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Remy Marathe posted:I allowed myself just one more pull, and got an Amazon Rewards card that I like well enough. But down the road if I apply for an Amex again I will do it via a human. Even if they don't allow for human judgement in terms of creditworthiness, my name has a special character in it and I've always got this little possibility that badly designed forms and systems can cause my name to falsely mismatch. Talking to a human can't hurt, although it is unlikely to help, most of these folks are just glorified data entry people who type your responses into the computer verbatim. The written rejection is unlikely to give you a reason for the rejection. All the CC companies try to keep this super-secret to avoid giving people ideas on how to game the system. The one exception is if you owe them money from a previous account you had with them. They will tell you that, in hopes that you pay them. (although they may still not issue you a card after that)
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Sep 4, 2012 00:24
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I'd like some advice on juggling multiple part-time jobs. Today I interviewed for a retail job at a local store I'd love to work for. I'm very enthusiastic for and knowledgeable about the product, and I know the owner and staff and have done paid odd jobs there before. The owner said he's currently re-arranging the schedule, but he'll hire me one shift per week now as a "trial" and probably give me more shifts later. I'm living at home so I don't need money super-urgently, but one shift a week is obviously pretty little. I'd like to pick up another part time job in a different category of retail. I've never worked a shift job before, so is there a way I can apply for another part-time job, but still make sure I'll be open enough to get more shifts in the store that I desperately want to work at?
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Sep 5, 2012 23:10
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Saeku posted:I'd like some advice on juggling multiple part-time jobs. Depends on the management and how badly they need people. I worked a retail job for seven years through school, and for the final couple years I was picking my shifts because my boss likes me. If your second job has a stack of resumes and you're asking for shifts off at a moment's notice to work elsewhere you're going to get fired, especially if you walk into the job expecting this to happen. Or you could just quit if your ideal job opens up.
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Sep 5, 2012 23:19
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Remy Marathe posted:My mom just sprung a thing on me whereby she wants to turn her bank account into a joint account with my name on it "just in case anything happens [to her]". I hate to quote a previous page, but beyond the obvious "don't do it," this brings up a good point. Do you have a fat emergency fund? If not then have your mom buy a drat life insurance policy right now, and since she is dumb with money make sure she doesn't falsify any information, get the requisite exam, and pay that bill monthly. Because when she dies the funeral home will want their cut before they will do anything. My dad just died and he was retarded with money and had an insolvent estate. Even with the benefits of a VA burial the funeral home needed $4k for handling the body before they would release it. And surprise! I am a recent grad without any real savings! To make matters worse, he had bought Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage but no actual life insurance (again he was retarded and couldn't read paperwork I guess) which was obviously helpless. So yeah, now the your mom is all concerned about her mortality, make sure she has life insurance.
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Sep 6, 2012 03:35
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Sorry to hear that. If she doesn't have a policy at this point in her life, I'm not sure a new policy (at her age & with known health conditions) can possibly be a good deal, but we're going to take steps to ensure that some money bypasses probate for whatever I need, and I'm fortunate enough to have an educational account that I could dig into in a pinch. My grandfather had set aside a certain amount to be "transferred on death" before he passed away, and that was immediately available to his children for funeral expenses etc. so I know it's possible to do. I think my mom was just trying a simpler (to her) way to accomplish it that's more in her ken; when I say money-dumb I don't so much mean she behaves badly with it as she doesn't understand the handling of it in large quantities- growing it, not trusting your fund managers to the point of ignoring statements, shopping around for good interest rates instead of just taking a local bank with a charming account officer, or this joint account thing. I'm money-dumb too, just less likely to seek advice from someone who's simultaneously trying to sell me something.
