|
BAE OF PIGS posted:Is it worth changing to this card?
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2018 02:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 05:29 |
|
|
Star War Sex Parrot posted:If you were going to PC your Citi card to anything, why not a Double Cash that gets 2% anywhere? Good call. I never thought of that, and only thought about doing a PC after I got this mailer.
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2018 02:42
|
|
|
In a related note, Citi changed my Forward (which I didn’t use) to a ThankYou (which I definitely won’t use). If I ask them to change to a Double Cash, they can deny the request but it shouldn’t hit my credit score either way, right? Also, I always wonder if something like this affects the “average account age” part of a credit score. edit: According to Google, the answer is no to both. Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Jan 30, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2018 02:44
|
|
|
BAE OF PIGS posted:Edit: what's this student loan card thing you guys are talking about? I'd like to get some of the better cards with larger rewards, but I'm not a big spender so reaching some of the minimum spend things can be kinda hard sometimes for me. https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/7t1szh/2018_federal_student_loan_servicer_update/
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2018 03:05
|
|
|
I had a Citi ThankYou card for years, before I ever really cared about the points redemption game, and I only used the points for gift cards. It was a terrible way to use my rewards, but I didn't know any better. Once I started paying attention, I realized my Thank You points weren't really worth much. I used the bulk of them towards Amazon purchases at a decent redemption rate, then switched over to the Chase world. I still have my Citi ThankYou card, and I just got a mailer asking if I wanted to switch to the DoubleCash card. I plan to do that, though with the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the category cards I am now juggling (2 Discover cards and a Chase Freedom) and the category-specific cards I already have (for travel, groceries, etc) I doubt I would use it much.
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2018 06:44
|
|
|
I just did a balance transfer to my Citi Diamond Preferred card and apparently they are willing to send you a physical check. In other words, you can give yourself a 0% APR loan in the amount of your credit limit for just the 3% transfer fee. Weird. Also, Bank of America's e-bill/payment system continues to be turbo garbage. Chase is so far ahead of them it's not even funny.
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2018 08:18
|
|
|
I have both the Citi ThankYou cards - the Preferred isn't really that great (I just got it for the signup bonus when they still had that, and will cancel the next time the fee comes around), but the Prestige has some really solid perks ($250 annual airline reimbursement and 4th night free at hotels, along with some lesser perks like they cover Global Entry and give you a PriorityPass membership) that make the $450 AF well worth it as long as you travel a couple times a year. ThankYou points definitely aren't as good as Chase points as their partner lineup isn't quite as strong, but if you're flying internationally (especially to Asia) you can get some decent value out of some of the airline partners. wyoak fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Jan 30, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2018 17:53
|
|
|
I'm trying to actually take stock of my credit situation since it's always been an afterthought for me because I never carry a balance, and now I'm not sure I'm getting a good deal from Chase. My daily driver is an old Bank of America Bank Americard Rewards Card which is a basic reward point for every dollar spent. No frills and by today's rewards standards actually pretty terrible. $10k limit and 11% APR. I use it as my daily because god forbid I need to carry a balance, 11% is my lowest APR card. I've had this card for about 13 years. I also have a Chase Freedom Card that I got when I opened a Chase Checking account 8 years ago. $4500 limit and a 25% APR. I'd rather use this daily but I only put like 2 recurring monthly bills on here on autopay and never use it because to me that APR is ludicrous considering I have perfect credit. I called Chase Support and they swear that given my credit history that's the best they can do. Yes I've checked my own credit and it's flawless. I haven't looked at credit cards in almost a decade. Am I wrong in thinking 25% APR is highway robbery? I do want to get a better card and use it as my daily driver (maybe one of the better Chase cards?) and my first thought on the transition to that was to request a limit increase on the Freedom and try to get that APR brought down.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 19:15
|
|
|
Why do you care about APR if you never carry a balance? Just ignore it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 19:18
|
|
|
Star War Sex Parrot posted:Why do you care about APR if you never carry a balance? Just ignore it. God forbid life happens and I have to put a large chunk of change on my card, I don't want to be paying 25% interest on it if I don't have to. Am I overthinking that?
