I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Hoosier John]

... Do you personally feel churning has improved or worsened this year?
I'm not looking for a commentary on what went well or poorly from a global churning perspective - I purely mean this on a YOU level. Perhaps your churning has improved because you got more educated on what was available. Perhaps a benefit introduced by a card worked perfectly with your strategy. Or perhaps, the things that died this year made things worse. Weigh in, join in, let's drum up a little fun activity here!

I only started here in May of 2019, where I got 3 new cards, each spaced 3 months apart.
In 2020 I transitioned from my last Chase Biz to CSP then expanded into the world of Amex (Gold & Plat), with a Navy Fed thrown in for a total of 5 new cards.
My wife has been getting on board more and more with the Sapphire MDD.
So we have both picked up the pace in 2020.

I used about $1k of URs on groceries during PYB, otherwise I've just been saving URs and MRs
I think once the economy started picking back up, the credit card companies were eager to get new business, and have been making some great offers.

 

[Judique]

I've had one lone card this year due mostly to 5/24. My world is now wide open!

But, I won't be jumping into a whole lot of new cards in the coming year. I will watch for 'special' offers and maximize my point collection through my regular spend patterns. This will not result in major mounds of points but that's okay.

I was able to get the CSP and 80k points.

But, something a little different happened this time with my credit report. For many years my score has been in the 840 to 850 range.

To make my MSR, I applied for the card right before a major purchase. The purchase of a new heating/cooling system was expected down the road a bit but not immediately.

I split the cost over 2 cards, and existing 2% and the new CSP. I paid both cards within a few weeks of the charges posting. Total spend along with regular spend for the period was about 10K.

So, no carried balances. All paid in full. Nothing outstanding. Loads of credit availability - except on the new card. They gave me 5K which was transferred from another card that had a higher amount of credit.

One credit report took me down to 799.
Another took me to 804.

Almost a 50 points drop in each case.

In past I've seen a 2-4 point drop, or for a car loan that I had for 2 months or so, a 12 point drop which went back up in 2 -3 months.

So, I was surprised by this. It will go right back in a month or three. I can only assume it was charging over $4000 on a $5000 limit card. And putting the other $6000 plus on a 10K card.

Any thoughts on this? All are paid in full at the moment but I'm watching.

 

[miztressuz]

I've had one lone card this year due mostly to 5/24. My world is now wide open!

But, I won't be jumping into a whole lot of new cards in the coming year. I will watch for 'special' offers and maximize my point collection through my regular spend patterns. This will not result in major mounds of points but that's okay.

I was able to get the CSP and 80k points.

But, something a little different happened this time with my credit report. For many years my score has been in the 840 to 850 range.

To make my MSR, I applied for the card right before a major purchase. The purchase of a new heating/cooling system was expected down the road a bit but not immediately.

I split the cost over 2 cards, and existing 2% and the new CSP. I paid both cards within a few weeks of the charges posting. Total spend along with regular spend for the period was about 10K.

So, no carried balances. All paid in full. Nothing outstanding. Loads of credit availability - except on the new card. They gave me 5K which was transferred from another card that had a higher amount of credit.

One credit report took me down to 799.
Another took me to 804.

Almost a 50 points drop in each case.

In past I've seen a 2-4 point drop, or for a car loan that I had for 2 months or so, a 12 point drop which went back up in 2 -3 months.

So, I was surprised by this. It will go right back in a month or three. I can only assume it was charging over $4000 on a $5000 limit card. And putting the other $6000 plus on a 10K card.

Any thoughts on this? All are paid in full at the moment but I'm watching.

I believe you hit the nail on the head for your score, the heavy utilization reported makes a big dip. But utilization has no memory, so once it drops back to normal your score will too. I was just this morning looking at my FICO9 score that WF provides and noticed the same. 850 Oct, 806 Nov, 850 Dec. In Nov I had nearly maxxed out a 5K card so I got all kinds of score warnings due to high utilization when that reported. I paid in full like normal and score jumped back to normal. Overall utilization was still low, might have increased 1% with that balance, but they also look at individual credit lines utilization as part of it.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

Marriott news this morning: 4 of my free night certificates, 2 of which would have expired on January 31, 2021 and the 3rd which was good until 5/7/2021, 4th was good until 6/15, were all extended to 8/01/2021.