Remy Marathe fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Sep 6, 2012 |
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Sep 6, 2012 04:48
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Remy Marathe posted:Sorry to hear that. If she doesn't have a policy at this point in her life, I'm not sure a new policy (at her age & with known health conditions) can possibly be a good deal, but we're going to take steps to ensure that some money bypasses probate for whatever I need, and I'm fortunate enough to have an educational account that I could dig into in a pinch. My grandfather had set aside a certain amount to be "transferred on death" before he passed away, and that was immediately available to his children for funeral expenses etc. so I know it's possible to do. I think my mom was just trying a simpler (to her) way to accomplish it that's more in her ken; when I say money-dumb I don't so much mean she behaves badly with it as she doesn't understand the handling of it in large quantities- growing it, not trusting your fund managers to the point of ignoring statements, shopping around for good interest rates instead of just taking a local bank with a charming account officer, or this joint account thing. I'm money-dumb too, just less likely to seek advice from someone who's simultaneously trying to sell me something. I think your mom's heart is in the right place, and if you have some sort of POD arrangement then it won't be a problem. Surprisingly banks, insurance companies, etc are actually pretty easy to deal with when someone dies. The funeral homes are the ones who are so inflexible.
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Sep 6, 2012 05:15
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Remy Marathe posted:My mom just sprung a thing on me whereby she wants to turn her bank account into a joint account with my name on it "just in case anything happens [to her]". If it is "just a bank account" you should be ok on this. In fact having this set up now is probably a good idea. As your mom gets older, you may need to start helping her pay bills and get general poo poo done. Not necessarily from your own money, but just making sure it gets done. Old people tend not to have auto-pay or simialr arrangements for these things. Once your mom starts getting forgetful, you'll be glad you have this set up.
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Sep 6, 2012 14:01
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Hi, 21 year part time student in financial distress. Due to various reasons related to poor financial education, loan management, and cosigned loans I have found myself with pitiable credit. On the upside, in the past couple months I have become the sole controller of my loans and finances, and have been making payments on time. Here are the details: Monthly income (after tax): $1500 School Loans: $21,000 between two creditors Monthly expenses: avg $1000 (though less in recent months due to reducing discretionary spending) School Costs: $1500 over the next 3 months (this is offset by a tuition reimbursement program through my employer) Student Checking Account (local bank): $9,500 Assets: $1000 CD taken out by my parents in my name (unsure of maturation date) I recently tried to open online savings and checking accounts at Ally bank, and was denied based on 'unfavorable credit history'. In response i looked for methods of increasing my credit score faster, and the most reasonable option seemed to be opening a credit card. However, despite applying for a secured credit card designed for rebuilding credit, I was denied once again. I know that I only just recently started on the path to good credit, but now that I have all my finances under my own control I'm anxious to climb out of the hole I've dug myself into as fast (and safely) as I can. I'm afraid to keep applying for other accounts/cards for fear it will only damage my credit score more without any progress. Basically I'm looking for options. Could using my cash on hand to pay down my loans improve my rating enough to get a credit card? Should I forget it and start investing in assets? I'm currently paying approx. double the minimum on both my loans (included in expenses), but I can increases that. Goals: Returning to school full time, opening a savings account, improving credit score, investing in long term assets (mutual funds?), paying down loans.
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Sep 9, 2012 03:04
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Gustavington posted:I recently tried to open online savings and checking accounts at Ally bank, and was denied based on 'unfavorable credit history'. In response i looked for methods of increasing my credit score faster, and the most reasonable option seemed to be opening a credit card. However, despite applying for a secured credit card designed for rebuilding credit, I was denied once again. Are you sure it was a credit score problem? Usually with checking/savings accounts they don't pull a credit report, just chexsystems. Go to annualcreditreport.com and get a copy of your reports. See what's bad on there, and we'll be able to be more helpful.
