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pig slut lisa posted: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. ah. I think the main problem was that I was letting utilization ride too high. I think last month it was 60% (limit is only like 3K) and then I paid it down to 0 during the grace. So best practice would be to two payments? One to bring down utilization below 30% and then another during the grace? Bah. Credit cards are dumb, I just want to get my cash back on purchases and autopay everything down to nothing without having to even babysit it but nooooooo it can never be easy.
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Mar 23, 2016 07:05
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Request a limit increase after a few months of on-time payments, if you want. It doesn't require a hard pull, and should take 30 seconds on their website.
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Mar 23, 2016 07:21
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El Mero Mero posted:ah. I think the main problem was that I was letting utilization ride too high. I think last month it was 60% (limit is only like 3K) and then I paid it down to 0 during the grace. So best practice would be to two payments? One to bring down utilization below 30% and then another during the grace? Bah. Credit cards are dumb, I just want to get my cash back on purchases and autopay everything down to nothing without having to even babysit it but nooooooo it can never be easy. Of course this is only valid presuming you are paying in full every month, which you seem to be, but saying it any way unless someone were to read this as me saying it's okay to carry a balance month over month. Following on this, question for the thread. My understanding is that it is overall utilization that matters, not the utilization on an individual trade line, correct? Like if you have one card with a $500 limit that was maxed out but it's the only utilization on a total limit across cards with a combined limit of $10k that's still fine, right? Also is there any merit to "showing" activity on your cards? For example I tend to pay everything down to $1 instead of $0 before statement generation if I am wanting to lower my reported utilization. But I also have noticed that "highest balance" is something noted on my credit report, so on a new card while I'm making my minimum spend I'll make sure that there is one month that does report a high balance so that part of the report shows that the card was used and paid, and not just apped/received/thrown in sock drawer.
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Mar 23, 2016 10:28
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Star War Sex Parrot posted:Request a limit increase after a few months of on-time payments, if you want. It doesn't require a hard pull, and should take 30 seconds on their website. El Mero Mero should expect to not incur a hard pull with his Amex, but it's a different story with cards from Bank of America, Chase, and elsewhere. Here's a good resource for anyone looking to request a credit limit increase and who's hard pull sensitive: http://www.doctorofcredit.com/credit-cards/which-credit-card-companies-do-a-hard-pull-for-a-credit-limit-increase/
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Mar 23, 2016 13:12
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Sub Rosa posted:Following on this, question for the thread. My understanding is that it is overall utilization that matters, not the utilization on an individual trade line, correct? Like if you have one card with a $500 limit that was maxed out but it's the only utilization on a total limit across cards with a combined limit of $10k that's still fine, right? I'm a subscriber to myFICO and track my scores/credit activity closely, partially because it interests me and partially because there have been so many loving data thefts. I do believe that card utilization matters. I have a Discover card that I ran near the limit (70% or so) due to several large purchases. This was when they were doing their crazy Apple Pay promo, so I wanted everything to be on the Discover card. Discover reported the balance and I dropped about 20 points off all three bureaus' FICO 8 scores; once it was paid in full and reported for the next month, my scores went back up. My overall utilization was still well below 10%, since I have around $100k in available credit across several cards. I also believe that there is merit to showing activity. I'm not sure about letting a high balance report (though I don't think that hurts), but as an example, I have a card that is used only for my autoship orders from Amazon, which is every three months. So, like clockwork, I get a notification every three months that a dormant account is showing activity, and generally I gain a few points to my FICO scores (which then presumably drop off once the account goes dormant again). I wouldn't worry about this too much unless you're applying for a car loan, mortgage, or some other long-term carry-a-balance loan where even a tiny change in the interest rate will save you big money. It's certainly good to know how to get your score up for a car loan, but otherwise I think the difference between 720 and 740 is pretty minimal. For my credit union, at least for car loans, I am told that the highest creditworthiness tier is a FICO of 740; I have read 760 for mortgages.
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Mar 23, 2016 17:55
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becoming posted:I'm a subscriber to myFICO
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Mar 23, 2016 18:26
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Sub Rosa posted:They have a number of different products. Is there one in particular you would recommend? I've read they make it very difficult to cancel. Never tried to cancel so I can't speak to that. I have FICO Identity Ultimate, which costs me $30/month or $329/year if bought all at once. I can see my current FICO scores for all three bureaus whenever I want (and get alerts when they change); there is also a host of credit/identity monitoring features which I have enrolled in. There may be a better identity theft monitoring service out there, but this one has been a good fit for me. Go to http://www.myfico.com/Products/Products.aspx and scroll down to the "Compare All Products" heading; I have the right-most. It's been worth it for me, but everyone has different priorities, so it may not be a good fit for you. I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have.
