For those that haven't followed my situation, I've been on a mission last year to get out of a very dire situation of over $80K in high interest credit card debt plus some low interest loans. With the help of several members on this forum, and some hard work busting my ass making$$, I've managed to trim a good chunk of the debt and raise my FICO from 500's to current Experian FICO 8 of 696. Great news, this morning I was approved for a NFCU BTC platinum visa card for $16,700!!! :) Seems like all that work, maximizing my internal NFCU score over the course of the last year has finally paid off. My plan is to try to get one more Balance Transfer Card and then transfer as much high interest debt to hopefully be in a position to pay it all off over 12-15 months. Current CC Cards: Capital one quicksilver 27.65% 0 /5,000 Capital quick one 27.65% 0 /3,000 Venture 22.74% 24,900 /30,000 Chase 27.5% 0 /10,000 Citi 0% until June 2,016 /3,000 Discover 16.74% 10,713 /14,500 NFCU visa 0.99% until June 1,914 /7,500 NFCU visa 0.99% offer 1 year 0 /16,700 barclay (closed but still owe) 27.74% 7,184 /8,250 total Creditcard debt (not including all my loans) = 47,727 Low interest loans = 21,166 plus 64K in student loan debt total active credit card debt (not including barclay) for utilization calculations = 39,543 Active Credit available (not including Barclay since closed) = 89,700 Current Utilization % = 44% (won't show on Experian until next month when new card reports) Since I just applied on a TransUnion , what Experian or Equafax BTC should I go for next?? I need one that I think will give me a decent credit limit/BT terms and most importantly will accept my situation. Discover recently sent me an offer in the mail. I already have one with a lot of debt but would this be a good choice? AMEX - would they even consider me?? Other ideas? Or, should I wait a month until the new card reports on Experian so my utilization% drops and then apply for another card? Note - with my partner's income included, I have pretty good household income (around $238,000) so even though my credit rating isn't amazing, I feel like there's got to be some BTC card out there that can help me deal with my current CC's predatory painstaking apr's so I don't have to declare bankruptcy. TIA for the help!!
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What Experian/Equifax card should I try for next??

1 of 7
A year ago
Sun Apr 23, 2023 5:25 pm
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NoMoneyNoHoney
Seasoned RebelNeed BTC card
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For those that haven't followed my situation, I've been on a mission last year to get out of a very dire situation of over $80K in high interest credit card debt plus some low interest loans. With the help of several members on this forum, and some hard work busting my ass making$$, I've managed to trim a good chunk of the debt and raise my FICO from 500's to current Experian FICO 8 of 696. Great news, this morning I was approved for a NFCU BTC platinum visa card for $16,700!!! :) Seems like all that work, maximizing my internal NFCU score over the course of the last year has finally paid off. My plan is to try to get one more Balance Transfer Card and then transfer as much high interest debt to hopefully be in a position to pay it all off over 12-15 months. Current CC Cards: Capital one quicksilver 27.65% 0 /5,000 Capital quick one 27.65% 0 /3,000 Venture 22.74% 24,900 /30,000 Chase 27.5% 0 /10,000 Citi 0% until June 2,016 /3,000 Discover 16.74% 10,713 /14,500 NFCU visa 0.99% until June 1,914 /7,500 NFCU visa 0.99% offer 1 year 0 /16,700 barclay (closed but still owe) 27.74% 7,184 /8,250 total Creditcard debt (not including all my loans) = 47,727 Low interest loans = 21,166 plus 64K in student loan debt total active credit card debt (not including barclay) for utilization calculations = 39,543 Active Credit available (not including Barclay since closed) = 89,700 Current Utilization % = 44% (won't show on Experian until next month when new card reports) Since I just applied on a TransUnion , what Experian or Equafax BTC should I go for next?? I need one that I think will give me a decent credit limit/BT terms and most importantly will accept my situation. Discover recently sent me an offer in the mail. I already have one with a lot of debt but would this be a good choice? AMEX - would they even consider me?? Other ideas? Or, should I wait a month until the new card reports on Experian so my utilization% drops and then apply for another card? Note - with my partner's income included, I have pretty good household income (around $238,000) so even though my credit rating isn't amazing, I feel like there's got to be some BTC card out there that can help me deal with my current CC's predatory painstaking apr's so I don't have to declare bankruptcy. TIA for the help!!
NoMoneyNoHoney
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Re: What Experian/Equifax card should I try for next??

