August 2012 AOS Filers

[epsonderby 85]

I always thought credit score was important, for things like buying a house or a car. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I think the pre paid CC from Chase is great if you want to be on a budget and only spend X amount of money. It is great for budgeting and not living in debt your entire life

Credit score is important for things like that, but it's more than just how many accounts you have. It's about things like how long you've had your job, how long you've lived in the same place and how up-to-date you are on your payments.

[Newbie608 103]

Credit score is very important unless you are rich and buy everything with cash. I didn't understand how important it is until recently. Back in the day, I was like whatever but now with good credit you can get really nice apartment, low interest rates on mortgage, car loans etc. I doubt not having a bank account will affect your credit. Bank account is good in the sense that if you need loans to purchase a house or a car. But like I said if you are wealthy enough to pay for everything cash, credit score is useless.

[epsonderby 85]

I didn't assume that all prepaid card users are illegal or work under table because YMMV. That's just a general statement.

The Chase Prepaid card you said. It costs $60/year in fees. The cheapest prepaid card is US Bank, $40/year.

Why even write that statement? It adds nothing to the discussion. A generalised statement is an assumption, for the record.

$60/year is still cheaper than $120-$160+/year in checking fess and whatnot. I personally prefer to use a checking account, but I won't judge others that don't.

Now I need to push Sean for his letter of employment...

This is like herding turtles

It will all come together, you'll see. You just need to push him a little!

[epsonderby 85]

Credit score is very important unless you are rich and buy everything with cash. I didn't understand how important it is until recently. Back in the day, I was like whatever but now with good credit you can get really nice apartment, low interest rates on mortgage, car loans etc. I doubt not having a bank account will affect your credit. Bank account is good in the sense that if you need loans to purchase a house or a car. But like I said if you are wealthy enough to pay for everything cash, credit score is useless.

I just think that most of the time consumer credit pushes people to live outside their means. I speak to so many people that have $10000-$15000 limits on their cards and they have spent nearly up to their limit, so they ask for an increase and it spirals out of control. They've ended up living on their card and it hs become an everyday part of their budgeting process. I think mortgages and car loans are great, but consumer credit is just a crutch for more and more people these days.

I keep my credit cards for emergencies and use my savings/checking for everyday expenses. I like to stick with one or two institutions when it comes to credit; it might not always get the best rates, but you end up with the best relationship and the ability to seek more flexibility when required. That's why I was so keen to open an account with Wells Fargo, I looked at their mortgage setup, their credit cards and their checkings/savings. I like the way they do business (on the whole) and they're who I'd like to get 'everything' with.

Edited October 8, 2012 by epsonderby

[Frenchican 13]

when I came to grad school, I had a direct deposit for 2 years, and could never get a credit card because I had no credit history, and I had no credit history because I had no credit card!

some international friends witch the same bank & direct deposit that me got it approved with their debit card. they told me at chase, they changed the rules in between them and me. I didn't really care much about the CC, but wanted to get some credit history since I was going to be here for 2-3 years.

Why was it useful back then? because I had to be on prepaid phone for 2 years that was much more expensive than a plan. no plan with no credit history.

Now, we are saving money for a house down payment. hubby gave our SSN to the loan guy, and my income was useless to our household income because of no credit history.

hubby got rid of all his credit cards when he had a big debt to pay when the crisis in 2008. So I couldn't get an additional to get credit history that way either.

chase manager suggested me to apply to a capital one with a $300 limit. they approved everybody, and I could cancel it in 6 months or a year, but that would help me start a history. I've had it for 6 months. hopefully in a few months, when we have saved enough, we can use both incomes for a better deal on the house.

[iaia 8]

Also you can check if you apply for an FHA loan, they have great interest rates.

On a happier note, my FIL sent me the paperwork today

[epsonderby 85]

Also you can check if you apply for an FHA loan, they have great interest rates.

On a happier note, my FIL sent me the paperwork today

Good news

[B_J 2,752]

Good news for me.. I gave up checking my AOS status already cause nothing was happening..and then today..I found out that my EAD card is in production. So happy right now. I am hoping that everyone will have a good news soon.

Edited October 9, 2012 by B_J

[Timon 26]

Also you can check if you apply for an FHA loan, they have great interest rates.

On a happier note, my FIL sent me the paperwork today

Hoooray i'm so happy for you. That's awesome news.

[elbear 2]

Credit score is important for things like that, but it's more than just how many accounts you have. It's about things like how long you've had your job, how long you've lived in the same place and how up-to-date you are on your payments.

Any August 10-16th, 2012 filers get their EAD or Interview yet?

[Timon 26]

Any August 10-16th, 2012 filers get their EAD or Interview yet?

