Originally Posted by
perkunas
Before proceeding, be very honest with yourself about whether you are truly trying to build your credit, or if the CC companies are doing a good job of luring you into CC's that you don't really need. Your credit is supremely important if you need to buy a home or car.
I have seen no evidence that adding a credit card or two will damage credit in any meaningful way.
I churned 8 AA Citi cards and 3 Chase cards in the last 2 years. My credit rating went from 704 to 720. Primarily because it increased my debt-to-credit ratio because I had more available credit and the same amount of debt.
I am also in the < 30 demographic. As far as annual fees go, these can bite you but if you stay on top of them, you can convert the card to a no annual fee version, or get the fee waived, if you call. And your credit history with the card does not change.
I've stopped churning now primarily because I have a ton of miles and the hassle of keeping up with the annual fees wasn't worth the bonus miles anymore.
I know my situation isn't everyone's but I see no evidence that CC opening can damage a credit score meaningfully. Definitely not > 10 points.