2 of 7
A year ago
Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:16 pm
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AllZero
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AllZero has been gardening for over 2 years.
Level29 Last INQSaturday, March 26, 2022 Gardening For2 years, 5 months, 21 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes Next Level in9 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes on September 26th INQ 1yr onSunday, March 26, 2023 INQ 1yr reached1 year, 5 months, 21 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago INQ 2yr onTuesday, March 26, 2024 INQ 2yr reached5 months, 21 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago
Congratulations on your approval! That's a great starting limit. You wanted at least a 5 digit starting limit and got it.

IIRC, you'll be eligible to ask for a CLI on your second Platinum in 91 days/3 full statements timeframe. Afterwards, you'll be regulated to the 6 month window.

Discover may not be a good option. As you stated, you still have a lot of debt with them.

I'd probably avoid the major banks. I recommended before to obtain membership at local and national credit unions. They have Platinum type of cards that offer low or zero BT fees. Possibly, more favorable on higher starting limits compared to banks, e.g. BoA, Citi, Wells Fargo, Chase, Amex, etc.

As for when to apply, the lower you can get your aggregate and individual utilization, the better.
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Re: What Experian/Equifax card should I try for next??

3 of 7
A year ago
Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:30 pm
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AllZero
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AllZero has been gardening for over 2 years.
Level29 Last INQSaturday, March 26, 2022 Gardening For2 years, 5 months, 21 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes Next Level in9 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes on September 26th INQ 1yr onSunday, March 26, 2023 INQ 1yr reached1 year, 5 months, 21 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago INQ 2yr onTuesday, March 26, 2024 INQ 2yr reached5 months, 21 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago
NoMoneyNoHoney wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 5:25 pmGreat news, this morning I was approved for a NFCU BTC platinum visa card for $16,700!!! :)
Are you going to BT the full $16,700? Which accounts are you going to unload?
AllZero
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Re: What Experian/Equifax card should I try for next??

4 of 7
A year ago
Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:47 am
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NoMoneyNoHoney
Seasoned RebelNeed BTC card
NoMoneyNoHoney has passed the 12 month threshold!
No scorable inquiries on file!
Level20 Last INQSunday, January 1, 2023 Gardening For1 year, 8 months, 15 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes Next Level in14 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes on October 1st INQ 1yr onMonday, January 1, 2024 INQ 1yr reached8 months, 15 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago INQ 2yr onWednesday, January 1, 2025 INQ 2yr in3 months, 15 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes
AllZero wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:16 pm Congratulations on your approval! That's a great starting limit. You wanted at least a 5 digit starting limit and got it. IIRC, you'll be eligible to ask for a CLI on your second Platinum in 91 days/3 full statements timeframe. Afterwards, you'll be regulated to the 6 month window. Discover may not be a good option. As you stated, you still have a lot of debt with them. I'd probably avoid the major banks. I recommended before to obtain membership at local and national credit unions. They have Platinum type of cards that offer low or zero BT fees. Possibly, more favorable on higher starting limits compared to banks, e.g. BoA, Citi, Wells Fargo, Chase, Amex, etc. As for when to apply, the lower you can get your aggregate and individual utilization, the better.
Thanks!! Definitely feels good to have a plan that I stuck to and it worked. So I'm still uncertain if the new NFCU platinum card will increase or decrease my FICO because of the inquiry. If it will make it go down, then I'm better off applying for an Experian/Equafax card ASAP. If the new available credit line will make it go up (by lowering my utilization), then I'm better off waiting until after the score improves. That said, I don't want to wait too long. I want to use these BT cards as soon as possible because the interest I pay on these high APR cards is absolutely criminal. Yes, I plan to transfer as much as possible but my goal is to get one additional card before I max out the new NFCU platinum (the one with the $16,700 balance) because I'm assuming my FICO will tank afterwards. Also, I'm coming up on 180 days since I last applied for credit line increase with my first NFCU platinum card (which currently has a credit line of $7.500). I think I'm eligible to apply again on May 2nd.. I guess I should wait until then to apply for another Balance Transfer credit card that uses Experian for their reports?? Unfortunately, I only have three other credit unions (unify, provident and patelco) they all don't really have great BT cards, well I guess they are ok. I tried to sign up for PenFed back in January but somehow I neglected to do some sort of deposit verification so now I got to start over - I'm not sure I'd be in a position to get a card from them. Looking for other ideas.
NoMoneyNoHoney
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Re: What Experian/Equifax card should I try for next??

