.
LLC Gross on average: $100k+. (2 years)

EXISTING CARDS
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Issuer Card Biz/P Age (Yrs) Bal CL Comments

AMEX Blue for students Pers 3 years $140 7k Paid in full each month
AMEX Blue Cash Pers 2.5 years $4000 17k Ditto, card I use for biz purchaes as well.
AMEX Biz Gold Biz 8 months $0 Inf? Never use, got it for $250 signup bonus
Discover CashBack bonus Pers 2 years $100 $1250 Rarely used, mainly for its virtual cc#'s
Chase Sony card Pers 2 years $0 $2750 After AOR tried CLI, DENIED
Citi Biz Plat. Select Biz 8 months $8900 $10500 (already 0% BT'ed)

Current Personal Credit: $27k (5k was being reported as used at time of apps.)
Current Biz Credit: $10k (8k being reported at time of apps)

Applied for 15 cards total

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New Personal Cards
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Issuer Card Biz/P Status CL Offer Comments

Barclay National Park Foundation Pers Inst A $3k 0% 12mths BT/checks Check cashed $2900
BOA National Education Assoc. Pers Inst A $6k 0% 12mths BT / Checks CLI to $10,000 Check cashed: $9900
AMEX Clear Instant Pers Inst A $1k 0% 6mths purchases only (max credit with AMEX?)
WAMU Espn Total Access Pers Inst A $3k 0% 6mths BT / Purch
Citi Proffesional Pers Inst A $4k 0% 12mths BT / Checks Check Cashed $3900
Citi Hilton Honors Pers Defrd $6k 2.99% 6mth BT / purch
Citi AT&T Universal Card Pers Instant $2k 0% 12mths BT
Citi Edge Pers Deffered $2800 0% 12mths BT
BOA Nascar Visa Pers Deff $2k
BOA TripRewards Pers Def $2k

Biz Cards:

Discover Business Card $3k limit 0% BT / Purchases for 12months. 3% fee $75max. 4/22/08
Chase Amazon.com Business card $10k limit 0% BT/checks 6 months. 3% fee $99 max 4/26/08 Cashed Check: $9900
Chase Priority Club Rewards Biz card $10k limit 0% BT/check 6 months 3% fee $99mx 4/26/08 Cashed Check: $9900
(6 biz apps) Will update as they arrive.
Got a letter in from advanta - to many inquiries etc etc DENiED 4/21/08
Got a letter from citi biz - to many inquirires DENIED 4/22/08
Crap one card is on its way. $500 limit. Should i cancel?

Notes: (will clean this up at a later date)

--- 1 personal card wanted fax with license, social, check stubs etc --- only app not approved. Won't bother with it. This is the only denial for a personal card.

Will supply link to romans Citi cards experience here (place holder) After reading this I went wild with the citi signups.

Signed up with Alliant Credit Union. Waiting for welcome pack so i can sign signature card. Will probably park 0% BT moneys here. I would appreciate any suggestions. I considered some of the high yeilding checking accounts but to much of a hassle.

After doing all these apps recently Chase / Sony card sent me 0% checks for 6 months. My limit with them is $2750. I'm going to try a CLI. CLI DECLINED.

17 Inquiry's Mostly experian. 3 Equifax. 4 Transunion.

All cards have 3% fee's on bt's capped at $50 - $75 will add info to each later.

New personal credit: $35800.

Checked AMEX 3 credit scoring since apps: Trans: 701 (1 nasty showing up thats not mine, My fathers. Similar names.) Equifax and Experian both showing 728.

WAMU Free Fico score showing 710 with Equifax.
I now have 4 different logins for 5 citi cards. One biz, Edge and Proffesional, At&t, Hilton.

After freezing my Experian AMEX 3 bureau no longer lets me pull reports? Have to call 1-800 number.

I recommend including reported household income (and business income, if asked seperately). It's a valid data point, and I don't think it is fair to portray a0r's as only for the super rich.

You should also include your denials.

In general, I probably would have recommended targeting signup bonuses more than 0% money (what with the expected relatively small lines).

Finally... you might be able to reallocate/consolidate your Hilton card. Might take several attempts. But what you may have to do is wait until your bonus points post, then convert the card to a "regular" citibank card, then reallocate/consolidate.

Ok I added the income for both. How do i freeze my experian? EDIT: I just answered my own question. Just froze my experian report at: www.experian.com/freeze

I like how $54k is "low income" on FWF. Be sure to apply for food stamps.

Anyway, in the old days, if you got a Capital One card with a credit line of under $2000, it was a "subprime" card, and would be forever relegated to to a credit line that would never grow about $2000. So closing it wouldn't be too bad. However, there is a chance they may have loosene up a bit over the last year or so. This was mainly from seeing posts at creditboards, not firsthand info.

Oops, the 54k is my HHI. My actual income is obviously a small part of that. Under 20k.