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Sep 9, 2012 04:37
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Grumpwagon posted:Are you sure it was a credit score problem? Usually with checking/savings accounts they don't pull a credit report, just chexsystems. The letter from Ally was pretty clear. They pulled both Trans Union and ChexSystems. The credit score that Trans Union reported to them was 503. At that time I got my report (again from Trans Union) through annualcreditreport.com, and found that I had a loan that had gone unpaid for almost a year. Most of the delinquencies on my account are due to the fact that up until around the end of last year my parents were managing my school loans with my money that I had in an account with both our names. We came to an agreement around that time that I would take over management of the loans. Unfortunately my parents didn't tell me about the second loan (that I found out about from my credit report). Furthermore, my financial experience at the time was essentially zero. I had a joint account with my parents that I put my money into, and they took it out of to pay my bills. As such I had no money managing skills, and any time I approached them for help they basically said they didn't know, or that they needed time to figure it out (which they never did). Their nonchalance led me to not worry about it until I got denied by Ally. I just checked my credit score using the free trial of Trans Union's credit tracker today (which I subsequently cancelled to avoid the monthly fee) and it had improved slightly to 525. Following that I applied for the secured credit card, designed for rebuilding credit, and was denied. I have not yet received information about the reasons why, but I strongly suspect the response will be the same as Ally's was (I can find out for sure on Monday once it's processed). I'm not too concerned with my past delinquencies at this point, and am working to put as many new good marks on my credit report as I can. I have a steady income, I've been paying loans on time, and my expenses are low due to living with my parents. It seems like an ideal time for me to have a credit card, as I'm sure I'll be able to pay the balance every month. As far as the savings account goes, if a credit check for that is atypical, I can just open one with the local bank I have my checking account at until my score improves. I have spent a lot of time in the last couple months learning as much as I can about loans and ways to improve my credit score, but specific solutions have avoided me thus far.
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Sep 9, 2012 05:54
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Someone should correct me if I'm wrong, but I would guess (and it IS a guess) that reducing the quantity of your student loan would have little to no effect on your score. Many creditworthy people have much higher student loan balances than 20k, house loans etc.; if a credit scoring system didn't differentiate between big loans like that and available credit on cards pretty much every homeowner and student fresh out of college would look terrible on paper.
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Sep 9, 2012 18:38
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Remy Marathe posted:Someone should correct me if I'm wrong, but I would guess (and it IS a guess) that reducing the quantity of your student loan would have little to no effect on your score. Many creditworthy people have much higher student loan balances than 20k, house loans etc.; if a credit scoring system didn't differentiate between big loans like that and available credit on cards pretty much every homeowner and student fresh out of college would look terrible on paper. I got the impression from credit score breakdowns, like this one, that it can have a significant impact on my score. It seems to be an evaluation of how much credit they expect me to be able to handle vs. how much credit I am using. Expanding on that is what led me to think that paying down the amount I owe on the loans, would open me up to 'being able to owe more' via a credit card etc. However, if I was sure I wouldn't be asking about it, so clarification is welcome.
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Sep 9, 2012 18:54
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Gustavington posted:The letter from Ally was pretty clear. They pulled both Trans Union and ChexSystems. The credit score that Trans Union reported to them was 503. At that time I got my report (again from Trans Union) through annualcreditreport.com, and found that I had a loan that had gone unpaid for almost a year. It's going to be really hard to find a credit card if you had a loan go completely unpaid for a year recently. You might want to try the capital one secured card. They already go after the lower end credit score people, and this one is even more targeted towards. It has a $29 a year fee, but that's pretty negligible in my opinion.
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Sep 9, 2012 19:25
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That is actually the exact card I applied for. I'm probably just being impatient. I feel as though my financial responsibility and knowledge is a hundred fold what it was a even a few months ago, and I'm capable of making sound decisions now. I'm just frustrated that my score isn't reflecting that yet. There is a 45 day period before I can apply for that card again, though it does still seem to be the best option for me. Should I keep applying for that card, or is there some duration of on time payments that I should hold out for? 3 months maybe? 6?
