All results in, described in the QS below. My current task is to get my Chase and Citi realls through - preferably from personal->biz, but at least from old pers to new pers. Will update on my challenges and victories as I go within the thread.

About Pangloss1980:

HHI: ~$200k (Based almost entirely on my parents, who I still use as my permanent address. My own is much lower as a grad student)
Age: 28
Credit history: 13 years
FICO: 776
Available credit: $100k in cards
Current util: 0.5%

Queries below...

Oops, and almost forgot: Thanks, props, or "terrorist fist jabs" (whichever you prefer) to the many FWFers who have helped me out directly and indirectly by sharing their experiences: markkundinger, ahself, SecondCor521, hindustani, MikeR397, lappyhappy, lhendricks92... Shit, they started up the band. Thanks Jesus!

First, a summary of A0R 1.0:

All the same demographic info as above, except I only had one card at $13k at the start. Summarized usage stats:
Chase: $17.5k from $20k card (12 mo)
AM3X: $7k from $19k card (6 mo)
BoA: $7k from $19k card (6 mo)
Citi: $8k combined from two $5k cards (12 mo)
Discover: $6.5k from $8k card (12 mo)

So in all, about $46k from $105k available. (Other cards not used, including big lines from AM3X.) Big goof up in that all cards were personal, no business. Only adverse action was a $5k crap HSBC card being cancelled when I never used it; so in other words, none.

FICO before A0R 1.0: ~790 (I think from EX)
FICO after A0R 1.0: EQ 776, EX 787 (both myFIC0), TU 798 (TU's own scoring system)

A0R 1.0 score summary: trough was EQ 662, the month after all BT balances had finally reported. 20 points gained after 2 months payment, then another 20 after another 2 months, then a bizarre 20 point dip after all the 6 mo BTs were paid off, and (more or less) complete recovery 12 months after initiation of A0R 1.0.

[Edited to centralize information]

Aaaaand...

The question(s):

I'm obviously going to be doing business cards this time. But despite all my reading and chatting here at FWF, I'm not entirely clear on how to best approach this:
a) I saw one enterprising individual created his own LLC with AOR as its stated business, but my lawyer friends tell me I'm looking at several hundred (or $400) to get that done; also, it would only have been in business since, well, now, so I wouldn't expect great things from it before another round or two, no?
b) If I do the seemingly more popular route and just identify myself as a business, how much trouble could I get in if I really _haven't_ sold anything on eBay or Craigslist, but just say I've sold a modest amount? ($300?) I assume it's still worth doing the business card apps even for such a small number?
c) A friend has an honest LLC doing honest work with a reasonable cash flow. Are the tax consequences of hooking up to that LLC significant enough that I'm better off doing it on my own?

I know the questions are an awful combination of bland and difficult (especially part c), but any help would be greatly appreciated.

That's all for now, I'll update as I go.

Pangloss1980 said:Aaaaand...

The question(s):

...

I know the questions are an awful combination of bland and difficult (especially part c), but any help would be greatly appreciated.

That's all for now, I'll update as I go.

If you're just doing business cards for your own A0R, you can most likely be a sole proprietorship instead of an LLC. Check with the entity that regulates business in your state (in my state it is the Secretary of State) or check your state's laws. In my state the filing requirements and costs are nil if you do it right. You won't get some of the benefits of an LLC, but again, if they're for your own A0R you probably don't need those benefits.

2Cor521

Another question here:

Mike397's Citi disaster has me a little spooked - it's hard for me to understand how that AA came about (particularly the breadth of it, hitting family members and all), and a small, paranoid little voice has been asking "Are there issuers looking at FWF and trying to decipher who some of us are by the (quite specific) data we give in our posts? Or, will there be?" As a result, I haven't posted precisely accurate information about my existing lines; but someone just tell me I'm being overly paranoid and I'll get the right data up.

Pangloss1980 said:Another question here:

Mike397's Citi disaster has me a little spooked .... I haven't posted precisely accurate information about my existing lines; but someone just tell me I'm being overly paranoid and I'll get the right data up.paranoia is a relative term ... IMO, you are fine to keep some of your info private... if, however, accurate sage advice is desired from the likes of markkundinger, ahself, SecondCor521, hindustani, MikeR397, lappyhappy & lhendricks92, then please post "close to accurate info" so that FWF will get the jest of what your saying about your redundant 2.0 AOR.