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 19:31
|
|
|
If you need to carry a balance due to some life issues or whatever, apply for a 0% APR card, which typically lasts for 12-18 months. Or, check out your online offers for your current cards, mine often offer 12-18 months at 0% APR, but you have to select the offer. It sounds like you have good credit, so it doesn’t sound like you’ll have an issue getting approved for one if you need it. Also, if you’re that concerned about this happening, boost your emergency fund so if it does happen that you need a large chunk of cash, you have that to fall back on.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 19:45
|
|
|
Fhqwhgads posted:God forbid life happens and I have to put a large chunk of change on my card, I don't want to be paying 25% interest on it if I don't have to. Am I overthinking that? Cacafuego posted:If you need to carry a balance due to some life issues or whatever, apply for a 0% APR card, which typically lasts for 12-18 months. Or, check out your online offers for your current cards, mine often offer 12-18 months at 0% APR, but you have to select the offer. Cacafuego posted:Also, if you’re that concerned about this happening, boost your emergency fund so if it does happen that you need a large chunk of cash, you have that to fall back on.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 19:51
|
|
|
Fhqwhgads posted:God forbid life happens and I have to put a large chunk of change on my card, I don't want to be paying 25% interest on it if I don't have to. Am I overthinking that? You are. Build up an emergency fund if you don't have one. If you can't shake that mindset, though, look into getting a card with a credit union; they often have one available with low APR. You should make sure your card isn't the old BoA rewards card where points expire though. If it is, you should product change that into one of the newer BoA ones that don't expire points (like Cash Rewards) if you can. Look into getting a card that gives you a better return on everyday spend, too. A few of 'em out there with 2% these days, and you could always take advantage of something with a nice signup bonus if your everyday spend is high enough for it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 19:51
|
|
|
Related to rewards, it looks like USAA stopped offering their 2.5% back on everything card 
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 19:52
|
|
|
You should still ignore the high rate. It's easy enough to apply for a balance transfer card to move it off if you need to.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:02
|
|
|
Fhqwhgads posted:God forbid life happens and I have to put a large chunk of change on my card, I don't want to be paying 25% interest on it if I don't have to. Am I overthinking that? You're not. This is why it's really important to have a significant savings buffer. Income/expense volatility gets people trapped into terrible debt products and fine/fee expenses all of the time and at all income levels. You might be better off though going to your credit union and seeing what their rates are for personal lines of credit to account for that emergency expense situation. I dunno, even the lowest interest rate credit cards that I see are still 15-21% e:fb with some better options El Mero Mero fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Feb 4, 2018 |
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:08
|
|
|
astral posted:You are. Build up an emergency fund if you don't have one. I'll have to work on changing that mindset, I know. On principle I was upset that 25% is the 'best' they can do. It is the old BoA one where the points do expire thanks for pointing that out, I should look into upgrading that one into a better BoA care as well to keep that credit line open. I want to upgrade my Freedom card as well at some point in the near future. Ideally I'd just rather do all my daily banking with Chase so I can keep everything under one account. Edit: I have a savings buffer and all that, it's just a mindset I need to change then.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:10
|
|
|
I have never paid attention to any interest rate on any credit card ever and have never paid a penny in interest or any fees/penalties. I'm sure dozens of others here will say the same, it's really not hard to anticipate and plan for most expenses. Guess what you're gonna lose your job someday. Guess what you're gonna need a new car someday. Plan accordingly. Outside of the healthcare industry anyway, as far as I can tell any minor medical visit results in immediate bankruptcy regardless of any insurance you have or any assets you own 100% of the time.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:16
