The thrill of the Chase

Hands down, Chase consistently has the most lucrative credit card bonus offers on the market.  They’ve got sign-up bonuses for cards that earn huge amounts of airline miles, cards that earn free nights at premium hotels, and cards that earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards or cash.

Yep, to a points and miles fanatic like me, the array of Chase bonus offers out there makes me feel a little giddy.

So why not just apply for them all?

Well, first of all, each time you apply for a credit card, you get a “hard pull” on your credit (see post Will Applying for Credit Cards Damage My Credit Score).   The more pulls you have on your credit, the more your credit score is affected.  And after many pulls with the same credit reporting agency (Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion) within a short amount of time, banks will flag you as risky and deny you credit.

You definitely don’t want that.

Instead, review your travel plan and decide which one or two Chase cards will be the best fit for you at this time.  Keep in mind that if you are in this hobby for the long haul, you will be able to enjoy many points and miles earning opportunities by going at a moderate pace.  No need to rush!  Take your time and you will be rewarded.