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drat. Tried calling to get my annual fee waived on the Arrival+, had done $30k in business through them since March 2015 and they refused to waive. Had some points left to utilize, so after getting high and mighty with them, said I'd call to cancel on Monday after redeeming everything. I requested waiving again on the website just now, we'll see what they have to say, but I don't have high hopes. I just applied for the Fidelity 2% investment card and got just under my current credit limit through Barclay, so nothing lost on my business card if they don't approve!
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Mar 3, 2016 03:10
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Dead Pressed posted:drat. Tried calling to get my annual fee waived on the Arrival+, had done $30k in business through them since March 2015 and they refused to waive. Had some points left to utilize, so after getting high and mighty with them, said I'd call to cancel on Monday after redeeming everything. I requested waiving again on the website just now, we'll see what they have to say, but I don't have high hopes. I did around 35k last year and just downgraded, no waive offered. Unfortunately I downgraded the day before the fee, so they ended up charging it anyway, and it's been a real pain to get it reversed. The customer service for the Arrival seems noticeably worse than the Arrival+.
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Mar 3, 2016 20:54
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Amex has a 35k point sign up bonus for the SPG card. All the blogs are going bonkers.
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Mar 3, 2016 21:16
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TheEye posted:Unfortunately I downgraded the day before the fee, so they ended up charging it anyway, and it's been a real pain to get it reversed. The customer service for the Arrival seems noticeably worse than the Arrival+. When I downgraded it was well before the fee and I still had a few leftover points (from pending transactions). The rep was like "well you can just wait until the end of the month and you can use your points and they will still waive the fee and I was like "naaaah just do it now." Got my Chase Sapphire bonus... have 63,000 points. Now what?
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Mar 3, 2016 21:46
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Be nice if I hadn't gotten that cards basic bonus offer a couple years ago.
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Mar 3, 2016 21:48
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Elysium posted:When I downgraded it was well before the fee and I still had a few leftover points (from pending transactions). The rep was like "well you can just wait until the end of the month and you can use your points and they will still waive the fee and I was like "naaaah just do it now." If you don't have the SPG and can use the points I'd get that.
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Mar 3, 2016 22:26
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The Electronaut posted:Amex has a 35k point sign up bonus for the SPG card. All the blogs are going bonkers. With SPG rooms going from anywhere between 7k - 30k points, what is the big deal about the 35k offer? Seems like you can also transfer those points to airlines but United is a 2 to 1 transfer policy. Busy Bee fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Mar 3, 2016 |
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Mar 3, 2016 23:00
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The Electronaut posted:Amex has a 35k point sign up bonus for the SPG card. All the blogs are going bonkers. How much is that worth roughly
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Mar 3, 2016 23:03
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Busy Bee posted:With SPG rooms going from anywhere between 7k - 30k points, what is the big deal about the 35k offer? 20000 SPG points = 25000 airline points, so if you spend a little over the minimum, you'll get 50K airline miles out of it (except on United) People have hardons for SPG points because they transfer to a ton of different partners, but otherwise they're not anything amazing.
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Mar 3, 2016 23:40
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TheEye posted:I did around 35k last year and just downgraded, no waive offered.
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Mar 4, 2016 00:00
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Busy Bee posted:With SPG rooms going from anywhere between 7k - 30k points, what is the big deal about the 35k offer? Airline transfers and good redemption options for pretty low points.
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Mar 4, 2016 02:56
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Yeah, SPG is great because people used it as a 1.25 point per dollar card for almost any airline on everyday spend. As others have said though, the one airline you don't want to transfer to is United who gives a lovely transfer rate because of their relationship with Chase. I will try to keep up with this thread more. The points game is good if you can stay disciplined and pay stuff off every month. I was able to fly to Hawaii twice in the past 2 years for free by just taking advantage of signup bonuses and using the cards for stuff I would have bought anyways.