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Mar 23, 2016 18:57
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I should wait to cancel my new Chase Sapphire Preferred until I'm right up against the annual fee after ~1 year, right? I'm new to this churning thing and just wanted the card for the intro promo...
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Mar 24, 2016 03:36
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Star War Sex Parrot posted:I should wait to cancel my new Chase Sapphire Preferred until I'm right up against the annual fee after ~1 year, right? I'm new to this churning thing and just wanted the card for the intro promo... You don't necessarily need to, but churn for Chase requires waiting 24 months from the bonus so keeping it has pretty much no downside and the card has good benefits.
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Mar 24, 2016 03:48
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Star War Sex Parrot posted:I should wait to cancel my new Chase Sapphire Preferred until I'm right up against the annual fee after ~1 year, right? I'm new to this churning thing and just wanted the card for the intro promo... Glad to hear you were approved  I'd recommend downgrading to a no-fee Freedom rather than cancelling. Better for your credit score in the long run, and there's pretty much no downside to having a no-fee card aging on your credit report. Whether you cancel or downgrade, make sure that you've transferred any points to partners that you intend you. A downgrade will remove your ability to transfer to partners, while a cancellation will take away your points entirely.
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Mar 24, 2016 04:39
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pig slut lisa posted:I'd recommend downgrading to a no-fee Freedom rather than cancelling. Better for your credit score in the long run, and there's pretty much no downside to having a no-fee card aging on your credit report. Thanks! Now I'm just waiting for my intro bonus to show up. I hit the minimum spend on the first statement 
Star War Sex Parrot fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Mar 24, 2016 |
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Mar 24, 2016 04:49
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becoming posted:$329/year Alternatively, you can just wait for some company or the US government itself to lose all of your data and purchase you a free subscription! That's how I got my credit monitoring subscription. The service the government enrolled me in even tells me if a sex offender moves in nearby! 
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Mar 24, 2016 04:55
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El Mero Mero posted:Alternatively, you can just wait for some company or the US government itself to lose all of your data and purchase you a free subscription! That's how I got my credit monitoring subscription. The service the government enrolled me in even tells me if a sex offender moves in nearby!
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Mar 24, 2016 04:57
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becoming posted:Never tried to cancel so I can't speak to that. I have FICO Identity Ultimate, which costs me $30/month or $329/year if bought all at once. I can see my current FICO scores for all three bureaus whenever I want (and get alerts when they change); there is also a host of credit/identity monitoring features which I have enrolled in. There may be a better identity theft monitoring service out there, but this one has been a good fit for me. Go to http://www.myfico.com/Products/Products.aspx and scroll down to the "Compare All Products" heading; I have the right-most. It's been worth it for me, but everyone has different priorities, so it may not be a good fit for you. I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have.
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Mar 24, 2016 05:04
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Star War Sex Parrot posted:My coworker has 6 (I think) different credit monitoring services for free right now due to data breaches (Anthem, Home Depot, etc.) and only one alerted him when he refi'd last month. It's actually 7 credit monitoring programs right now from various breeches and some included with paid services. Over the past 12 months I've purchased a vehicle with a loan, opened 2 new credit cards and refinanced a home for $215k. - Not a single one of the free credit monitoring one programs I got from the data breeches alerted me for any of them. - The program included with my AAA membership alerted me the next day on my car loan and credit cards. - The credit monitoring program included with my $12/yr LastPass subscription notified me instantly for every single credit pull I've ever had. I have no idea why they all varied so wildly.
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Mar 24, 2016 05:06
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Creditkarma alerts me within like 30s every time I apply for a credit card. Love that site.
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Mar 24, 2016 13:52
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CreditKarma doesn't send me any alerts even though I've told it to in the settings
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Mar 24, 2016 16:19
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Any talk of checking account signup bonuses in here? Or strictly credit cards? Free money!
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Mar 24, 2016 18:51
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Moneyball posted:Any talk of checking account signup bonuses in here? Or strictly credit cards? Free money! http://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-bank-account-bonuses/ A few months ago I got $400 for opening a checking account with USAA, and just last month I opened a savings account with Capital One 360 Savings for a free $300. I'd love to keep finding stuff like this 
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Mar 24, 2016 20:15
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There used to be a huge thread covering checking account and other banking bonuses, along with free referral chains and whatnot, I think it was in coupons?
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Mar 24, 2016 20:16
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Checking and savings account bonuses are good, but they are taxed and note the requirements to avoid fees. They generally require more effort than CC bonuses.
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Mar 24, 2016 20:41
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asur posted:Checking and savings account bonuses are good, but they are taxed and note the requirements to avoid fees.