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Sep 9, 2012 19:57
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I have a really elementary question about credit reports and disputes. Over the last two weeks I took a look at my credit reports and noticed that an account from last December went into collections. This was a parking ticket that I had not paid. The story of this ticket is I received a letter from a collections company alerting me that if I didn't pay this ticket it was going to go into collections, then I paid it immediately. I considered the matter taken care of. However, one of my credit reports (Experian) still has this listed as a black mark on my record. Now, this is where my ignorance comes into play: I thought that in paying for this ticket, this mark would be removed from my credit report (and when Googling this, I found others who said the same thing) -- but it could just be that, if I gently caress up and don't pay a parking ticket, it's going to sit on my report for seven years. My first instinct is to call/write Experian and file a dispute, but I don't know if this classifies as something incorrect (because it's been resolved), or it it's simply a notice that at one time I didn't pay something I should have. Thanks for any help that can be provided!
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Sep 9, 2012 22:53
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Gustavington posted:I got the impression from credit score breakdowns, like this one, that it can have a significant impact on my score. It seems to be an evaluation of how much credit they expect me to be able to handle vs. how much credit I am using. Expanding on that is what led me to think that paying down the amount I owe on the loans, would open me up to 'being able to owe more' via a credit card etc. However, if I was sure I wouldn't be asking about it, so clarification is welcome. Remy is right. The amount of installment loans don't have much impact on your credit, if at all. If I were you, I would continue to make wise financial decisions and not worry about your credit score. 525 is actually pretty bad. Really bad. That means there are a lot of payments made very slow, accounts that went 90 days late or worse, accounts that are late right now, and debt that went to collection. They do look at the loan balance to some extent, but it is so small compared to everything else. If you used your $9500 to pay down the loans, you might have a 540 score instead, which is still really bad. If I were you I would dispute any inaccuracies, verify that your assumption that you are not late any longer on any account is true, and then never be late with anything ever again. If you have any bad debt and you have the money to pay it, you should, but don't pay it if it will make you broke. You should have no expectation of being able to borrow any amount of money, and nothing but the passage of time will heal that. In the meantime that $9500 is the only buffer you have to get you through school and I would not touch it for anything, especially using it to apply for secured cards or to strategically pay down accounts with the hope it will let you borrow more money. It will be 6 months to a year before the algorithm responds noticeably to your change in behavior. Be patient.
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Sep 9, 2012 23:01
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Gustavington posted:That is actually the exact card I applied for. I'm probably just being impatient. I feel as though my financial responsibility and knowledge is a hundred fold what it was a even a few months ago, and I'm capable of making sound decisions now. I'm just frustrated that my score isn't reflecting that yet. You've hit the nail on the head. I'm using emphasis here, not yelling at you: You had a loan go unpaid for a YEAR, recently. That is a very high level of default, not just a few missed payments. Only time will heal that one - more "on-time" payments on your loans, and the further those terrible red marks move backwards in your history, the more things will improve. You may call capital one and simply explain to a human that the reason for all those late payments was that you didn't know the loan existed - a human might be merciful, but any reasonable computer would look at a year of missed payments within the past few months and deny you outright. It's gonna take some time on this one, and it won't change month to month. Year to year, think long game here.
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Sep 10, 2012 05:12
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It sounded like he was originally just looking to open a good checking/savings account and the denial is what got him worrying about his credit score. So apparently some banks do credit-score checks for checking accounts, some are only concerned with check-bouncing and overdraft reporting agencies like ChexSystems, and some don't really do a background check at all? Gustavington, if that's the case you might just have to continue hunting a bank that meets your needs and will take you, ask up front if they do a hard pull and walk away if they do, or maybe get your current bank to upgrade your account to a normal one if "student checking account" refers to a restricted account you began as a minor. Also, one of my recent declines triggered an email suggesting the American Express Prepaid, unlike a secured card I don't believe they will help you rebuild credit but if you find yourself stuck with a bank that lacks debit card service, this might fill that need while you wait for credit to recover. Remy Marathe fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Sep 10, 2012 |
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Sep 10, 2012 17:39
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I'm not 100% sure on this, but I believe online only banks are the ones that tend to do the credit pulls and he probably would have a better chance at a B&M.
