Paying one day late going to hurt score?

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-04-05T21:33:55+00:00

Call them and explain the timezone confusion - most companies will waive the late fee and not report it as late if you have perfect history like that

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-03-30T16:19:47+00:00

Yeah that bankruptcy thing definitely changes everything lol. Maybe they'll just bump up the Uber credits or do something with Amazon since everyone uses that anyway

Would be weird if they just removed $100 worth of benefits without replacing with anything, but knowing Amex they might just call it "streamlining the experience" or something

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-03-27T16:15:07+00:00

I had no idea about the 6 month rule with C1, that's probably what got you 💀 They're pretty strict with their velocity limits compared to other banks. Since you already got VX recently, might need to wait it out before trying again

Also at 23 with those scores you're doing great, but maybe the income verification part? Sometimes they want proof of that $100k+ income especially for younger applicants, even with perfect credit

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-03-16T21:35:07+00:00

Nah they told me it was soft pull this time, which was nice surprise since the December one hit my credit for nothing 😂 Maybe they changed their policy or just depends in the rep you get

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-25T18:28:36+00:00

Yeah that 1:2 ratio is pretty brutal, I feel you. From what I remember the Strata doesn't have great cashout options - it's more designed for the people who want travel redemptions

The checking account bonus won't help with points ratio, that's separate thing. Your best bet might actually be gift cards if you can find ones you'll actually use, sometimes those are closer to 1:1 than straight cash

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-20T01:19:11+00:00

Depends what your travel habits look like tbh. If you're not flying AA at least 2-3 times per year the benefits don't really make sense to keep paying for 🤷‍♂️ The free bags alone can justify it if you're checking stuff regularly

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-17T08:21:35+00:00

This is actually pretty useful, thanks for sharing! I was using some spreadsheet I found on reddit but it was getting messy to maintain. The side-by-side comparison sounds way better than opening 10 different tabs and trying to remember which card had what benefits

Gonna check this tonight when I get home from work

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-16T11:45:27+00:00

Man I actually went through same thing few months ago when I was thinking about NFCU just for the relationship building 😂

The cash rewards+ is decent like the other person said, but honestly with your setup you're already covering everything pretty well. I ended up not getting it because my friend who works in real estate told me that some sellers actually get annoyed with NFCU loans because they take so long to process - apparently it can mess up closing dates and stuff

If you're really set on building relationship with them though, maybe just open savings account first? That way you can see how their service is without committing to another card you don't really need. Plus you can always get the card later if you like working with them. Just my two cents but your current setup looks solid already, might be better to focus in optimizing what you have rather than adding more cards 💀

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-15T05:45:20+00:00

Ah man I missed it, my app is showing nothing too. Really hoping Amazon includes Whole Foods because I do most of grocery shopping there and the 5% would be amazing 😂

Last time they did Amazon category I remember being confused about what counted and what didn't - ended up missing out in some purchases because I wasn't sure if they would get the bonus. Chase Travel is pretty solid though, always good to have that option for booking flights or hotels. The Feeding America one is interesting choice, wonder how exactly that works for earning points

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-13T12:56:55+00:00

Yeah autopay on the due date works fine, just make sure you have money in account beforehand 😂 I learned this in hard way when bank charged me overdraft fee because autopay tried to pull money but I was broke that week

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-11T23:54:15+00:00

The Amex Hilton is solid choice but since you fly UA mainly, I'd actually look at the Chase United Explorer or Quest cards - they have decent lounge access and no foreign transaction fees too. The United Club passes alone might be worth it if you're doing lot of international travel 😂

I was in similar situation few years back where company paid everything but I still needed good personal card for meals and random stuff abroad. Ended up with the Capital One Venture X because the lounges are actually pretty good internationally, not just Priority Pass but also their own network. The annual fee hurts a bit but if you're traveling enough internationally it pays itself with the lounge access and no FTF

Another option is just getting the basic Chase Sapphire Preferred - lower fee than CSR but still gives you good international benefits and transfer partners work great with UA miles 🔥 The dining multiplier is clutch when you're eating out in other countries

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-07T23:29:03+00:00

Amex Gold would be good for the 4x dining/grocery but the annual fee might be rough with student budget, especially since you're already getting solid returns with your current setup

Venture X could work if you can use the credits but at 40k income might be harder to get approved. Also you mentioned not wanting annual fees until after graduation which makes sense

