Reflecting 4 Years of My Credit Journey: 23 y/o, 19 Cards, 350+ Payments, & 8 Lessons Learned

[na_man_02]

Hi fam,

I've been a long-time lurker in communities like this, and I've learned so much from all of you. Today, I'm just feeling incredibly happy and grateful, and I wanted to share a milestone with the people who would actually get it!

I'm 23, working as an SDE in Mumbai. Despite my tech background, I’ve always been a finance nerd with a deep fascination with finance, credit systems, and personal money optimisation. Today marks 4 years of my credit journey with over 287+ on-time payments (likely 350+ since I also handle my parents’ card bills).

My parents initially disapproved, thinking I was overcomplicating things. But now they see the benefits after countless savings, free airport lounge visits, travel perks, etc.

I currently hold 19 credit cards, all maintained responsibly:

My Current Portfolio:

HDFC Bank:

• Millennia (LTF)
• Tata Neu Plus (FYF - might close for the Swiggy card)
• UPI Rupay (LTF)

ICICI Bank:

• Amazon Pay (LTF - I also grab the Prime Shopping Version with flat ₹150 discount vouchers)
• Coral Rupay (LTF)

Axis Bank:

• MyZone (LTF)
• Neo Rupay (LTF)

Federal Bank:

• Imperio (LTF)
• Wave Rupay (LTF)

IDFC FIRST Bank:

• Wow (LTF)
• Select (LTF)

Others

• Kotak: Zen Signature (LTF)
• Utkarsh SFB: Super Money (LTF)
• IndusInd: Tiger (LTF)
• SBI: Club Vistara (Last charged on Dec 2024; effectively LTF till March 2026 post-Vistara merger. Will likely switch to SBI Cashback or PhonePe SBI later)
• YES Bank: KIWI Klick Rupay (LTF - but I'm opting for the ₹999 Neon membership. I got ~₹8400 in benefits + 3 lounges from it last year alone!)
• RBL: Shoprite (LTF)
• BoB: Uni (LTF)
• Unity: BharatPe Rupay (LTF)

8 Lessons I've Learned (The Hard Way)
Here are some tips I live by now:

1. Don't be the "Party Payer" for others. I used to pay for group expenses and wait endlessly for repayments. Big mistake. You shouldn't have to feel like a bhikari or a "Vasuli Bhai" just to get your own deserved money back.
2. Your Credit Limit is NOT Your Money. This is the golden rule. Just because you can spend it, doesn't mean you should. My family and I don't own iPhones or drink Starbucks daily. A well-researched 16-18k phone works perfectly. Live below your means, not up to your limit.
3. Understand category-wise benefits. Just having cards isn't enough. Deep-dive and know your cards. For example, I use Amazon Pay/Tata Neu/Federal Imperio for utilities, but RBL Shoprite for groceries.
4. Never miss due dates. Always pay in full. I personally use CRED (not sponsored) to track all bills. Open to better app suggestions though!
5. Be Proactive with Credit Limit Increases. Don't just wait for the "limit increase" pop-up. If you have a good history, ask for it! I recently emailed 10 banks asking for an increase. 5 of them gave me a significant hike just based on that one service request.
6. Master the Billing Cycle (My Favourite Tip!). Maximise your 45-50 day interest-free credit period.
   • Example: If today is November 2nd, I will preferentially use cards whose statements just got generated(1st or 30th Oct). This way, the bill for today's purchase won't be generated for almost a month, and I get another 15+ days to pay it.
   • Conversely, if it's Nov 25th, I avoid cards with upcoming statement dates (26–30). I'd pick one that billed on Nov 24th or 23rd.
7. Put Your "Float" to Work. Once you've mastered tip #6, you'll have a good amount of "float" (money for bills) sitting in your bank account for 30-45 days. Don't let it sit idle. Invest it prudently.
8. Optimise Your Bill Payments. Don't pay your bill from the same app every time. Look for offers! I'm constantly switching between Navi, MobiKwik, Amazon Pay, Cheq, etc, depending on the bill amount and current cashback/reward offers. Suggestions welcome here, too.

My Questions for You, Fam!

I'm still here to learn. What do you think?

Any suggestions on card trimming, fintech apps, voucher platforms (like SmartBuy), or solid investment instruments you swear by?

Always open to learning more from this brilliant community. I'm open to all your wise words. What big "unknowns" am I still missing?

Thanks for reading and for being such an awesome audience!

 

[amitvicky]

Nice ..

 

[archit3000]

I really admire your knowledge and understanding at this age !!!