The Amex Financial Review: respond fast, protect the points

What an FR actually is

A Financial Review is American Express's income-and-capacity check. Consumers report it triggering after payment-pattern changes, large statements, or updated income figures. Amex may request tax transcripts (via IRS form 4506-C) or bank statements, and can reduce limits or close accounts while the review is open.

The response that works

Respond within days, not weeks. In consumer reports, slow or partial responses are the single most common reason an FR ends in closure.

• Send exactly what was requested — nothing more. Extra documents invite extra questions.
• If they ask for a tax transcript, file the 4506-C promptly; transcripts can take days to arrive.
• Keep spending on the account minimal and boring until the review closes.
• Reply inside the existing message thread so the same review team keeps ownership.

Protecting Membership Rewards points

MR terms say points can be forfeited when an account is cancelled, but points generally remain while ANY MR-earning card on your account stays open. If Amex closes one card, check whether your other Amex cards survive — moving points to a surviving card's pool preserves them. If everything closes, consumers report a short (~30-day) redemption window; treat it as days, not weeks.

If the FR ends in closure anyway

Amex is generally responsive to CFPB complaints when documents were provided on time and the closure followed anyway. File with the written record attached: the FR request, your response dates, and the closure notice.