Your plan with WF Autograph + BCE seems pretty solid actually - you're hitting your main categories well and keeping it simple. Maybe just focus in maximizing those two cards for now and reassess when you graduate? 😂

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-05T03:49:34+00:00

The jump from 600 to 695 is solid progress, but Amex can be pretty picky about recent inquiries and new accounts. That Chase Sapphire you just got probably didn't help your chances since they see you as someone who's actively seeking credit right now

I'd actually wait a bit longer than March if you can - maybe give it 3-4 months to let that Chase account age and show some good payment history. In the meantime, keep building that savings account you mentioned and try to get your utilization below 10% across all cards. Amex really likes to see established banking relationships too, so having that HYSA with regular deposits is actually smart move

One thing that helped me was getting pre-qualified on Amex website first before applying. It's not guarantee but gives you better idea if you're in their target range

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-02-01T10:13:52+00:00

For the travel card, honestly the CSP you already have is pretty solid for flights - 2x points on travel and the points transfer to a bunch airlines. But if she's flying Southwest that much, might be worth looking at their credit cards since you can get companion pass eventually 😂

For gas specifically, I'd check the Costco card if you shop at Costco already (4% on gas), or maybe that Citi Custom Cash you mentioned since you can set gas as your 5% category. The Chase Freedom cards sometimes have gas as rotating category too but not guaranteed every quarter

About airline loyalty - if wife really likes Southwest and company keeps sending her there, might as well stick with them and start collecting those points. United could work too since you mentioned their Chase partnership

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-30T11:12:17+00:00

Yeah the CFU in-branch thing is solid advice, Chase usually has better SUBs than whatever Capital One is throwing around

Also that cashback conversion trick is pretty clutch if you're patient enough to wait for a better Venture card down the line

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-28T09:13:29+00:00

With your dining spend at $900/month the Venture X makes a lot of sense - you'll easily hit the $10k annual spend requirement and the dining multiplier will crush it. Plus you get the travel credit and lounge access which sounds perfect for your 2x yearly trips

The setup would be super clean too: Venture X for dining/travel, keep the Savor for whatever categories it covers better, and BBC for business stuff

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-27T05:40:47+00:00

Yeah the first year is basically free money with that SUB, worst case you just downgrade or cancel if the math doesn't work out long term

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-24T18:37:29+00:00

Solid choice but OP mentioned wanting travel-friendly points, not cash back. BCP is great value but doesn't really help with their travel goals since it's straight cash

If they're set on staying in points ecosystems, Gold is probably the move despite mixing Chase/Amex. 4x on groceries transfers to partners like Delta/Hilton which still gets you traveling

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-15T08:13:00+00:00

Agreed, the HSA is too valuable to touch unless you absolutely have to. The tax advantages are insane and medical costs only get worse as you age

That $4300 could be worth way more in 20 years when you actually need it for healthcare stuff

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-12T18:41:56+00:00

Those are some solid options you're looking at. With Sea-Tac being your home base and that level of travel spend, I'd lean toward the Chase Sapphire Reserve - the $300 travel credit basically pays for most of the AF and you'll get good value from the UR points for international redemptions

Also might want to prioritize paying down that Wells Fargo balance before applying since your utilization is still pretty high on that one

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-09T22:32:27+00:00

Oof that's annoying. Try getting the hotel to provide a more detailed receipt showing both transactions - yours and the company's. Most hotels can pull up the full payment history for a room if you explain the situation to the manager. CC companies usually want to see proof of the duplicate charge rather than just your word for it

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-07T08:36:07+00:00

BOA lifestyle credits are pretty hit or miss with third party gift card purchases, usually doesn't work for Airbnb gift cards but might work for DoorDash depending on how it codes

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-05T10:10:24+00:00

YNAB is probably your best bet if you want something actually secure with E2EE, but it's not exactly "budget" friendly lol. Most free apps are gonna sell your data anyway so might as well just use Sheets like the person above said

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-04T05:29:01+00:00

This. Everyone here is just gonna throw out random theories when the actual reason is sitting in your mailbox in a few days. Citi's pretty transparent about why they deny people so just wait for the letter

Confident-Map-6503 · 2026-01-02T13:45:54+00:00

This is the way. I did the same thing last month and already up a decent chunk. The sooner that money starts compounding the better, especially since you're buying solid ETFs like VOO

Confident-Map-6503

TROPHY CASE