Topic Wiki

1)   What is a Financial Review?
In short - American Express occasionally freezes the credit card accounts of individuals with high-risk patterns, or for new account holders.
They request a lot of personal information, such as IRS tax returns, bank statements, letters from Banks ect…

Let’s break it down into 2 different types of Financial Reviews
A)   Mini Financial Review
B)   Financial Review

A)   Mini Financial Review

(please fill in info) This form of financial review, is usually a short process, it could be as short as one phone call. American Express might feel a need to verify your finances for whatever reason, and they could call you to verify information. Your accounts could be suspended from using until you get in touch with them, typically they will restore your accounts after a simple phone call.

B)   Financial Review
This type of Financial Review is very common. It often happens when opening a new account for the first time, usually if you are opening a Charge Card, or a Business Card or if on a new account you start off will a lot of high spending.
American Express will suspend your account/s, they will not remove the suspension until the review is over, which takes around 2 weeks.

If you cannot provide the required information, shut down your account right away.

2)   Triggers

Look below for a list of triggers and links.
 
3)   What will happen?
Your accounts will get suspended. You will be able to log in online, and see account activity, but you will get a message that charging is suspended.

They will contact you via phone and email. Once you get in touch with them, (typically) you will be assigned a specific representative to work on your case.

The will require mainly IRS Tax returns. The point of a Financial Review is to verify your income. They may also require Back statements, a letter from a Bank to verify your address, and other documents. People have reported that they did survive a Financial Review with just bank statements.

As long as you could provide the documents they request you will be fine, they might lower your credit lines, but you should be able keep your account open. Even as low as a $6000 tax return people have been able to survive a Financial Review.

In cases of a Financial Review after opening a Business Card, you will need proof of Business income.

If you cannot provide the required information, shut down your account right away.

As long as you could provide the documents they request you will be fine, they might lower your credit lines, but you should be able keep your account open. Even as low as a $6000 tax return people have been able to survive a Financial Review.

4)   What Steps Should I take?

Get in touch with Amex as soon as you could. Send in the request inform promptly. You will have a rep that will be working with you, and telling you what documents are needed. 4506-t is a transcript request from the IRS for you last tax return. You will need to fill out this form, fax it to Amex, it will take them 24-48 hours until they receive this form, they will request the tax return from the IRS that could take about a week.

Important: you only have 2 attempts to send them the fax, if they reject it after 2 attempts you will get shut down. You don't get more than 2 attempts. (source)
You may be able to get 3 attempts if you ask for a manager.

You need to be on top of it, if you don’t follow thru, they could shut your accounts down.


5)   What to do if American Express closed your accounts?

Once American Express closes your accounts, the only way to get back on is if you have the required information needed to pass a Financial Review. They will require you to request a 4506 form from the IRS (which will cost you $57) before they even approve any of your future applications.


To start you may want to read up here:

F/R triggers:
[/color]


Credit line of $25k or more
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=1438.msg10906#msg10906

Family member receiving FR can cause other family members to get Fr'ed as well
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=6223.msg74003#msg74003 http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=8.msg24759#msg24759

Living at same address as someone who was FR'ed
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=8.msg77046#msg77046

Using majority of CL
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=7526.msg87716#msg87716

Large cash advance
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=5908.msg82906#msg82906

Nothing...
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=2723.msg30062#msg30062

Changing name on business card
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=3589.msg38101#msg38101

Mint purchases
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=146.msg22932#msg22932

Amex Gift Card Purchases
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=2422.msg26670#msg26670
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=8.msg40106#msg40106

Unusual spending
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=8.msg7627#msg7627
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=3710.msg39597#msg39597

Amazon payments (possibly)
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=3657.msg88656#msg88656
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=3524.msg42436#msg42436

Using close to reported income
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/2537

Logging in online too much (!)
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=8.msg13741#msg13741

Prepaying
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=1712.msg13732#msg13732
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=3710.msg39725#msg39725

Adding Cardholders (many?)
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=8.msg49318#msg49318

Refunds exceeding total payments made on the card since it was opened
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=8.msg845606#msg845606
[/font]
Though not exactly F/R, it's worth mentioning that Amex takes returned payments very seriously.
They often shut all accounts without going through the F/R process.