I was gearing up to call and ask for an extension, so it was really nice to look this morning and find them already extended. Not sure when exactly this happened, but I did look at my account some time in the last few days - checking to see if points had credited - and it wasn't in effect than.

I saw information about this on the TUG website this morning

 

[Judique]

I believe you hit the nail on the head for your score, the heavy utilization reported makes a big dip. But utilization has no memory, so once it drops back to normal your score will too. I was just this morning looking at my FICO9 score that WF provides and noticed the same. 850 Oct, 806 Nov, 850 Dec. In Nov I had nearly maxxed out a 5K card so I got all kinds of score warnings due to high utilization when that reported. I paid in full like normal and score jumped back to normal. Overall utilization was still low, might have increased 1% with that balance, but they also look at individual credit lines utilization as part of it.

Really good to hear!

In retrospect, except for my NFCU Flagship, this is probably the only time I've charged up 10K in a few days or even as much as 5K.

I did 5K several times with my NFCU Flagship but it has a 10K line, so no where near the 85% to 90% I did with the CSP.

So, I've got a couple of cards to rid myself of. I'll move my credit to some of my other cards. And I'm going to pop my NFCU card up to maybe 20K. I think they will transfer it for me from the other 2 cards I have with them. It's my go to card for 2% plus has a 3% on travel and all those Global entry credits.

 

[havaneselover]

Trying to use my Platinum airline credits. Just bought a $98 SW ticket. Still have $300 to use. And my Amex Biz Platinum is out for delivery.

 

[Judique]

I saw information about this on the TUG website this morning

I certainly missed reading the email so I'm happy it was automatic!

 

[Judique]

Has anyone booked a night, not been able to show, forfeited the points or cash and received a night credit, with any hotel chain?

 

[calypso726]

Can someone clarify. I know on the hyatt card they are changing the spend $15k get a fnc to calendar year. But the only info I find says for those that open in 2020 or those that open in 2021. I upgraded to the new card fall 2019 so I'm trying to figure out if I could start now or if I have to wait until Jan. Looking to put house expenses on it.

Not sure if this was answered as I’m just catching up on the thread. I did find this article helpful. I believe it has been updated to those in your situation too.

https://p.feedblitz.com/t3.asp?/103...m=email&utm_campaign=Frequent Miler (Instant)

 

[brownhaired_girl]

I certainly missed reading the email so I'm happy it was automatic!

I’m not so sure I got an email.

 

[StephPlum]

So it's been a little slower around here lately. Part of that is definitely the reduced travel and we just aren't attracting a lot of newer folks to the thread which creates activity and buzz. DIS traffic as a whole has to be down.

I also know that some of the shutdowns and craziness that happened earlier this year drove people away from the game, and the whole thing is cyclical too. Long term churners are rare... many people just decide the game isn't for them after a few cards.

That said, I'm interested in hearing what everybody has to say on this discussion topic:
Do you personally feel churning has improved or worsened this year?
I'm not looking for a commentary on what went well or poorly from a global churning perspective - I purely mean this on a YOU level. Perhaps your churning has improved because you got more educated on what was available. Perhaps a benefit introduced by a card worked perfectly with your strategy. Or perhaps, the things that died this year made things worse. Weigh in, join in, let's drum up a little fun activity here!

I still consider myself a newbie with churning. So I am only looking over the last 2 years since I started in 2018.
I'll break my thoughts into two groups. Travel redemptions and credit cards/points

Travel redemptions were way, way down this year. In 2019, we were able to do 4 trips on points. In 2020 we were planning 5 trips. We were on a trip in March (all hotels, airfare covered with points) when everything started to happen with the pandemic here. When we got back from that trip, I only went in to the office one more day before they closed and sent everyone home to work. All other travel I had planned for the year was cancelled. In addition my trip to Hawaii in January 2021 is now cancelled . I have spent some of my travel budget this year on crafts and spent this year on latch hooking, painting, diamond painting and crocheting. As well, I am ahead on my annual book goal. So making the best of staying at home.

Credit cards. Looking at 2019 between 2 players we got 13 cards. In 2020, we did 7 cards. Year over year we are down, but I didn't feel like we really were missing out. Was able to get some of the last CIPs before that got shut down. We haven't been without an MSR for more than a week or two so it has worked for us. When Chase Biz cards came back, we were ready for that. Had to change a few plans on what to get as I am still in AMEX pop-up jail. Didn't go for the SW CP for DH earlier in the year when it was clear we weren't flying in 2020. Now I am set to apply for cards in Feb 2021 to get the CP for myself. So plans changed but it didn't impact us too much.