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Sep 10, 2012 18:35
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Remy Marathe posted:Also, one of my recent declines triggered an email suggesting the American Express Prepaid, unlike a secured card I don't believe they will help you rebuild credit but if you find yourself stuck with a bank that lacks debit card service, this might fill that need while you wait for credit to recover. An American Express Prepaid card will definitely NOT help you rebuild credit. They are essentially the same thing as a gift-card or a traveller's cheque. (Does anyone remember those?) But, they can still be useful for situations where you absolutely need a card, like buying stuff on-line or renting a car (assuming you have enough $$ on the card).
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Sep 10, 2012 19:55
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Oliax posted:An American Express Prepaid card will definitely NOT help you rebuild credit. They are essentially the same thing as a gift-card or a traveller's cheque. (Does anyone remember those?) But, they can still be useful for situations where you absolutely need a card, like buying stuff on-line or renting a car (assuming you have enough $$ on the card). I was actually wondering about this. Actually, what I was wondering about is their Gold and Green cards -- I realize they are not credit cards and thus don't contribute to your revolving credit, but do they offer anything else? Perhaps a "foot in the door" kind of thing with Amex for future cards with them?
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Sep 10, 2012 20:41
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mfaley posted:I was actually wondering about this. Actually, what I was wondering about is their Gold and Green cards -- I realize they are not credit cards and thus don't contribute to your revolving credit, but do they offer anything else? Perhaps a "foot in the door" kind of thing with Amex for future cards with them? I have a gold card and they list the max amount I had charged as my credit limit, so it does count as a revolver.
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Sep 10, 2012 20:55
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My fiancee had to spend a few days in the hospital last month. She has insurance through her parents, but she's still being billed around $1900. Now absolute worst case scenario we could throw this on some credit cards and suffer through it. More likely is that her parents will just pay it. However, I'm wondering if there's any hope of negotiating the total bill down? She's a grad student working on her PhD so she can easily pull off the poor student angle. I'm wondering if there's any point in trying to reduce the bill, and if so, what strategies would be useful?
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Sep 11, 2012 01:06
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mfaley posted:I was actually wondering about this. Actually, what I was wondering about is their Gold and Green cards -- I realize they are not credit cards and thus don't contribute to your revolving credit, but do they offer anything else? Perhaps a "foot in the door" kind of thing with Amex for future cards with them? American Express charge cards are definitely treated as credit cards for purposes of improving your credit limit. But Amex typically has high credit standards for these, so if you have bad credit your probably wouldn't qualify. The Amex Blue card is a traditional credit card which has lower credit rating requirements and also will build your credit rating. Might be worth a shot...
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Sep 11, 2012 03:00
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Oliax posted:American Express charge cards are definitely treated as credit cards for purposes of improving your credit limit. But Amex typically has high credit standards for these, so if you have bad credit your probably wouldn't qualify. This is really interesting to me. Amex sent me some "pre-qualify" mailers to me for the Gold and Green cards about a month ago. This got me looking into Amex in the first place, which eventually landed me to apply for the Amex Blue Sky card, which they immediately declined me for. However, I still have those open "pre-qualify" opportunities when I go to their website and login. I'm very surprised to hear that their credit standards are higher for the charge cards rather than the blue cards. Does anyone have insight as to why they would be pre-qualifying me for the Gold and Green cards, but rejecting me for the Blue Sky card? Perhaps the pre-qualifying stuff is just BS.
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Sep 11, 2012 03:05
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FISHMANPET posted:I'm wondering if there's any point in trying to reduce the bill, and if so, what strategies would be useful? Oh yeah. Scrutinize every charge on the bill. I spent a night in the hospital last year, and they tried to charge me $500 for a social worker "evaluation and consultation." I had zero memory of this encounter. I called and told them I had no idea what this was, and that I wouldn't pay it. They didn't protest. (Later, my wife remembered that our "consultation" was when a woman walked in and asked if my wife beat me/poisoned me  )This article has pretty good ideas. The approach there is "I really want to pay you, please help me find a way to make this work." They'll def. work with you, either giving you a discount or favorable low (or zero) interest payment terms.
