ma91pmh

Thanks for the heads up. Shouldn't be an issue to wait until the refi closes.

cbrmanf4

I was wondering why you were suggesting the two BofA cards. Since I'm currently not a member of those frequent flyer clubs, would it be diluting miles away from my UA and AA accounts?

dcpilgrim

There was a guy on FWF who was chasing 0% offers to fund his stock portfolio (not a choice I would make) that did something in the high teens to low twenties. I forget the total number, some one would mention an offer and he added it to the list. His conversion rate wasn't that great, especially since he was rolling over balances he already had (and thus had high utilization which impacted his score).

You taking on all 11 yourself or splitting with the spouse?

dcpilgrim

Credit Sesame is nonsense. Go for it. The worst that happens is they say no. After 12 months you may get an upgrade offer as well. HHonors points are gutted for top properties, but the devaluation wasn't as rough if you need a random night at a hampton inn or something.

MDtR-Chicago

That is an important and reasonable concern. Keep in mind it's usually only within a single lender. So 15k from BoA would generally only affect BoA approvals and many banks will let you reallocate existing credit line from one of their own cards to overturn a denial. (not sure about BoA)

Kay_nyc

When I first started out I applied for something like 12 or 13. This was in 2007, before all the blogs started, and I didn't know about FT. I just applied until I got denied. IMO, do as many as you can meet the min spend on.

theanswriz42

How bad is the hit to your credit score when you're applying to that many cards at once?

Mbcijim10

Nice. Love the courage OP! I don't have the bal....

I'm happy with 11 since Feb.

ma91pmh

This would be just for me. Spouse will do some more Min spend really is a non-issue in this day and age of MS where I can generate $20k spend a month with very little effort. Some of the cards on my list are there purely for MS purposes as opposed to upfront bonuses (WF 5% cashback and TD Ameritrade 5% rewards), and some are just good keeper cards I've not yet got round to getting (PenFed travel rewards, Fidelity Amex), along with some of the big sign up ones.

I have 13 lined up and think I will get at least 11 of them.

KennyBSAT

10-12 sounds about right to me after a 6 month break. +1 on waiting until after the refi closes and funds. The fact that you have signed the papers at the title company or wherever you close does not mean it's all done. When you hear the fat lady singing your old lender has been paid you can fire up the AOR.

lacuadra

Do you repeat and recycle? How do you decide on what to apply?

Trying to learn the trade from the masters!!

ma91pmh

It all depends on the card and the purpose really. Some cards in my wallet are just simple keepers. Like the much maligned Discover card, which both my wife and I have and manage to get some good cashback bonuses for. In this batch I am looking to get the Fidelity Amex and PenFed travel rewards as keeper cards. Keeper cards for me offer some good standing benefits and have no annual fees (or at the very least I know I can get the fees waived)

For the rest it depends on specific cards and churn cycles. With Chase and Amex I try to get a card once, keep it for a year then close. Then the following year I let my spouse get it. Then the year after I can usually get it again with the sign up bonus. This pattern works well for Chase and Amex. If cards are more churnable than that, like Bank of America, then I will just add them into the cycle on any given round.

My usual cycle has been 6-7 cards per quarter. But with some time on the bench I want to make up for lost ground

ma91pmh

thanks for the feedback. my last two refi's nothing was pulled after the initial three bureau pull, but for sure i can see the sense in making sure it's funded as anything can of course go wrong until then. saving a few hundred per month is more than i am going to earn through any single app-o-rama

pinguy

Don't forget that Alaska miles are worth more than most other airlines. A domestic coach ticket on AS starts at 15k.

startbyservingothers

Just Curious, Since bumpage was mentioned. Does anyone pay for bumpage just for AORs? I have 10 hards on my TU. 2 Fresh, 3 that are 7 months old, and 5 that are 13 months old. Would anyone pay for bumpage, or not worry about it since half are over a year? - I won't be doing another AOR for at least 5-6 months. But I'd like to get another US Bank on my next round if possible.
(for KY Chase, Barclay, US Bank, Etc all pull TU).
I wouldn't say i have a thin file, but my oldest card is 6 years, and avg age is probably under 2 years

Note for US Bank:
If you haven't already, be sure to put a freeze on those pesky additional agencies or there is almost no chance of being approved for US Bank if you're a churner. ( IDA / ARS )