The bigger impact is the lower expenses. No gas for the car, no travel expenses (food, activities), no more tuition, leftovers for lunch instead of going out at work,... I am not sure I could do faster credit cards on this spend. Also my MS activity is 0. I have gotten a few fee free VGC at staples but I just do not have the motivation to run out to buy and then redeem at Walmart/Serve. Hopefully that will pick up in 2021.

 

[platamama]

Has anyone had any luck extending an old Marriott 7-night cert? I have one expiring at the end of Jan and still unsure if we can use.

Have you logged onto your account? I saw a DP of someone's 7 nt cert being extended automatically by Marriott, and it was one that had already been extended from 2018. It looks like Marriott has been rolling out the extensions this past week; it was supposed to be completed by yesterday. I see all my FNC are extended until 8/1/21 and my suite night awards until 12/31/21.

 

[platamama]

It may be getting harder to MS after Dec 19 - over on regular reddit there is an image of a memo sent out to WM employees. (Only WM, not FD or DG) Don't go crazy buying vgcs right now unless you have other ways to use them up.

 

[calypso726]

So it's been a little slower around here lately. Part of that is definitely the reduced travel and we just aren't attracting a lot of newer folks to the thread which creates activity and buzz. DIS traffic as a whole has to be down.

I also know that some of the shutdowns and craziness that happened earlier this year drove people away from the game, and the whole thing is cyclical too. Long term churners are rare... many people just decide the game isn't for them after a few cards.

That said, I'm interested in hearing what everybody has to say on this discussion topic:
Do you personally feel churning has improved or worsened this year?
I'm not looking for a commentary on what went well or poorly from a global churning perspective - I purely mean this on a YOU level. Perhaps your churning has improved because you got more educated on what was available. Perhaps a benefit introduced by a card worked perfectly with your strategy. Or perhaps, the things that died this year made things worse. Weigh in, join in, let's drum up a little fun activity here!

I try to see the silver lining in things. We had to cancel a ton of trips and won’t be doing anything international until likely 2022. This allowed for a change of focus. As most of you know we chase the more boujee aspirational trips. Normally I plan things 2 years out and pull the trigger. We aren’t going anywhere besides Disney and a few Florida weekend getaways so I’m not hemorrhaging UR and MR points like normal. So this has allowed me to switch gears and focus slightly.

I had always planned to get under 5/24 to get the Hyatt card after nearly 8 years of LOL/24. Not only did we do that, we’ve stayed under 5/24 in order to accumulate UR points at a faster clip than usual. Thanks to the pandemic I’m doing my first mattress run. Hyatt Globalist and 4 suite upgrades plays right into plans we’ve made tentatively for next year or 2022 at the latest.

I can’t Not be planning something outlandish or aspirational. So now I’m planning for not one but two aspirational trips and giving myself a 5 year plan. I feel the need to top last year’s Maldives and Dubai trip that was valued at over $54,000 and paid for with mostly points and a couple hundred bucks. So now the plan is a 24 day Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands trip that starts at over $50k in steerage for the two us and should smoke the Maldives and Dubai trip. We are also planning for the Galapagos as well and have enough URs to do that once things are back to normal. So I’m stoked about a trip that wasn’t realistic with the current level and frequent travel I was doing plus an unexpected addition that is already possible.

 

[afan]

Not sure if this was answered as I’m just catching up on the thread. I did find this article helpful. I believe it has been updated to those in your situation too.

https://p.feedblitz.com/t3.asp?/1037156/33437776/7310775_/~frequentmiler.com/tips-for-timing-your-hyatt-credit-card-spend/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Frequent Miler (Instant)

Thank you, that was a great write up that has some good info that I hadn't considered. I know my anniversary date, 3/17, stayed the same with the upgrade since it's what triggers the fnc. So I need to hit it by that point if I'm going to and as close to it as a I can since I'd like to use this fnc in Okiniawa Sept 11 or 12 which is 6 months later.

My next statement cuts on Jan 1, so is it accurate that the spend on that statement would count since the statement cuts in 2021 or would I need to wait until Jan 1 to start the spend.