|
|
|
Star War Sex Parrot posted:Related to rewards, it looks like USAA stopped offering their 2.5% back on everything card Alliant has theirs. 3% first year with no fee, 2.5% and $59 annual fee thereafter. No foreign transaction fees, either. Downsides: I think you need to qualify for a $10,000 credit limit to get it, and the technology behind Alliant is awful. Like pay the account, but the money doesn't free up as open credit for a couple days, even when the money to pay the card is coming from Alliant. And the customer service is outsourced to some generic credit union call center, so if there are any issues, Alliant and this call center point the finger at each other. It's nice to have the cash back each month at a high rate, rather than points building up that I may never use effectively, but compared to Amex, Chase, and Discover, the technology and customer service are lacking. Since they tend to cut my card off every three months for a false positive on a fraud alert, unfortunately that matters a little more than it did with those other issuers, too. I'm not doing any MS on it, just regular purchases. Edit: And since we are talking APR, this card is 11.24%, which is pretty good. I have a friend who 10 years ago anyway had (and maybe still has) a 6% fixed APR. I had to have them show me the account because I said there was absolutely no way and they had to be misinterpreting it, but there it was. I forget the lender, but I think it was a local CU. If it's the one I think it was, it looks like they are doing as low as 8.9% fixed right now on new cards. So yeah, credit unions for low APR products without needing to be targeted for an offer or get a new card. Tewdrig fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Feb 4, 2018 |
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:17
|
|
|
Fhqwhgads posted:I'll have to work on changing that mindset, I know. On principle I was upset that 25% is the 'best' they can do. Freedom card is fine (the 5% bonus categories are pretty good at least half the time); consider opening a second Chase card instead. If your spend can meet the $4k in 3 months bonus requirement, you could snag a Chase Sapphire Preferred and get 50k bonus points (worth $500, or more than that on travel), then product change it after the first year is up so you don't have to pay an annual fee. This'd also let you get more value out of any Chase Freedom points you already have if you need to do any traveling since you can freely transfer points between Chase unlimited rewards cards. Otherwise, the 1.5x back on everything Chase Freedom Unlimited (also comes with a spending bonus offer of usually $150 back on $500 spend) is still a step-up for non-category spending. If you do get a CSP/CFU, make sure to have a friend or family member refer you as they'll get some extra points out of it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:26
|
|
|
astral posted:Freedom card is fine (the 5% bonus categories are pretty good at least half the time); consider opening a second Chase card instead. If your spend can meet the $4k in 3 months bonus requirement, you could snag a Chase Sapphire Preferred and get 50k bonus points (worth $500, or more than that on travel), then product change it after the first year is up so you don't have to pay an annual fee. This'd also let you get more value out of any Chase Freedom points you already have if you need to do any traveling since you can freely transfer points between Chase unlimited rewards cards. This is the direction I'm going to take. See if I can upgrade the Freedom to CFU and also get a CSP since I do plan on traveling this year. Along with upgrading the BoA card to a better cash rewards card because it's my oldest line of credit and I want to keep that going. I can meet the $4k spend in 3 months without issue for the bonus on the CSP as well.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:37
|
|
|
Fhqwhgads posted:This is the direction I'm going to take. See if I can upgrade the Freedom to CFU and also get a CSP since I do plan on traveling this year. Along with upgrading the BoA card to a better cash rewards card because it's my oldest line of credit and I want to keep that going. I can meet the $4k spend in 3 months without issue for the bonus on the CSP as well. Why not keep the Freedom and either apply or refer for the CFU for whatever sign-up bonus there is ($150 I think)?