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Sep 11, 2012 03:12
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I have a quick HSA question . . . So I'm dumb and haven't been paying into my HSA* and I've only got a little bit left in it. I'm heading to the doctor tomorrow and will be picking up some expensive meds so I wanted to dump some money into it but it looks like the process of attaching a depositing account to the HSA takes several days so I won't have the money in time. I noticed that I can "reimburse myself" and have the account mail me a check for qualified expenses I paid for out-of-pocket. So I see three options here: 1. Pay out-of-pocket for my meds and that's it. 2. Pay out-of-pocket for my meds tomorrow, then pay into my HSA whenever I can, then pay myself back. 3. Wait to pick up my meds until I have money in the HSA account. I do have some leftovers I can burn through but this would be less than convenient. I'm only scared of 2 because I'm not sure how hard it is to prove on your taxes that you legitimately reimbursed yourself. *I didn't really understand the whole idea until recently. I will be paying into it regularly from now on.
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Sep 11, 2012 03:17
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FISHMANPET posted:
Some hospitals will work out payment plans with you, if you mention t hat you are low income. And others, such as religious ones, may have charity available for certain cases. It's worth a shot to ask.
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Sep 11, 2012 03:23
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HondaCivet posted:1. Pay out-of-pocket for my meds and that's it. I asked these same questions last year. Answers below. 1. Easiest, but more expensive 2. So much grief. You'll probably find yourself at some point wondering if it was worth all the trouble (especially if we're talking saving  on taxes.) I gave up on this one because it was such a pain to deal with.3. Easy and cheapest, if possible. Call your doctor, talk to the highest ranking non-doctor on staff, and explain your situation. Unless its something like pain meds, they'll probably have a good supply of samples in a huge bin for you to plunder while you wait for the dollars to come in.
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Sep 11, 2012 03:37
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Hopefully a simple question. My daughter just turned 2 and I would like to begin saving for her future (gently caress me for not doing it when she was born, I'm a horrible dad). Besides our mortgage ($135k @ 3.5%, 29/30 yrs remain) we have no debt. What is the best, or even some ideal ways, to save for her future? My general goal would be to have about $100k saved for her when she turns 18 (so 16 years). Looks like an initial investment of $20k with $200/mo payments would get to $100k with a 5% return. I'm not sure if that is realistic rate, too high/low. I've read some on 529s but I'm uncertain if that is the best way to go (seems like you are screwed if your kid doesn't go to college for one reason or another). Any advice?
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Sep 11, 2012 06:41
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mfaley posted:I'm very surprised to hear that their credit standards are higher for the charge cards rather than the blue cards. I used to work at Amex, so I can guarantee you the standards for the charge cards are higher than the Blue cards. It has to do with the models they use to assess the credit worthiness of a charge card customer for the "no pre-set spending limit" calculations. That only works well with relatively high-credit quality customers (the reasons for it are pretty technical though). The pre-qualify is really just a marketinig gimmick. You are probably on some mailing list that contains a high percentage of people that do typically qualify for the charge cards, and so got the mailing also. Unfortunately, your actual Blue Card application represents Amex' true assessment of your credit worthiness. 
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Sep 11, 2012 16:08
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mfaley posted:Does anyone have insight as to why they would be pre-qualifying me for the Gold and Green cards, but rejecting me for the Blue Sky card? Perhaps the pre-qualifying stuff is just BS. Remy Marathe fucked around with this message at 16:41 on Sep 11, 2012 |
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Sep 11, 2012 16:18
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Oliax posted:The pre-qualify is really just a marketinig gimmick. You are probably on some mailing list that contains a high percentage of people that do typically qualify for the charge cards, and so got the mailing also. Unfortunately, your actual Blue Card application represents Amex' true assessment of your credit worthiness. Pre-approved is actually a legal term. It means they cannot deny you for a credit decision. They can deny you for other decisions though (income, etc.) If they deny you for a credit reason (and your credit remains the same as when they pulled it) after being pre-approved, they done hosed up.
