I recenty applied for a citi card (http://www.smithbarney.com/products_services/credit_cards/platselmc.html) and i had 2 *HARD* pulls by Citi from Experian on consecutive days! It would not have been a huge issue but unfortunately i applied for 5 different cards from Chase, AMEX & BoA and all of them pulled Experian!!!! so i have 7-8 experian pulls in over the past two weeks. Why do you think they pulled twice esp from the same reporting agency? Now my Experian score is the worst of the lot! And people are hell bent on pulling it

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I guess i also did a mini AOR recently i have below-avg-avg credit score: 670 (myfico), (710/672-truecredit), (712- plus)
BTW yearly salary 25K + Student

I was trying to find acards with decent benefits.

Already had:

AMEX Blue cash - 4000 - 2500 (3.9%locked)
AMEX One - Charge card- zero
citi PP - 3000 -zero
BoA Visa plat plus - 2500 - Automatically consolidated!!!
BoA Microcenter Visa - Consolidadted
BoA Amtrak - Consolidated
BoA AMEX - 8400 - zero
Univ Credit Union - 7500 - zero
*DirectMerchantsbank - 1000 -0 (Apple financing) *closed recently**

Total CL (before AOR) - 32500

Store: Dell (now cancelled), Sony


After seeing different 'themed' AORs, I applied for the following (with out applying much thought!). I have no interest in BTs etc , i am not all that careful about dates etc .. so thought it was risky. I guess i was just looking to increase my total credit available:

1) AMEX Platinum ( pre- approved) -instant- Charge card -which started it all!
2) Chase Visa Signature United platinum -Deffered - approved - 5000 (cc'ed to 6000) [reason: 20,000 miles+ 5000 EQM i am " this close to qualifying for Premier level]
3) American Express optima - instant - 5000
4) Merryl+ Visa (FIA/BoA) - deffered - approved- got a call from them to reallocate credit -?
5) AMEX clear - instant - 2000
6) Citi-Smith Barney - deffered (with 2 freaking credit pulls!!!)-Approved With a whooping CL of 1500!! - consolidated with the Citi PP
7) Chase Amazon - approved -1000- then called them to consolidate the line with chase United - Closed
8) Salks fifth avenue platinum - approved instant -3600 - realized there are 2 accounts (lots of confusion)+ HSBC(i truely despise them!!! So cancelled it)
9) Chase Continental - Approved Finally!!!- 5000
10) Chase Marriot Rewards - Approved - 5000 -
11) BoA World Master card - 1000 ($12K total line cap at BoA)
12) BoA USAirways Visa - 5000
13) Diners club - REJECTED

Business (For all put my name as the business + SSN - no enquiries of any sort)

1) AMEX Simply cash - 24hrs - approved -3000 - Consolidated the line [Closed]
2) BoA Visa - approved -10,000
3) AMEX Business Platinum - pre -approved -instant- Charge Card - tried to get the 250$ (if it does not post will get rid off it)


Total CL after: 46K + 13K business cards


Bank Of America AMEX Rewards to VISA card (required a credit pull but otherwise same credit line etc)

CHASE does not seem pull credit reports for new applications if your old application is still pending!!

**** WORST IS THAT ALL OF THEM PULLED EXPERIAN (Except HSBC-Equifax)!!!!*********** (i live in BOS)

Keep updating it; Thanks all for the info!

As of 1/25 Credit scores NO change except Experian that tanked to 650 (because of all the enquiries!)


1/30 - Credit scores myFico- 692 TrueCredit - 708/646/671
2/10 - Credit Scores myFico - 660 TC - 709/645/711 (TU/EX/EQ)

are you sure you didnt apply for multiple citi cards?

I wonder if the smith barney card counts as a citi cobrand card for multiple citi apps in 1 AOR ??

Oh ok ... thanks! I was just about to freak out! I will try and see if i can get hold of their number!

PolarDude said:I noticed the only 10k card, and highest card approved was the BofA 10k Biz. Congrats on that!
I think if you were an AU on a friend's card with a 20k+ limit, you would have gotten higher limits. You still got higher limits than your existing cards, and your myfico is one of the lowest I've seen on an AOR, but you still got alot of approvals, which is quite encouraging. Did you have any balances on your BofA cards? I am assuming no, and you posted the limits, but I may be wrong.
If they called to reallocate, that might mean they won't give you more credit. HSBC gave you 3600, while others get $600 on their GM Card? Wow!

No there are no other balances, except for the AMEX blue (intial student spending spree )and sony (816-0% for 15 months - new laptop for christmas ). BoA gave me the largest line i guess because i have been with them for almost 5 years and my salary is deposited there. I guess the lack of credit line (other than my low salary 25K + student) could also because i never used any other card except AMEX ONE (because i want to pay them off every month)and Citi Premier pass (where AMEX is not taken). I think Low credit limits on AMEX could because i have 7 accounts with them (3 of them charge - which are counted as some undisclosed credit line). Over all i guess i have more credit than i am actually going to use, atleast till i graduate this year! They offered me if i would like to reallocate, it was thrown in as an option as i already did consolidated couple of BoA cards (their rewards truely su*k). I think high approvals is because i stuck to the main issuers (AMEX, BoA), with whom i have Banking (checking/savings/CDs) relations.

Nice, finally you thought about getting a 5% card (Continental card has a 5% discount on Continental flights for a year).

I have no interest in BTs etc

I don't get it, murth. If you're not into the BT shenanigans, why do you want to vastly increase your credit limits???? Are you interested in lowering your utilization because you carry balances???

Can I ask how old your oldest account is? I am thinking about an AOR and I have relatively new credit, just curious.

Thanks!