On another note, got the letter from chase about why they denied my CL increase, since I told him not to bother telling me yesterday because they'd denied my app for everything in Sept. It says I don't utilize my current CL's enough. Well my personal shouldn't affect it, but I know it does, and of course I haven't used my CIP since March, I haven't been traveling which is why I want to pc the stupid thing. I'd have actually used it if they had. Oh well.

ETA question above.

 

[ep1229]

I can’t Not be planning something outlandish or aspirational. So now I’m planning for not one but two aspirational trips and giving myself a 5 year plan. I feel the need to top last year’s Maldives and Dubai trip that was valued at over $54,000 and paid for with mostly points and a couple hundred bucks. So now the plan is a 24 day Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands trip that starts at over $50k in steerage for the two us and should smoke the Maldives and Dubai trip. We are also planning for the Galapagos as well and have enough URs to do that once things are back to normal. So I’m stoked about a trip that wasn’t realistic with the current level and frequent travel I was doing plus an unexpected addition that is already possible.

That's amazing @calypso726! Do you have a blog or did you write on here how you did the Maldives and Dubai trip? I want to do that too! Can't wait to see how you plan your upcoming trips.

 

[havaneselover]

Bought my mom an iPad from Best Buy on thanksgiving. Hers is old and glitchy and since the pandemic started she’s been playing mahjong on hers. When through RMN just for the heck of it even though Apple products are excluded. Got an email today that I have $29 pending. Don’t know if it will pay out and RMN seems to be very hit and miss but it’s worth a shot.

 

[happ]

So it's been a little slower around here lately. Part of that is definitely the reduced travel and we just aren't attracting a lot of newer folks to the thread which creates activity and buzz. DIS traffic as a whole has to be down.

I also know that some of the shutdowns and craziness that happened earlier this year drove people away from the game, and the whole thing is cyclical too. Long term churners are rare... many people just decide the game isn't for them after a few cards.

That said, I'm interested in hearing what everybody has to say on this discussion topic:
Do you personally feel churning has improved or worsened this year?
I'm not looking for a commentary on what went well or poorly from a global churning perspective - I purely mean this on a YOU level. Perhaps your churning has improved because you got more educated on what was available. Perhaps a benefit introduced by a card worked perfectly with your strategy. Or perhaps, the things that died this year made things worse. Weigh in, join in, let's drum up a little fun activity here!

The year started off strong for me with SW cards, my first companion pass, and everything in place for a zero out-of-pocket runDisney trip. Then everything got cancelled and I lost a bit of $ in the process. I'm not sure if I'll even use my CP, but I'm happy to have a stash of points. I had my first Chase denial this year that led me to try my luck with Amex. I had not tried at all this year since I was in pop-up jail last year, but I have somehow escaped and am thrilled to have a new biz card. Interestingly, I opened exactly the same number of cards this year as last. So, all in all, I guess my churning has been consistent.

 

[platamama]

Trying to use my Platinum airline credits. Just bought a $98 SW ticket. Still have $300 to use. And my Amex Biz Platinum is out for delivery.

I'm going to do the same. I think I will use them for DD since my SW CP expires 6/30/21 and this way there will be funds to use for her for the rest of 2021. That takes the pressure off of me for getting another CP.

 

[ctinct]

Marriott news this morning: 4 of my free night certificates, 2 of which would have expired on January 31, 2021 and the 3rd which was good until 5/7/2021, 4th was good until 6/15, were all extended to 8/01/2021.

I was gearing up to call and ask for an extension, so it was really nice to look this morning and find them already extended. Not sure when exactly this happened, but I did look at my account some time in the last few days - checking to see if points had credited - and it wasn't in effect than.

Ugh. Happy for you and everyone that got extended, including me for one night I had left that was due to expire January 31.

But, I burned two nights for my daughter’s wedding needlessly, as it turns out. Wedding had been postponed, but then they just decided to do a small family wedding at her now husband’s moms house. She only lives about 35 minutes from me, but I booked the rooms in case we, ahem, celebrated too much. (We didn’t.) I asked the agent if they were going to be extended, and he pretty much said no, due to the fact they had already been extended once. I kind of had a feeling that might change. Ah, well. Hopefully I will be able to use it before it expires again, plus I just got an anniversary night.