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 20:42
|
|
|
A few things: How quickly do credit pulls show up to the card companies? I applied for a BOA card today online and didn't get an auto approve so don't know if I should apply to another one quickly or just wait. I have some car stuff coming up so can meet the spend easily that is why I am just trying to get a $150/500 bonus. I had a Capital One card from when I was 18 through 23, always made payments, but then poo poo happened and I defaulted, this was a long time ago and it should be off my report by now, would they give me a card or no? I have a Chase Freedom Unlimited, can I get a Chase Freedom also? It would be my 3rd Chase card in at least 2 years (the others 2 are still open and used) so I assume so, just worried about the product 'family/name' Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 22:26
|
|
|
Michael Corleone posted:A few things: Pulls show immediately. You can call their application status line and, if they can't help, have them forward you to a credit analyst to see if they can speed things along: 866-224-8555 Capital one pulls all three bureaus if you apply for a card with them; I wouldn't recommend getting one of their cards unless there's an ongoing promotion like the uber/spotify and a really good signup bonus that you can take good advantage of. You should be able to get a Chase Freedom also, yes. If you don't already have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, and meet the eligibility requirements for the spending bonus + your spend supports the higher ($4k) requirement, you might consider that as an alternative. Either way make sure to hit up a friend or family member for a referral link so they get some nice points too.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 22:52
|
|
|
astral posted:Pulls show immediately. You can call their application status line and, if they can't help, have them forward you to a credit analyst to see if they can speed things along: 866-224-8555 Thanks! I'll just wait it out or call them tomorrow, I should get approved I think. I'll wait on doing anything else, I am not a 'churner' but like to sign up for a new card every year or so to get the basic $150 bonus on $500 spend. The Capital One card I was looking at and the Chase Freedom are the same offers, so if I get declined I will look at one of them. The BoA card is 1% everything, 2 and 3 for for grocery and gas stations, not great, but whatever. I already have a Discover IT that I don't use if I want rotating categories.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2018 23:48
|
|
|
Let's say you do a 0% APR balance transfer and also buy $100 worth of new stuff this month, and your minimum payment is like $35. In order to avoid interest being charged on the new stuff, you'd have to pay $35 plus $100 right? It always seemed to me this was a bit unfair because part of that $35 should be allocated to the $100 worth of new stuff since the $35 is based on the balance transfer amount AND the new stuff.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2018 11:46
|
|
|
Josh Lyman posted:Let's say you do a 0% APR balance transfer and also buy $100 worth of new stuff this month, and your minimum payment is like $35. In order to avoid interest being charged on the new stuff, you'd have to pay $35 plus $100 right? It always seemed to me this was a bit unfair because part of that $35 should be allocated to the $100 worth of new stuff since the $35 is based on the balance transfer amount AND the new stuff. You need to check the specific terms of your card, but you might not be able to avoid paying interest on that new $100 purchase at all. For a lot of cards, the balance from the balance transfer counts as carrying a balance, which means you lose the grace period for any future purchases, as in you get interest charged on day one of your purchases.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2018 13:43
|
|
|
Ancillary Character posted:You need to check the specific terms of your card, but you might not be able to avoid paying interest on that new $100 purchase at all. For a lot of cards, the balance from the balance transfer counts as carrying a balance, which means you lose the grace period for any future purchases, as in you get interest charged on day one of your purchases. RIP my 5% rotating categories.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2018 02:01
|
|
|
I'm interested in getting into the points/bonus hunting game, but how does applying for these cards all the time affect your credit? I was always taught that you shouldn't apply for credit cards unless you need them because it will hurt your credit? I know having a higher amount of overall credit available is good because it lowers your utilization percentage, but don't all those pulls hurt you?