Author Topic: Amex F/R Master Thread  (Read 1876254 times)

Offline B.D.Da'ehu

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4900 on: September 27, 2015, 09:02:02 AM »
Bad idea posting names, let alone last names. This is a public forum that shows up on Google. You really want these people googling themselves and seeing a link to lying on a FR about business income?
Sounds like a good point...

Offline meme

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4901 on: September 27, 2015, 09:05:00 AM »
Is a good point. Just googled and came up in third search result, oh well. Is there a way to delete post with name?
Also, if I close amex account where is best place to transfer MR points to, without having specific travel plans?

Offline Emkay

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4902 on: September 27, 2015, 09:05:58 AM »


Is a good point. Just googled and came up in third search result, oh well. Is there a way to delete post with name?

RTM


Offline Emkay

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4903 on: September 27, 2015, 09:06:47 AM »


if I close amex account where is best place to transfer MR points to, without having specific travel plans?
depends on what your usual/expected travel looks like




Offline meme

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4904 on: September 27, 2015, 09:08:32 AM »
depends on what your usual/expected travel looks like




What if I plan in selling points?

Offline Emkay

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4905 on: September 27, 2015, 09:09:09 AM »
What if I plan in selling points?
Sell now?

Offline meme

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4906 on: September 27, 2015, 09:12:17 AM »
Sell now?

Would like to, but everyone is closed today, can't to it  next two days and have to close account this week.

Offline bznt

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4907 on: September 27, 2015, 09:17:28 AM »
You have time to transfer after its closed

Offline meme

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4908 on: September 27, 2015, 09:28:58 AM »
You have time to transfer after its closed
100% sure?  How much time?

Offline rivkao

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4909 on: September 27, 2015, 09:36:33 AM »
100% sure?  How much time?
That would only be possible to do it to your own FFN

Offline meme

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4910 on: September 27, 2015, 09:42:38 AM »
That would only be possible to do it to your own FFN
Pls excuse my ignorance, what's FFN?

Offline bznt

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4911 on: September 27, 2015, 09:46:09 AM »
Frequent flyer number

I have had a account closed and got a letter that I have 90 days to transfer out the points

Offline pixi

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4912 on: September 27, 2015, 09:47:38 AM »
Bad idea posting names, let alone last names. This is a public forum that shows up on Google. You really want these people googling themselves and seeing a link to lying on a FR about business income?
Right!  So how about deleting the posts? 
money doesn't talk......      it SCREAMS !

Offline maxie m

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4913 on: September 27, 2015, 09:58:19 AM »
The last time I received a FR I ran a red light right before I received it. Is running a red light a trigger for a FR?
it's a great way to rack up points I'll tell you that much ;)
Dumb people learn from their own mistakes,smart people,from the mistakes of others

Offline grodnoking

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4914 on: September 27, 2015, 10:03:53 AM »
it's a great way to rack up points I'll tell you that much ;)
I'm not who you think I am.

Offline B.D.Da'ehu

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4915 on: September 27, 2015, 10:21:44 AM »
it's a great way to rack up points I'll tell you that much ;)
Best kept secret of MS is now out there...

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4916 on: September 27, 2015, 10:35:00 AM »
Best kept secret of MS is now out there...
Chap arein before it's dead!
Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
JTZ

Offline Yehuda25

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4917 on: September 27, 2015, 11:45:51 AM »
Bad idea posting names, let alone last names. This is a public forum that shows up on Google. You really want these people googling themselves and seeing a link to lying on a FR about business income?
+1  Ask a mod to remove
“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”


― Aristotle

Offline pixi

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4918 on: September 27, 2015, 11:46:13 AM »
Chap arein before it's dead!
Dead already!
money doesn't talk......      it SCREAMS !

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #4919 on: September 27, 2015, 11:49:17 AM »
Dead already!
How fast were you going?
Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
JTZ