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Mar 13, 2016 02:26
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If I already have a Capital One 360 savings account (previously was an ING account), and I get a Capital One Quicksilver card, can I easily transfer funds from my savings account to the credit card account to pay my balance? (by easily, I mean seamless and nearly instant transfer, instead of the week long authorization process in transferring funds between banks/credit unions) Or should I avoid having a second credit card entirely, since I don't really need it. (current one is through my local credit union)
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Mar 13, 2016 21:24
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UserErr0r posted:If I already have a Capital One 360 savings account (previously was an ING account), and I get a Capital One Quicksilver card, can I easily transfer funds from my savings account to the credit card account to pay my balance? (by easily, I mean seamless and nearly instant transfer, instead of the week long authorization process in transferring funds between banks/credit unions) Paying any credit card at most takes a of couple days and if you initiate the transfer via the credit card then it should be applied immediately.
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Mar 14, 2016 02:41
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asur posted:If you aren't buying a house or a car, then stop caring about your FICO score. You should care anyway because FICO is increasingly being used to evaluate your worthiness in other areas like employment background checks and home/auto/medical insurance and people are finding lots of doors close or become a lot more expensive to go through with lovely credit. Pryor on Fire fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Mar 14, 2016 |
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Mar 14, 2016 20:23
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SaltLick posted:How much is that worth roughly Most folks value Starwood points at a bit over 2¢ each, so somewhere around $700 by that valuation. If you are actually using them for bookings at Starwood properties, you can squeeze some pretty good value out of them - 7-8¢/point, or around $2,450-2,800. If anyone is interested in signing up for it, I am happy to make a referral for you. I get points for this, and you still get the 35k offer. Unfortunately there's no bonus for you (unlike Discover, where we each get $50) but I will think good thoughts about you!
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Mar 14, 2016 21:37
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If I have 33k points on my Freedom card (5ish years accumulation) is there any reason I shouldn't just get a check for $330 and call it a day? I plan to keep the card, and also have an amazon card. But I know what to do with those points.
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Mar 15, 2016 02:24
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Defenestration posted:If I have 33k points on my Freedom card (5ish years accumulation) is there any reason I shouldn't just get a check for $330 and call it a day? If you are ever going to have a CSP or Ink card, you can then transfer those points to the Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, where you can get better value out of them. If you don't have travel plans, I think you are probably best cashing them in.
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Mar 15, 2016 02:46
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Pryor on Fire posted:You should care anyway because FICO is increasingly being used to evaluate your worthiness in other areas like employment background checks and home/auto/medical insurance and people are finding lots of doors close or become a lot more expensive to go through with lovely credit. This is me... Thanks to the OP and curators. American citizen who has lived abroad from ages 8-26, only thing 'in my name' in the USA in that time was a meagre joint bank account with my Dad. In January this year I returned to the USA from a first world, english-speaking industralized country and military ally of the USA with several years of insurance coverage, clean driving record and efforts of paying my bills on time at my back. I knew that credit ratings existed as a thing but I did not realize just how deeply integrated and institutionalized they are now in this country. And so, I find out I have basically no credit history at all. What do I get at every turn? I am treated like a ghost in the system because of no credit rating, and service people basically treat it like a computer says no moment and look at you blankly. The experience of this is compounded by - hate to complain - many American's have such incredibly terrible knowledge of geography or generally about the concept of being an American who has been living in a foreign country makes it an uncomfortable experience on top of this. Needed a deposit for a post-paid wireless phone account... Can't even open many low limit secured credit cards because I have just literally no credit history. Get charged massively increased auto premiums in every quote even with help of insurance agent. Find out that many jobs with the government or even just general jobs I want to apply for can require credit checks. So anyways, my just over $200 limit Secured Opensky Visa is on its way and I am going to utilize it under 15% and only to fill my car with gas every month and triple-lock that auto pay poo poo in. Its the game and yeah gently caress this dystopian society but we gotta play it Jacobin fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Mar 15, 2016 |
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Mar 15, 2016 17:19
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I was able to get bank of America to pull in my credit history or something from Canada when I was applying for my first US credit card. I didn't have a particularly long or eventful credit history but it made a huge difference from a fully secured $500 card to an unsecured $4800 card, both with the same cash back rewards. I don't know if it would work for you, and I doubt it'd help for auto loans.
