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 1871243 times)

Offline shoobi

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5420 on: November 03, 2015, 02:21:31 PM »
Oh... IDK, she is my case manager in the F/R department. Everyone who sees my account transfers me to her. She has weird hours- something like 5am-1pm MST Tues-Sat.

Offline D93

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5421 on: November 03, 2015, 02:22:57 PM »
And not sure what it is but my wife also got F/R'd, my friend also did. Seems like lots of ppl are. Common denominator seems to be that we all bought 100/150K Biz Plat codes on DDF and used them, maybe they realize we are using targeted codes...
-1

Offline shoobi

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5422 on: November 03, 2015, 02:23:14 PM »
wanna elaborate?

Offline pcgeek

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5423 on: November 03, 2015, 02:23:29 PM »
And not sure what it is but my wife also got F/R'd, my friend also did. Seems like lots of ppl are. Common denominator seems to be that we all bought 100/150K Biz Plat codes on DDF and used them, maybe they realize we are using targeted codes...
Is buying those targeted codes a known trigger for f/r?

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5424 on: November 03, 2015, 02:23:35 PM »
Oh... IDK, she is my case manager in the F/R department. Everyone who sees my account transfers me to her. She has weird hours- something like 5am-1pm MST Tues-Sat.
So maybe try speaking to a supervisor and explain what occurred?

Offline D93

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5425 on: November 03, 2015, 02:24:14 PM »
wanna elaborate?
Plenty of FR's with people that didn't use a 150k FatPlat code recently.

Offline rivkao

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5426 on: November 03, 2015, 02:24:40 PM »
And not sure what it is but my wife also got F/R'd, my friend also did. Seems like lots of ppl are. Common denominator seems to be that we all bought 100/150K Biz Plat codes on DDF and used them, maybe they realize we are using targeted codes...
Nothing to do with targeted codes. It's the spend that those codes require

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5427 on: November 03, 2015, 02:26:16 PM »
Is buying those targeted codes a known trigger for f/r?
The large spending it forces you to do in a short time is. (If it's not done correctly).

Offline coralsnake

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5428 on: November 03, 2015, 02:27:08 PM »
The large spending it forces you to do in a short time is. (If it's not done correctly).
Whats correctly? 20k first day, no?
"Here at DansDeals we don’t do buses." -Dan

Offline pcgeek

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5429 on: November 03, 2015, 02:27:21 PM »
The large spending it forces you to do in a short time is. (If it's not done correctly).
Any tips how to do it correctly

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5430 on: November 03, 2015, 02:27:38 PM »
Would they even do that by request. I would guess not...
You can ask for a cap but I doubt that will stop a F/R

Offline D93

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5431 on: November 03, 2015, 02:28:43 PM »
Nothing to do with targeted codes. It's the spend that those codes require
Plenty of FR's with people that didn't have any high spending recently.

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5432 on: November 03, 2015, 02:29:24 PM »
You can ask for a cap but I doubt that will stop a F/R
You have done this successfully? (Or know someone that has?)

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5433 on: November 03, 2015, 02:30:27 PM »
Plenty of FR's with people that didn't have any high spending recently.
That doesn't mean it's not a trigger. Before the wave it definitely was.

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5434 on: November 03, 2015, 02:31:06 PM »
You have done this successfully? (Or know someone that has?)
I know someone that has done it with the prg (idk if he was ever Frd)

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5435 on: November 03, 2015, 02:32:00 PM »
Any tips how to do it correctly
Spend over the course of the 3 months and build up slowly

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5436 on: November 03, 2015, 02:32:03 PM »
I know someone that has done it with the prg (idk if he was ever Frd)
Ok, thanks. I was looking for data points.

Offline rivkao

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5437 on: November 03, 2015, 02:32:39 PM »
That doesn't mean it's not a trigger. Before the wave it definitely was.
High spending on new accounts is a major trigger

Offline yakrot

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5438 on: November 03, 2015, 02:53:37 PM »
Plenty of FR's with people that didn't have any high spending recently.
Lot of the ppl getting f/red with no major spending are being triggered by family members

Offline DMYD

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Re: Amex F/R Master Thread
« Reply #5439 on: November 03, 2015, 03:10:37 PM »
Lot of the ppl getting f/red with no major spending are being triggered by family members
That's also correct had that a few yrs ago, entire family with same last name got FR'd