learned my lesson once again - citi bank closed my shell mastercard before the expiration date. chase bank earlier this year lowered my credit so now i have only one c-card with $1K limit.
- i used to have a BoA card with over $10K limit. they closed it after it expired two years ago.
- i had a BonJovi logo card from BoA with $6K to start with. i only applied the card for BonJovi photo on the card, as well as a t-shirt and a cap with BonJovi logos. i cancelled the card as soon as i got the BonJovi gifts.
- i had a Amex card with "unlimited" credit (but the bank must have a confidential limit thus rejected some big purchases) but cancelled it after they started to charge annual fees.
- I had a chase card with $5K deposit to secure. but it was a credit card. it was used to build my scores when i first arrived. (at the time, many of my crdit card - such as the shell gas card - were rejected because i didn't have enough credit cards, IRONIC!!!) i closed it as soon as i had too many cards.
- ...
at the peak i had 4 cards with over $14K limit. but how come my score has become so bad?
- one time i got a late fee from my Banana Rep. card (you know how the merchant charges the late fees, $39 on a balance of $19.) and the bank would not waive them. so i refused to pay it. they finally sold the balance to the collector. the collector was very hard to deal with. i refused to pay the $100+ balance. my wife got a call from the collector and paid in full (in contrast, she is very aware of the score.)
- i did not use the online pay features and was tight on when to send the checks for payment. so the payments were late quite a few times.
- for some reason, i have been victims a few times of identity hijacking. people used my card in Mexico (when my card is actually with me); people opened bank accounts using my name but different address. they even had set up online access with their own username and PIN and stuff.
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