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Mar 24, 2016 21:05
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In other news, I had a recently purchased bicycle stolen from me this morning and I'm suddenly incredibly grateful to have put that purchase onto my credit card, which is honestly a thing I hadn't even considered prior to the theft. Anyone ever dealt with purchase protection through Amex? El Mero Mero fucked around with this message at 01:22 on Mar 25, 2016 |
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Mar 24, 2016 21:45
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El Mero Mero posted:In other news, I had a recently purchased bicycle stolen from me this morning and I'm suddenly incredibly grateful to have put that purchase onto my credit card, which is honestly a thing I hadn't even considered prior to the theft. I have - I charged a camera while driving on a last second trip and the car was broken into and the camera stolen like a week later - I just called and told them what happened and told them which charge from the statement was related to the camera and they reimbursed me. I didn't even have to send a police report.
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Mar 26, 2016 04:01
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Vomik posted:I have - I charged a camera while driving on a last second trip and the car was broken into and the camera stolen like a week later - I just called and told them what happened and told them which charge from the statement was related to the camera and they reimbursed me. I didn't even have to send a police report. That matches pretty well with what I've heard about Amex purchase protection. Never used it myself, but I've seen lots of stories like this from people online who are pleasantly surprised by how easy and trusting the Amex process is.
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Mar 26, 2016 04:11
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A hotel tried to charge me when I used a free stay certificate (that I was given at another location for getting bitten by bed bugs). I called Amex after the hotel told me to gently caress off and Amex removed the charge immediately when I told them what happened.
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Mar 26, 2016 16:24
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My JetBlue Amex turned into a Jetblue Barclay Card and it seems that all of my rewards points are gone. Has anyone else had this experience? If not I'll wait til monday when their phone lines are open. Thanks!
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Mar 26, 2016 16:54
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Otis Reddit posted:My JetBlue Amex turned into a Jetblue Barclay Card and it seems that all of my rewards points are gone. Has anyone else had this experience? If not I'll wait til monday when their phone lines are open. Thanks! they aren't on your jetblue account anymore? I have the same card and my points get moved to my jetblue acct monthly. or do you mean the points you've accumulated this payment cycle didn't get migrated over?
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Mar 26, 2016 17:50
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Considering dipping a toe into the world of rewards cards, and I'm waffling between two travel cards: Barclay Arrival+ and Chase Sapphire Preferred. Most of the time when I fly I use Southwest, so their partnership and 1:1: points transfer is very attractive. However because my monthly travel/dine expenses are rarely the majority of my spending (maybe 4 months out of the year), the Arrival+ tends to have a slightly better long term reward potential. I've spent most of the weekend trying to determine what card best suits me, and it seems they both do, depending on how I approach travel. To get a good deal out of Chase you need to go through their "Ultimate Rewards" portal or be savvy with a points transfer. Arrival+ doesn't matter, since it's just a straight statement credit against travel. Arrival+ also has some really nice "World Elite" benefits, but they seem like things I'd rarely be able to use. I'm stumped at what one I should attempt to apply for, and would like to get some opinions. There is a third, lazy option. The BofA Travel Rewards card gives the least amount of reward points (1.65x), but there's no annual fee, and I already have a checking account with them.
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Mar 27, 2016 11:55
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Bentai posted:Considering dipping a toe into the world of rewards cards, and I'm waffling between two travel cards: Barclay Arrival+ and Chase Sapphire Preferred. Most of the time when I fly I use Southwest, so their partnership and 1:1: points transfer is very attractive. However because my monthly travel/dine expenses are rarely the majority of my spending (maybe 4 months out of the year), the Arrival+ tends to have a slightly better long term reward potential. I've spent most of the weekend trying to determine what card best suits me, and it seems they both do, depending on how I approach travel. To get a good deal out of Chase you need to go through their "Ultimate Rewards" portal or be savvy with a points transfer. Arrival+ doesn't matter, since it's just a straight statement credit against travel. Arrival+ also has some really nice "World Elite" benefits, but they seem like things I'd rarely be able to use. I'm stumped at what one I should attempt to apply for, and would like to get some opinions. I have both, and I think this question was a lot harder a year ago; since then, Barclaycard have, in my opinion, significantly diminished the value of the Arrival+. That's not to say that it's a bad card, I just think that it's no longer top tier. (Changes they made: redemption now must be against $100 instead of $50, which is pretty obnoxious to me as I tend to get a lot of single night sub-$100 hotel stays; only refund 5% of redeemed miles instead of 10%; TripIt Pro subscription no longer complementary, which I actually used/enjoyed.) So at the end of the day, the Arrival+ is an annual-fee card that earns 2.11% cash back, but only when redeemed against travel purchases of $100 or more. Compare to the Citi Double Cash, which earns a flat 2.00% cash back, no worries about redeeming against travel purchases, and has no annual fee. The Arrival+ is just a really tough sell right now, in my opinion. CSP is a Signature Visa, so that has a lot of features comparable to the World Elite MasterCard. CSP also has primary car rental insurance, which is pretty handy if you ever rent cars (I personally use AmEx for this, but the point is that primary is very different than secondary, and if you rent cars, it's really nice to have primary). Another thing worth considering: Chase will not approve you for an Ultimate Rewards-earning card if you have five or more new credit cards in the prior twenty-four months. If you are only ever going to have one or two cards, then the order of applying won't matter; however, if you're thinking about getting a few cards, I'd go ahead and get the CSP very early on. I'm not aware of Barclaycard having any similar restrictions. becoming fucked around with this message at 01:06 on Mar 28, 2016 |