Did I read correctly that your score has gone down from 793 to 776 at only 0.5% utilization? were the scores from the same bureau/service? curious....

Also while biz cards will be very good for you this round, I'd recommend adding USBank and RBS Peoples bank to your list.

Perhaps an online reallocation/consolidation of those AMEX cards wouldn't hurt either as window dressing your bureau with a single 36000 limit card might net you a better limit from those competing to match AMEX's line (make sense?)... (on second thought maybe your IN: cards are already being merged with your BLUE as a result of the IN: card program retirement)

Have you soft CLI'd BOA? and AMEX too?

jackcrawfish said:Did I read correctly that your score has gone down from 793 to 776 at only 0.5% utilization? were the scores from the same bureau/service? curious....

Yes, both reports are from myFICO, reporting on my Equifax report. I haven't checked Experian because a) it costs $15 and b) I'm scared. The utilization during the BT period was 45%, but that's been paid off for a while; I guess I'm just being hit by the % of my credit that's new and scary? (I don't have any loans of any other variety.)


jackcrawfish said:Also while biz cards will be very good for you this round, I'd recommend adding USBank and RBS Peoples bank to your list.

Perhaps an online reallocation/consolidation of those AMEX cards wouldn't hurt either as window dressing your bureau with a single 36000 limit card might net you a better limit from those competing to match AMEX's line (make sense?)... (on second thought maybe your IN: cards are already being merged with your BLUE as a result of the IN: card program retirement)

Have you soft CLI'd BOA? and AMEX too?]

Several great suggestions here, thanks! My AM3X CLIs send me to an income form, which is problematic for me as HHI is where I look good, not individual income. BoA auto-CLIs me every month or so because... I don't know why.

But consolidating AM3X to look pretty: 1) All newcomers, this is why you keep reading, because I've been around here over a year and hadn't thought of that; 2) I know I've seen some people having fun with large AM3X lines, but isn't $25k some kind of magic # for them where they suddenly start getting (more) nervous about you? Since it seems there are no sweet AM3X BT deals to be had anymore (?) I'm hoping to keep my CL with them intact just to offset heavier utilization from more productive issuers. Thoughts?

Also, thanks for the card suggestions! I'm going to put up my tentative list soon, very appreciative of any and all suggestions. Except Pulaski. I don't have a first-born yet, and even when I do, they're not getting it, and that seems to be what they need to issue a card. Maybe they can split a half with AM3X when they come for me with a financial review, Solomon-style.

Pangloss1980 said:But consolidating AM3X to look pretty: 1) All newcomers, this is why you keep reading, because I've been around here over a year and hadn't thought of that; 2) I know I've seen some people having fun with large AM3X lines, but isn't $25k some kind of magic # for them where they suddenly start getting (more) nervous about you? Since it seems there are no sweet AM3X BT deals to be had anymore (?) I'm hoping to keep my CL with them intact just to offset heavier utilization from more productive issuers. Thoughts?

Like you, I rely on my AM3X cards to help with utilization.

Perhaps you could just reallocate between them vs. consolidate. As I assume you're aware, AM3X is discontinuing those IN cards and converting them to Blue cards in November. My wife got a letter on this as well for her IN:NYC card.

Maybe you could pre-empt the automatic conversion, so that you don't end up with three Blue cards, and ask them to reallocate across two, i.e. your current Blue and a new one, or a new non-Blue card. Just make sure they can/will do this without a hard pull. Since they're converting the cards anyway, I assume they can.

BTW, I think the $25k magic number primarily comes into play if you do other things to draw their attention, i.e. a large BT, unusually large charges, hitting the CLI button several times, etc. If you're a good customer and don't set off any other flags, I imagine you'll be okay.

Wells Fargo is my primary bank, and they have a lot of my money. Now I want theirs. Do I go for two cards?Just one per e-correspondence with Wells (ymmv)

OP said:I'm following jackcrawfish here; since his thread may be the new standard in FWF A0R threads, and is the source for all this nifty formatting and awesome info.I'm humbled. Thank you.

The real props go to those already mentioned... They've seen the datapoints which benefit all of us...