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2018 17:22
|
|
|
There's a good beginner's guide quite a few pages back that should probably be added to the OP. I think it's mostly still accurate:Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:I posted this in another thread for Khorne, but if anyone else wants to get into Churning and doesn't know how to start: I've made a very simple step-by-step guide on how to start Churning and how to pace your cards. Star War Sex Parrot fucked around with this message at 04:18 on Mar 20, 2018 |
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2018 17:27
|
|
)
|
Josh Lyman posted:Let's say you do a 0% APR balance transfer and also buy $100 worth of new stuff this month, and your minimum payment is like $35. In order to avoid interest being charged on the new stuff, you'd have to pay $35 plus $100 right? It always seemed to me this was a bit unfair because part of that $35 should be allocated to the $100 worth of new stuff since the $35 is based on the balance transfer amount AND the new stuff. If you do a balance transfer to a card with a promotional rate you should not use the card for other purchases. It depends on the specifics of the program but you will end up paying interest either on the single purchase for that month, or on it until the entire balance transfer is paid off.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2018 18:25
|
|
|
Hey, If this is better off in another thread let me know, but I’ve never had a credit card before and I’ve been considering looking into one. I know well enough that it’s just a tool to spend money you already have, and I would be paying it off at the end of each month. In fact, I don’t think I’d change my spending habits at all. I’m mainly interested in one in order help tide me over between paychecks- I’ve had to take from my savings more frequently than I’d like lately. Additionally, the rewards seem appealing and of course I need to build credit. I was looking at the amazon rewards Visa card in the OP since I have amazon prime and the rewards seem solid. Is that a good card to start with, for my situation? Am I making a terrible decision in general?
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2018 19:10
|
|
|
proctorbot posted:I'm interested in getting into the points/bonus hunting game, but how does applying for these cards all the time affect your credit? I was always taught that you shouldn't apply for credit cards unless you need them because it will hurt your credit? New cards influences your credit in a few ways.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2018 19:16
|
|
|
Panic Restaurant posted:Hey, You absolutely should have enough of a buffer in liquid cash that you don't need a credit card to get you between paychecks. I make sure at the start of a month that my checking account has 2 months worth of expenses in it. You can consider the second month part of your emergency fund or not, but it should not be the entirety of your emergency fund. That said using your credit card for normal expenses and paying it off in full every month is exactly how you should use a credit card. The Amazon card is great assuming that you use Amazon a lot, which is a pretty safe assumption for just about everyone these days.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2018 19:24
|
|
|
Just bit the bullet and got the CSR. For my complaining about a 25% APR on the Freedom, I got a 12% APR on the CSR, go figure. Don't carry a balance, doesn't matter I know. The guy I sat down with cautioned me against also applying for the CFU at the same time, just to be safe. No big deal, I'll wait a few months before adding that in. I can hit the $4k spend in 3 months pretty easily, especially if I can clear half of that just filing my taxes and paying for it on the card. To show how little I ever used the Freedom card, when I handed it and my license to the guy at the bank, the first thing he said was "You know your name is misspelled on your card, right?" I never noticed that because I basically never pulled it out of my wallet. My name is correct in the system, at least, just not on my card.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2018 16:53
|
|
|
Nevermind
Quaint Quail Quilt fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Feb 23, 2018 |
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2018 21:29
|
|
|
I'm pretty decent at keeping track of my deadlines, credit card renewals (and any annual fees attached) and sign-up bonuses, but today I discovered I was 1k short of my Delta Amex Gold sign-up bonus minimum spend. I have until the 18th to post 1k worth of purchases, or I miss the 50k mile sign-up bonus. I was floored, how did I gently caress this up?! This little anecdote is a reminder to you wonderful goons out there, keep an eye on the calendar and your spending minimums. Don't sign up for an amazing card and fumble the ball and miss out on the reason you signed up in the first place!
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2018 00:03
|
|
|
I'm in a similar situation and I'm going to venmo my girlfriend $1200 and eat the $40 or so worth of fees. Try that?
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2018 00:20
|
|
|
VorpalBunny posted:I'm pretty decent at keeping track of my deadlines, credit card renewals (and any annual fees attached) and sign-up bonuses, but today I discovered I was 1k short of my Delta Amex Gold sign-up bonus minimum spend. I have until the 18th to post 1k worth of purchases, or I miss the 50k mile sign-up bonus. I was floored, how did I gently caress this up?! Do what the goon said above or use something like Plastiq to pay a large bill on your credit card.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2018 00:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 05:29 |
|
|
You could always spend $1k on Amazon GC, or a gas station or grocery store you frequent. Use them up over the next few months.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2018 03:32
|
|