None of us in this group has had an interview neither have we received EAD. However, some of us have either received notification of interview date or EAD in production messages

[Sameh'sHabibi 3]

Wow. See what happens when I don't get online for a few days??!!?? I agree, it is quite presumptuous to assume that someone is doing something wrong or illegal just because they don't want to fall in line with the status quo everyone else finds to be "normal". (Rant warning) It also shows that the poster hasn't followed our entire thread very closely, because it was stated before that 1. I am a US citizen (FYI, my family homesteaded this area before it was even recognized as a state of the Union, and there are 2 US presidents - James K. Polk & George Washington - in my family's tree) and 2. I hold a legitimate line of employment, as a registered nurse. I have a legitimate REASON for not choosing to have lines of credit, so please don't make blanket assumptions about people. When I was a very young girl, I saw my parents get caught up in living beyond their means with credit. They lost everything, and spent the next 20 years pinching pennies and scratching to get by. I learned to be self sufficient, and to accept the fact that if I cannot pay cash for something, then I don't really need it after all. When I have a "want" (new TV, expensive pair of shoes, whatever) then I save up for it and get it. I have funds set aside for emergency use for the "needs". I have a stable work history (1 year with my current hospital, 9 years with my previous hospital) and a strong credit rating which I have built through financing vehicles & mortgage (necessary evils in our society). I put myself through LPN school 9 years ago, then worked as a LPN for 8 years and saving money (as a single mom of 4 btw) until I had enough to send myself to RN school. It IS possible to have legal reasons (such as not wanting to take the risk of overextending yourself or the desire to be self sufficient) to not want to be tied up in banks and lines of credit. I enjoy my reloadable prepaid card. It saves me the risk of carrying cash, which has become dangerous in our society, and allows me the benefit of being able to shop or pay bills online. It also is insured by the issuer for the amount I load in case of loss or theft. For me, the best part is that I am spending my own money and not some nebulous line of credit with strings like interest rates and late fees attached. If I load $2500, then that is how much I have to spend. It doesn't spoil, rot, or disappear, but I also cannot spend $3000 on a vacation or some shiny something at the mall that I really don't need anyways and cannot afford. Helps me keep myself on track and on budget. I will step off my soapbox now, don't think there is anything left for me to say. Sorry about the rant, but it irritates me to have people assume things, and I hope my explanation will serve to be educational & to open people to the fact that sometimes the actions of others really are as simple as they seem on the surface... preference. No ulterior motives.

Great news today on our AOS journey! Have been checking online every day. Still listed as "RFE response review", but we got a paper notice for my husband's interview date!!!! November 8 at 10 am!!!! Very excited, it was so completely unexpected!! Saw the USCIS envelope, and really figured (with the online status unchanged) that it was yet another RFE, so boy was I surprised! Yea!!!!!!!

Iaia! Progress! Woohoo! I know how frustrating it is doing the paperwork ourselves & waiting, so I can imagine waiting for someone else to take care of stuff so you can move forward is twice as frustrating. Hopefully things will speed forward for you now.

[Timon 26]

Wow. See what happens when I don't get online for a few days??!!?? I agree, it is quite presumptuous to assume that someone is doing something wrong or illegal just because they don't want to fall in line with the status quo everyone else finds to be "normal". (Rant warning) It also shows that the poster hasn't followed our entire thread very closely, because it was stated before that 1. I am a US citizen (FYI, my family homesteaded this area before it was even recognized as a state of the Union, and there are 2 US presidents - James K. Polk & George Washington - in my family's tree) and 2. I hold a legitimate line of employment, as a registered nurse. I have a legitimate REASON for not choosing to have lines of credit, so please don't make blanket assumptions about people. When I was a very young girl, I saw my parents get caught up in living beyond their means with credit. They lost everything, and spent the next 20 years pinching pennies and scratching to get by. I learned to be self sufficient, and to accept the fact that if I cannot pay cash for something, then I don't really need it after all. When I have a "want" (new TV, expensive pair of shoes, whatever) then I save up for it and get it. I have funds set aside for emergency use for the "needs". I have a stable work history (1 year with my current hospital, 9 years with my previous hospital) and a strong credit rating which I have built through financing vehicles & mortgage (necessary evils in our society). I put myself through LPN school 9 years ago, then worked as a LPN for 8 years and saving money (as a single mom of 4 btw) until I had enough to send myself to RN school. It IS possible to have legal reasons (such as not wanting to take the risk of overextending yourself or the desire to be self sufficient) to not want to be tied up in banks and lines of credit. I enjoy my reloadable prepaid card. It saves me the risk of carrying cash, which has become dangerous in our society, and allows me the benefit of being able to shop or pay bills online. It also is insured by the issuer for the amount I load in case of loss or theft. For me, the best part is that I am spending my own money and not some nebulous line of credit with strings like interest rates and late fees attached. If I load $2500, then that is how much I have to spend. It doesn't spoil, rot, or disappear, but I also cannot spend $3000 on a vacation or some shiny something at the mall that I really don't need anyways and cannot afford. Helps me keep myself on track and on budget. I will step off my soapbox now, don't think there is anything left for me to say. Sorry about the rant, but it irritates me to have people assume things, and I hope my explanation will serve to be educational & to open people to the fact that sometimes the actions of others really are as simple as they seem on the surface... preference. No ulterior motives.