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Mar 28, 2016 01:01
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becoming posted:I have both, and I think this question was a lot harder a year ago; since then, Barclaycard have, in my opinion, significantly diminished the value of the Arrival+. That's not to say that it's a bad card, I just think that it's no longer top tier. (Changes they made: redemption now must be against $100 instead of $50, which is pretty obnoxious to me as I tend to get a lot of single night sub-$100 hotel stays; only refund 5% of redeemed miles instead of 10%; TripIt Pro subscription no longer complementary, which I actually used/enjoyed.) I think this is an excellent writeup and I agree with everything 100%. The only thing I would add in favor of the CSP is that it has much better trip protection when you book an award ticket with it. Even if you book a Southwest flight with RR points and you only put the $5.60 (or whatever it is) travel fee on it, and that flight is subsequently delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, Chase will cover up to $500 per ticket of non-reimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging. They also will cover up to $100 per day of purchases of toiletries, clothing, etc. if your checked bags are delayed by more than 6 hours.
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Mar 28, 2016 02:14
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You know for all the comparing I did, I didn't have a clue that CSP offered primary rental coverage. Because I'm that sucker that will purchase LDW, their coverage will practically pay for the annual fee. That just tipped the scales, sold and applying. Thank you very much!
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Mar 28, 2016 02:54
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pig slut lisa posted:I think this is an excellent writeup and I agree with everything 100%. The only thing I would add in favor of the CSP is that it has much better trip protection when you book an award ticket with it. Even if you book a Southwest flight with RR points and you only put the $5.60 (or whatever it is) travel fee on it, and that flight is subsequently delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, Chase will cover up to $500 per ticket of non-reimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging. They also will cover up to $100 per day of purchases of toiletries, clothing, etc. if your checked bags are delayed by more than 6 hours. I was in this exact situation a month ago. Booked an award ticket and paid the tax on CSP. Got my $400 check last week. One night at Encore, meal at Red 8, taxis, toiletries, and breakfast. The one thing that got me is that I was honest that I was eating dinner with a companion. Not married nor domestic partner. So, only half our meal at Red 8 was covered and they didn't cover tips on the meal, but they did on the taxi (counter to what others had reported on taxis) .
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Mar 28, 2016 07:46
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The Citi Costco Visa card is pretty drat good: 4% cash back on eligible gas worldwide, including gas at Costco, for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter 3% cash back on restaurant and eligible travel purchases worldwide 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com 1% cash back on all other purchases No annual fee, but you need to be a Costco member to get it. https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/creditcards/citi.action?ID=citi-costco-credit-card-conversion
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Mar 31, 2016 17:24
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Dr Tran posted:The Citi Costco Visa card is pretty drat good: Yah, I want one of these as soon as I can for the 3% restaurant and 2% at costco (replacement for the fidelity amex there). Has there been any word on when non-costco-amex holders can apply?
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Mar 31, 2016 18:28
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Cosigning that the Arrival+ has really diminished itself, both in rewards and overall quality. Their customer service isn't very good either. I had been using the card since it came out a couple years ago, but I'm downgrading it when the next AF rolls around. Moving into the CSP.
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Apr 1, 2016 18:52
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Baddog posted:Yah, I want one of these as soon as I can for the 3% restaurant and 2% at costco (replacement for the fidelity amex there). Has there been any word on when non-costco-amex holders can apply? I emailed their support. June 20th.
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Apr 1, 2016 20:24
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I got the penfed visa from this thread several years ago and have been enjoying the awesome 5% back on gas taken right off my bill. In the years since I got this great card, have any other better gas cards shown up? Keep in mind I just use the penfed card for gas and nothing else.
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Apr 3, 2016 04:26
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 Citi ForwardJune 3rd 2016
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Apr 3, 2016 05:09
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thanks!
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Apr 4, 2016 14:58
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