5 of 7
A year ago
Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:50 am
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NoMoneyNoHoney
Seasoned RebelNeed BTC card
NoMoneyNoHoney has passed the 12 month threshold!
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Level20 Last INQSunday, January 1, 2023 Gardening For1 year, 8 months, 15 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes Next Level in14 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes on October 1st INQ 1yr onMonday, January 1, 2024 INQ 1yr reached8 months, 15 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago INQ 2yr onWednesday, January 1, 2025 INQ 2yr in3 months, 15 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes
AllZero wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:30 pm
NoMoneyNoHoney wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 5:25 pmGreat news, this morning I was approved for a NFCU BTC platinum visa card for $16,700!!! :)
Are you going to BT the full $16,700? Which accounts are you going to unload?
Definitely my venture capital one card which has over $25K on it. I have a lot on barclay which is a horrendous 27%++APR also but that utilization isn't being reported so paying it off won't help my FICO. Obviously I want to pay off Barcly though just paying off the venture card seems like it could really help my FICO and thus maybe get me another big limit credit card down the road maybe a year from now.
NoMoneyNoHoney
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Re: What Experian/Equifax card should I try for next??

6 of 7
A year ago
Wed Apr 26, 2023 9:05 am
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BrutalBodyShots
Senior AdministratorGoodwill Saturation Technique Author
BrutalBodyShots has been gardening for over 2 years.
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Level27 Last INQMonday, May 23, 2022 Gardening For2 years, 3 months, 24 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes Next Level in6 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes on September 23rd INQ 1yr onTuesday, May 23, 2023 INQ 1yr reached1 year, 3 months, 24 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago INQ 2yr onThursday, May 23, 2024 INQ 2yr reached3 months, 24 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago Goal24 months Goal DateThursday, May 23, 2024 Goal Achieved3 months, 24 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago
Is the only reason why you're looking to avoid a TU hard inquiry just because you received one there recently?
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Re: What Experian/Equifax card should I try for next??

7 of 7
A year ago
Wed Apr 26, 2023 11:31 pm
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NoMoneyNoHoney
Seasoned RebelNeed BTC card
NoMoneyNoHoney has passed the 12 month threshold!
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Level20 Last INQSunday, January 1, 2023 Gardening For1 year, 8 months, 15 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes Next Level in14 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes on October 1st INQ 1yr onMonday, January 1, 2024 INQ 1yr reached8 months, 15 days, 13 hours, and 28 minutes ago INQ 2yr onWednesday, January 1, 2025 INQ 2yr in3 months, 15 days, 10 hours, and 32 minutes
BrutalBodyShots wrote: Wed Apr 26, 2023 9:05 am Is the only reason why you're looking to avoid a TU hard inquiry just because you received one there recently?
Yes, that was my original thought process when I posted a few days ago. I have two hard inquiries on my TU report now, both from NFCU cards (one platinum card a year ago and one a few days ago). Experian just has one. Not sure about Equifax. Also, I'm under the impression, inquiries make your FICO drop and people have told me it's sometimes best to apply to banks that pull alternate credit bureaus before *they* see you recently open a new credit card as not to spook them (hence the spree of going after several CC in a short time period). But I'm thinking that my utilization might significantly improve which could trump any inquiry score drop. I also just got a second CLI on my discover card just last night raising it to $17,500 (it was 12,500 just a few months ago) so maybe I should wait until they report to Experian??. Now with the second NFCU platinum card (16,700) and this new CLI from discover, I'll finally have my utilization well below 50% for the first time. And I feel like I can get it below 30% soon if I either pay off some more debt or get some more credit line increases (I'm due to be eligible to apply for one on the first NFCU platinum card soon).
NoMoneyNoHoney
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