Great news today on our AOS journey! Have been checking online every day. Still listed as "RFE response review", but we got a paper notice for my husband's interview date!!!! November 8 at 10 am!!!! Very excited, it was so completely unexpected!! Saw the USCIS envelope, and really figured (with the online status unchanged) that it was yet another RFE, so boy was I surprised! Yea!!!!!!!

And i totally agree with you. Congrats on your interview btw

Iaia! Progress! Woohoo! I know how frustrating it is doing the paperwork ourselves & waiting, so I can imagine waiting for someone else to take care of stuff so you can move forward is twice as frustrating. Hopefully things will speed forward for you now.

[iaia 8]

Wow. See what happens when I don't get online for a few days??!!?? I agree, it is quite presumptuous to assume that someone is doing something wrong or illegal just because they don't want to fall in line with the status quo everyone else finds to be "normal". (Rant warning) It also shows that the poster hasn't followed our entire thread very closely, because it was stated before that 1. I am a US citizen (FYI, my family homesteaded this area before it was even recognized as a state of the Union, and there are 2 US presidents - James K. Polk & George Washington - in my family's tree) and 2. I hold a legitimate line of employment, as a registered nurse. I have a legitimate REASON for not choosing to have lines of credit, so please don't make blanket assumptions about people. When I was a very young girl, I saw my parents get caught up in living beyond their means with credit. They lost everything, and spent the next 20 years pinching pennies and scratching to get by. I learned to be self sufficient, and to accept the fact that if I cannot pay cash for something, then I don't really need it after all. When I have a "want" (new TV, expensive pair of shoes, whatever) then I save up for it and get it. I have funds set aside for emergency use for the "needs". I have a stable work history (1 year with my current hospital, 9 years with my previous hospital) and a strong credit rating which I have built through financing vehicles & mortgage (necessary evils in our society). I put myself through LPN school 9 years ago, then worked as a LPN for 8 years and saving money (as a single mom of 4 btw) until I had enough to send myself to RN school. It IS possible to have legal reasons (such as not wanting to take the risk of overextending yourself or the desire to be self sufficient) to not want to be tied up in banks and lines of credit. I enjoy my reloadable prepaid card. It saves me the risk of carrying cash, which has become dangerous in our society, and allows me the benefit of being able to shop or pay bills online. It also is insured by the issuer for the amount I load in case of loss or theft. For me, the best part is that I am spending my own money and not some nebulous line of credit with strings like interest rates and late fees attached. If I load $2500, then that is how much I have to spend. It doesn't spoil, rot, or disappear, but I also cannot spend $3000 on a vacation or some shiny something at the mall that I really don't need anyways and cannot afford. Helps me keep myself on track and on budget. I will step off my soapbox now, don't think there is anything left for me to say. Sorry about the rant, but it irritates me to have people assume things, and I hope my explanation will serve to be educational & to open people to the fact that sometimes the actions of others really are as simple as they seem on the surface... preference. No ulterior motives.

Great news today on our AOS journey! Have been checking online every day. Still listed as "RFE response review", but we got a paper notice for my husband's interview date!!!! November 8 at 10 am!!!! Very excited, it was so completely unexpected!! Saw the USCIS envelope, and really figured (with the online status unchanged) that it was yet another RFE, so boy was I surprised! Yea!!!!!!!

Iaia! Progress! Woohoo! I know how frustrating it is doing the paperwork ourselves & waiting, so I can imagine waiting for someone else to take care of stuff so you can move forward is twice as frustrating. Hopefully things will speed forward for you now.

I think your explanation is exceptional. It is a great way to see thing and to keep control of your money.

Congrats on your interview!!

I will have the response by tomorrow morning for the RFE and since Sean has to work, I will have the package ready by tomorrow night and send it by Thursday. I will WALK with the babies to the UPS store and send it. That is how desperate I am, hahahaha (is about 10 blocks back and forward, no side walk)

[MlovesW 7]

So, who is first in line for interviews? Maybe I cannot read the spreadsheet right, but it appears interview dates are not there. Just want to know who to watch for.. . Ours is coming up in two weeks.. Yikes