And the winner is ... Nordstrom? I had to call the upscale Seattle retailer's bank (yes, Nordstrom actually owns a federal savings bank) about another matter, so I asked about getting a store card after a BK. Just like Jim found out, a BK doesn't disqualify you from a Nordstrom store card. The rep said what matters to Nordstrom is how you have rebuilt your credit. Simply put, it sounded like if you rebuilt enough to get your FICO up to Nordstrom standards, the store would issue you a credit card -- BK or no BK. I was told you needed about 18-24 months of solid rebuilding. The rep encouraged me to call in another six months, which would be about 18 months after my discharge. More interesting, if Nordstrom was included in your BK, the company didn't require you to pay back the discharged amount in order to get a new card. In fact, the thought of having to pay back a legally discharged debt seemed a little surprising to the rep. But if you just had a chargeoff, you did have to pay back the charged-off amount. Of course, it will be at least six months until I try this, so I can only report what I was told. If you think you've built your FICO scores high enough and are looking for a retail card to balance your credit mix, you might want to try Nordy's. But do so at your own risk -- I don't guarantee this. Still, Jim's approval seems to back up what the rep told me.