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Mar 15, 2016 17:28
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If you were abroad because your Dad is in the US military you should try something like USAA that is more familiar with servicing service members and their families.
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Mar 16, 2016 03:54
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Jacobin posted:... lack of credit question ... I recently moved Canada to US, perfect Canada credit rating, zero in US. Here's my experience so far: * Canadian banks TD and Royal have US corporation banks - they say they will allow you a credit card based on Canadian history, and this is true, except the fine print says your home address must be in a state where they have a US branch and you have to personally go into that branch to do the application. As all their branches are east cost and I moved to CA, that didn't help at all. * American Express allows for your Canadian history to get a US based card without securing it. But you need this in place, with history with them, before you move. * Everyone else want secured cards to start. I opted for Capital One - no fees, has credit tracker. * GEICO accept Canadian driving records for your insurance, and gave quotes reflecting that. Home insurance was no issue either. * Utilities (gas, power, water, cable, internet) all want up front deposits. All deposits were refundable (important!) except AT&T because they are idiots, so I went with Cox instead. * T-Mobile phone - no credit was no problem, except you do not get to set the bill on auto-payment until a year after. Makes no sense to me, all other utilities allow this. * Rental apartment was no problem with zero credit, just had to give a letter from employer stating income. No additional deposits required.
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Mar 16, 2016 13:34
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SiGmA_X posted:What! They refused to let me downgrade. Or escalate the call. I should have called back. I was able to downgrade my Arrival+ to the regular Arrival yesterday with no issues, but when I called a week or two ago they told me I wasn't eligible for any downgrade options. Sometimes you just get someone who doesn't know what they're talking about.
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Mar 16, 2016 19:53
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Decairn posted:* Everyone else want secured cards to start. I opted for Capital One - no fees, has credit tracker. Then someone mentioned /r/churning in another thread here on SA, and I just got a brand new Chase Sapphire Preferred with $7300 limit, which was more than double the combined limits of my three other cards (Cap One, Credit Union, Amazon Store card). My credit score has went from 585 to 735 over the last three years. Feels good.
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Mar 16, 2016 20:42
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THF13 posted:I was able to downgrade my Arrival+ to the regular Arrival yesterday with no issues, but when I called a week or two ago they told me I wasn't eligible for any downgrade options. Sometimes you just get someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. I just downgraded my CSP to a Chase Sapphire card. Easy and via email.
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Mar 16, 2016 20:51
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I'd feel bad that I've more or less capped my credit score due to an old student loan default that's been settled but I'm not getting a house anytime soon so whatever.
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Mar 16, 2016 21:55
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Hey guys on the upside tho I went into Chase bank yesterday and explained my situation/ knowledge of how credit ratings work and the guy took I think a beneficial interpretation of family of mine being with chase as a prior relationship and issued me a Slate credit card with a $600 limit I have some reasonable savings but reality is I am still barely part time employed and with no credit history so eh this is an opportunity I shant mess up
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Mar 16, 2016 22:45
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Some good news: the Marriott Starwood merger isn't going through thanks to a higher bid from a Chinese company.
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Mar 18, 2016 18:49
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Rated PG-34 posted:Some good news: the Marriott Starwood merger isn't going through thanks to a higher bid from a Chinese company. Marriott has 5 days to respond to the bid so this is a little premature. The markets at least seem to think that they're will be a bidding war as the share price was above the Chinese offer.
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Mar 18, 2016 19:19
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Been on my parent's CC for the past couple years and now I'm looking for my own. I've tried applying for Chase Freedom/Sapphiare and BofA Cash Rewards but they've all denied me since I don't have any credit history. CreditKarma says my credit score is excellent due to my parents but that apparently that doesn't do anything for me in getting my own CC. I got an AmEx Blue Cash card but looking for a VISA since AmEx isn't accepted everywhere. If I go into a BofA or Chase branch, can I still try to apply for one of those rewards cards and improve my chances?
