My husband has decent FICO scores: 739 - Equifax 719 - Experian 733 Transunion He has had a Capitol One charge card since 2000, and in July of 2003, he also got Fleet and Citicorp cards. Even though I don't like Capitol One, it's the oldest major charge account so I have to keep it open. I have two questions: 1. How many major credit cards can you have before it detracts from your FICO score? 2. What would be the best card to apply for based on his scores? Nadine
3 to 5 credit cards, 1 mortgage and 1 auto loan seems to be what is considered an ideal mix by FICO ... I recommend Bank of America definitely. But then, since Fleet is about to merge with BofA, you may eventually see your Fleet card become a BofA card. Are you eligible to belong to a credit union? And do they issue Visa/Mastercard ? Definitely get one of those. And based on reviews I have seen on this board in the past, if you are eligible for membership in USAA, get one of their credit cards too.
We don't belong to a credit union. We do bank with Bank of America, but as you said they are merging with Fleet. We've gotten pre-approval offers for both Amex Blue and MBNA - I'm not sure which is better.
Re: Re: CC Advice Amex pre-approvals are real pre approvals. You'll get the card unless something really negative has shown up on your report since they sent you the offer. Blue is a great card. No BT fees and low interest rates. BofA is great too. Really good cr. limits and CLIs. No BT fees. National City is great. 9.9% whether it's a purchase, cash advance, or BT. BofA and Nat city almost always pull TU. Amex usually pulls EQ/EX depending on where you live. MBNA can be good, but I've heard of them rate jacking a lot of people. Cardholder beware.
Re: Re: CC Advice Excellent - thank you. I think I'll stay away from MBNA and since I've got the Amex Blue approval letter in my hand, I'll send it in. Once again, thanks.
