So I've been lurking for about a week now, reading as much as I can whenever I'm on. One of the first things I did was read through all the stickies on the board and the documentation that is linked off of them, and once I was done with that, I read through a lot of the sample letters in the sample letters section. My intention is to do everything I can in the next ten months or so to increase my credit score, as the lease for my car will be up (it's currently cosigned with a family member and I'd really like to get a car in my name only this time around). Unfortunately, I feel like I'm missing something... maybe I'm being a little lazy but I can't really figure out where to start with what I've got. I can go into detail if needed, but basically I have about 11 negative items from 2-5 years ago, delinquencies of smaller amounts ($50-$200) and one larger item (around $600). I'd like to try removing from these my reports, as I question their accuracy. I've looked all through the FAQ and other documents on this site, but I can't find a "steps list" detailing how to go about this. Something like: 1) send letter x to A, wait 30 days; 2) send letter y to B and wait another 15; etc. I seriously feel like the information to start this is there, but I keep overlooking it. Is there a writeup somewhere that details the particular strategy of getting line items confirmed or removed? I figure once I get inaccuracies removed, if there's anything left I'd go with the offer to pay a settled amount to have the rest removed, but I'll save that for when it's time. I've got an appointment set up next week with CCCS just to go over my credit reports so I can understand them better, I'm hoping that will help as well... but I'd imagine for actually doing anything about the items on there, this board would be the best source of information. Thanks for any help anyone can give me! agent0014
So of course I didn't realize that this message board is attached to a site with a few other resources... I went through and read everything I could. How up-to-date is the information on the site? Among other things, I was wondering which credit reporting service is the most comprehensive, as I'd imagine I'd want frequent access to my reports on the road to improvement. Does anyone have any suggestions on that? I don't mind paying monthly, but I'd want to make sure I'm getting the most for my money. Additionally some of the stuff on the site seems to be at odds with things I've read on the board, so I'm not sure which source to trust. This board doesn't seem as active as it was in the past (I was referred here by a friend who used it a few years ago) ... is everyone on vacation, or is there another credit board that's en vogue these days? I hope no one takes offense to my frank questioning, I just need to do what's best for me and my credit at this point. Thanks!
I have just the thing for you. I just started it this morning. It is my Cap1sucks links page. It is set up in Google Docs and is completely viewable and editable to anyone who has the URL. That means that anyone can add their own links to it. The first and right now only link on it is a link to just exactly what you are asking for. I added the link to my links page to my signature line. I'll be notified by email every time someone adds a link or anything else to the page and of course I'll remove any objectionable stuff that might be posted there. And of course, anyone else can do the same thing I just did and much more using Google Docs.
Awesome, I'll check it out now, and will also contribute if I find other info to add. The Googles make me feel all tingly... love it!
Google has a large number of awesome apps such as Google Docs but when it comes to search I like the new Bing much, much better.
that link was pretty useful... I'm starting to get a better idea of where to start. I'm still going to wait until after my CCCS appointment next week though, see what they have to say. Are disputes something that their organization usually condones? I'm not sure where the professional opinion on doing this usually lands.
CCCS isn't much different than any other counseling service. They all have the same pap to offer that is put out by all the authoritative sources. Nothing original at all. I'm not saying you shouldn't go but don't expect all that much from the experience. Most non-profit counseling services have a better chance of getting good results than those who charge for their so called services. It is my understanding that the one provided by United Way is the most respected by the bankers and lenders but none of them can help you if you get sued for a debt and that is where the real rub comes in. In the final analysis the way to go is to learn how to read those credit reports properly and how to dispute properly as well as how to file and prosecute your own lawsuits against the creditors, collection agencies and yes, even against the credit bureaus. You must get good enough that your mind works like a steel bear trap when it comes to the violations to win. As an illustration, I have a close personal friend who does me a great number of favors such as rototilling my garden every fall and much more and he came to my home with a mortgage foreclosure case he is trying help a friend of his with. Jimmy has had some experience with that kind of thing himself because having went through his own foreclosure problems. He won his case for the simple fact that he gave them so much trouble that they just gave up and sent him his note and mortgage stamped paid in full. So he now thinks he can help others but this one is very different because the home was refinanced through a local lender who doesn't sell their notes on the SEC market so there is no way to fight on that basis. His friend can't hope to get his home for free as Jimmy did due to the vast difference between the value of the properties. This is a $250,000 home in a good neighborhood compared to a small acreage with an old mobile home on it that is 20 miles from nowhere worth maybe $40,000 at most. The only way to get anywhere with his friend's home is to trap the lawyer and the lender. That's going to take a $1,000 mortgage fraud audit and one or more federal lawsuits based on the outcome of that if anything adverse is found there plus more federal lawsuits against the lawyer for FDCPA violations. Two such violations were glaringly visible in the paperwork Jimmy brought with him but when I asked him what was wrong with the paperwork he couldn't recognize them so I had to point them out. Jimmy took his case to appellate court so he has no idea how to file a federal case so I'll have to help him with that too. About the best that Jimmy's friend can hope for is making them come to the table with a settlement offer that would put his arrearage on the back side of the note and let him pick up from where he left off paying. Even that would be a big win if we can pull it off. If you want to win you have to know the law so you don't have to rely on lawyers who won't let you down. I can assure you that once you know the law and how to win you won't ever be able to find a lawyer to help you for the simple reason that you will know as much or more law than they do. I'm glad you liked my links page. I plan on adding more and more to it almost every day. If you would like to keep up with the changes easily just follow the instructions on this web page. Assign Keyboard Shortcuts to your Favorite Websites You might also want to bookmark that site and subscribe to Amit's emails because he gives loads of handy little kinks, tips, tricks and ideas about browsers and other goodies and all for free. You will get an email from him almost every day and they are always jam packed with great information.
woah. That was quite the winded story, but definitely got the point! Based on the small dollar amounts of what I'm facing, I don't feel that I'm at a significant risk for a lawsuit...and luckily it wouldn't be too expensive to resolve it if I'm wrong. I'm more concerned with removing the negative items in the next 10 months in preparation for the lease expiring on my car... whether I decide to buy it or lease a different car it would be nice to not have to find a cosigner again. The place I'm going to is affiliated with United Way and appears to be non-profit, so hooray for that I guess. To be quite honest if I managed to just get the companies to take 50% and have the lines removed from my report I'd be happy... maybe I should aim higher lol. I'll check that site out, although I'm definitely a bit of a techno-geek, so a few steps ahead on tech tips. Don't even ask me what I do for a living lol.