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Mar 22, 2016 17:12
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Geno posted:If I go into a BofA or Chase branch, can I still try to apply for one of those rewards cards and improve my chances? Do you bank with either of them? The credit approval system at BofA for the branch is the exact same (backend) as what is available to you online. That being said, a big national firm is more likely to extend you credit if you have assets on them, the credit approval people can see things like that.
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Mar 22, 2016 17:21
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Well, Today&yesterday I activated my Secured OpenSky Visa & Chase Slate card and made small bill payments utilizing under 30% with both of them. Set up auto-deducts from my Chq acct to pay the statements in full on billing day. I plan to repeat this cycle. I guess I feel relieved about finally being able to 'do something' to build credit history. Any major tips on anything else to expect?
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Mar 22, 2016 17:27
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FunOne posted:Do you bank with either of them? The credit approval system at BofA for the branch is the exact same (backend) as what is available to you online. Nope, I bank with Charles Schwab.
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Mar 22, 2016 17:40
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Jacobin posted:Well, Nope that's about it. Credit isn't "free money" and should always be allocated with money from a checking or savings account prior to any purchase on the card. Keep that in mind, make payments in full every month, and keep utilization low (even if you need to make multiple mini payments throughout the month) and you'll be just fine. You know you have a decent credit history once you start receiving credit card offers in the mail.
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Mar 22, 2016 17:47
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Geno posted:Been on my parent's CC for the past couple years and now I'm looking for my own. I've tried applying for Chase Freedom/Sapphiare and BofA Cash Rewards but they've all denied me since I don't have any credit history. CreditKarma says my credit score is excellent due to my parents but that apparently that doesn't do anything for me in getting my own CC. Rather than going into a branch try looking up and calling their reconsideration line. Even if you're not getting credit history from being on your parents card you American Express should be giving you some established credit. You should also get your free credit reports from https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action to make sure there isn't any incorrect information that is affecting your score.
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Mar 22, 2016 18:12
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SaltLick posted:You know you have a decent credit history once you start receiving credit card offers in the mail. Knew there had to be some sort of dystopian aspect to 'success' in this area
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Mar 22, 2016 19:27
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Is it normal to see a hit to your credit after opening a credit card? I picked up the Amex preferred card and my credit was 730 prior. I switched over to using it as my main card and let it report a balance on the grace period and then pay it in full each month. Then this week I get an email from CreditKarma with new scores out and my scores have dropped to 690 which CreditKarma tells me is a function of the card's utilization. :/
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Mar 23, 2016 03:36
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Generally yeah--you just had a hard pull and decreased the overall age of your accounts. If you ran it up to near the card's limit then CK would think you have high utilization even though you paid it off in full.
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Mar 23, 2016 03:42
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El Mero Mero posted:Is it normal to see a hit to your credit after opening a credit card? I picked up the Amex preferred card and my credit was 730 prior. I switched over to using it as my main card and let it report a balance on the grace period and then pay it in full each month. Then this week I get an email from CreditKarma with new scores out and my scores have dropped to 690 which CreditKarma tells me is a function of the card's utilization. :/ There's no history to utilization, so if it reports a very low balance (say 5% of your limit), your score will go back up. Pay it off before the statement cuts and you'll probably gain 30 points when it reports a $0 balance. You'll also likely see a drop for the inquiry, and for the dip in the average age of accounts.
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Mar 23, 2016 04:18
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FWIW some issuers (I forget who but google knows, probably) report your utilization on the 1st of the month, regardless of when your statement close date is. You shouldn't really worry about it unless your utilization is approaching 30% on a particular credit line. That's where the dings start to happen. Below that you're fine, so don't feel like you need to push a payment every time you buy a burger or something.
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Mar 23, 2016 04:29
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