Aside from my lousy luck with my credit reports this week I did however get one good bit of luck. I sent in my check a couple of weeks ago for a secure FCNB card. I sent in $200 not expecting anything abovei it with my lousy credit. I got it back and I was given a $600 credit line. Not alot I know but way more than I expected with 3 collections plus my Chapt BK. Oh and I also got my Sterling card last week which I also did secure with my payment. I got that one through junum. So now I'll have two good entries on my report. Oh one other note, I applied for the FCNB card because on the creditmania site it says they pull TU which is my cleanest but also because they noted that FCNB only pulls reports as promotional inquiries. This is untrue atleast for me, I looked at my report online and it was a regular old hard inquiry. MistyEyed
Hello Misty Eyed... I too applied and recieved 300% of my deposit so I sent in $300 for a $900 CL..How long after you signed and mailed back your letter did you recieve the card..I too am in the process of rebuilding..Now I have a Providian only $300 limit...Just recieved a offer from First premier today for a card with a $500 limit if I sent it the application fee of $25..Also sent in a $49 dollar application fee for First National Bank of Marin..They also approve anyone they stated my limit on that card would only be $250 though..But congratulations and good luck on your journey through Subprime Hell...Just started my journey a month ago...
Be good to Providian. I don't remember if my first card was $300 or $500, but I got my first offer from Providian in 1998 -- for a visa (my first one in almost five years after I hosed my credit). They kept increasing my limits (with me paying $49 each time) until today when I have a $7850 limit and a gold visa. My APR started at 24% and they never offered to reduce it in all this time. From my calling them just since this March, my rate has dropped to 15.9%. Also, when you do start getting those $49 credit line increase offers, call them and try to get it waived. After about a year or two you should get an offer for a mastercard with a $1000 limit. I got mine a little more than 11 months ago. You'll get the same $49 CL upgrades every four to six months. After I called them last week they upgraded it to gold mastercard with a 25 day grace period and raised my credit limit by $1000. Some people here haven't had the success I've had with Providian but many have. I think the trick is to use the card for something at least once a month, and carry a balance (even if only a small one) for several months a year.