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Sep 11, 2012 16:23
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Remy Marathe posted:If it was actually a Blue Sky card you were rejected for, that's not inconsistent with what Oliax is saying. Blue Sky's not the same as their regular Blue card- the "Blue Sky" & "Blue Sky Preferred" are rewards cards targeting people who fly or travel frequently, I'd expect those to be harder to get. Amex has a number of cards with "Blue" in their name. That is a really good point. Blue Sky is something they've added since I left, but generally travel rewards have higher thresholds than cash-back or no reward cards. If you really want to test Amex's willingness to give you credit, apply for a "Blue from American Express" or a "Blue Cash Everyday from American Express" those should have the lowest thresholds.
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Sep 11, 2012 16:52
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LorneReams posted:Pre-approved is actually a legal term. It means they cannot deny you for a credit decision. They can deny you for other decisions though (income, etc.) "Pre-qualified" <> "pre-approved". Also, since they will never tell you why they rejected you (the person on the phone won't know, the computer doesn't tell them) it doesn't really matter whether it was realted to income, credit or something else... Speaking of "hosed-up" if you really want to boggle your mind try reading the card-member agreement some time. It's a work of true legal virtuosity. (Not in a good way.)
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Sep 11, 2012 16:56
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This is super interesting. Thank you for all this info. I just checked back up to make sure I was using the right terminology, and the actual verbiage is "pre-selected." Not sure what that means exactly vs pre-qualify and pre-approved. edit: Also, special thank-you for explaining the difference between Blue Sky and other Blue cards. I was a little put-off by being denied the Blue Sky card, but I guess it makes sense given your info.
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Sep 11, 2012 17:05
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Oliax posted:"Pre-qualified" <> "pre-approved". Also, since they will never tell you why they rejected you (the person on the phone won't know, the computer doesn't tell them) it doesn't really matter whether it was realted to income, credit or something else... No, you'll get a letter telling you why you were rejected. This is actually a pretty strict legal requirement. Pre-selected means they used no personally identifible data to provide the offer. If it's pre-approved, it means they pulled a soft pull on your credit. They can do this without your permission because they then have to offer you credit if you accept and can't deny you for a credit reason. The fines are huge for messing this up. LorneReams fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Sep 11, 2012 |
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Sep 11, 2012 17:07
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Oliax posted:That is a really good point. Blue Sky is something they've added since I left, but generally travel rewards have higher thresholds than cash-back or no reward cards. If you really want to test Amex's willingness to give you credit, apply for a "Blue from American Express" or a "Blue Cash Everyday from American Express" those should have the lowest thresholds. I don't know about the regular Blue, but word on the streets (okay the rewards card thread) is the Blue Cash Everyday card is relatively hard to get, especially without prior history with Amex. I think my experience lends weight to that, I was declined for one with a good score (808 when Amex pulled it) though I do have low available credit resulting in utilization that peaks around 25%, and fairly young accounts open at the moment. Remy Marathe fucked around with this message at 17:22 on Sep 11, 2012 |
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Sep 11, 2012 17:20
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I know we all have different priorities and I don’t want to pick on yours, but you are putting way too much effort into becoming a customer of American Express. They must have an amazing marketing department or something.
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Sep 11, 2012 18:04
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Remy Marathe posted:I don't know about the regular Blue, but word on the streets (okay the rewards card thread) is the Blue Cash Everyday card is relatively hard to get, especially without prior history with Amex. I think my experience lends weight to that, I was declined for one with a good score (808 when Amex pulled it) though I do have low available credit resulting in utilization that peaks around 25%, and fairly young accounts open at the moment. I applied for my Blue Cash Everyday in February and I was approved with a high 700s score (according to Amex). It also came with a 20k starting limit...  I have since been approved for a Capital One Venture and Chase Freedom so it must have something to do with the specifics of your current accounts and not the score itself.
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Sep 11, 2012 18:14
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