I am posting my success in this thread because most of what I wanted to express was trashed by bickering. I have had many people say to me in chat, that my story of credit repair has inspired them. I love hearing that and it is not because of an ego thing. It is because I have spent a lot of time on this board with 3000 post. Hearing that lets me know it wasnt for nothing. As many know, I pulled my first credit report on myself in 11/99. That is when I first started looking at credit as a real factor in my life. I started sending out dispute letters in 2/00 after I learned alot from credit repair books and started negotiating with credits to get deletions. I got all kinds of deletions which included: - Bell Atlantic collection - Gas/power collection - health club collection/arrow financial - 9 student loan 60 day late deletion - 11 defaulted student loan deletions All these were deleted by 8/00. I got Chase and Citibank in 8/00 and 9/00. I slowly started closing out my subprime cards at that point. My credit score went from 594 to 640 during that time period and I bought a car at 13.99 % interest in 9/00. I refinanced that car loan to 6.99 % interest this in 3/01. By April 2001 my credit score was at 702. Wow. I had a bogus DMV tax lien put on my report in 12/00 which was deleted in 5/01. I bought a townhome (all by single self) in 4/00 and moved in 8/00 (new construction----costing me $160,000). And in 11/01 (two years after I first started saying the word credit out loud), I have earned AMEX. I never would have thought that I would get AMEX if it wasnt for Momof3, chatroom buddies and Dogman. Much love. {If you think I did a bad job, why are you on a board like this? But enough on that subject.} Anyways, many have asked in chat what was my story after hearing others refer to it. That is why I am posting this....along with comments made earlier today which really got my perm frizzy.
Thanks for posting your story, Roni! I love it! Yes, you are an inspiration -- despite your frizzy hair. (Or maybe because of it, if you happen to like frizzy hair, lol.) Doc
thank you, thank you, thank you I appreciate your story so much. Yes, Dr. Roni, your are an inspiration. BTW. searching your post again, more sl problems
Roni, thanks for the story. When I first came to the board, breeze gave me the idea to apply for the aa card from citi and I got it, I was so suprised and happy my first prime card, I thanked her but she said the thanks should go to Roni. So Roni, THANK YOU, you helped start my climb to the top. Now I have Citi, Chase and Amex. mindy
switched to the optima plat. easy girl easy, I didn't get the best terms at first(see my post Amexers I posted today on fixing that) just call them they are great people to deal with, every other word is thank you, can I do anything else for you. Nice people. mindy
THX Roni - sweet thing...whimpher You are a great example! You did it. And all of us now, Roni, are thinking of better credit deals - now that in many cases, people are or have graduated to prime. I posted a moment ago - I didn't mention AMEX Gold - hell as an excellent customer, I want a Platinum Charge and a Blue. c ya dogman nice condo! I am proud of you Roni - pawing to u dogman
Re: THX Roni - sweet thing...whimpher Thank you Roni for re-iterating your success. I really appreciate you sticking around to share your knowledge after you have recognized your goals.
Re: THX Roni - sweet thing...whimpher Roni, Great story. Success stories like yours should inspire us all. How did you have the defaulted student loans removed. Ed
Re: THX Roni - sweet thing...whimpher Just a guess Greg, but rehabbed student loans must be deleted by requirements of the Higher Education Act.
Re: THX Roni - sweet thing...whimpher Bkev, Ed and G. Fisher, It is explained tremendously in old post but I didnt rehabiliated my defaulted student loans. I consolidated before I knew what rehab was in 3/00. However after consolidation I was able to dispute enough times until with the credit bureaus that they were removed both original creditor and guarantor (USA Funds). My student loans defaulted by error...their error. I applied for deferment and they denied it when I was clearly eligible. I actually applied several times and made several telephone calls fighting the matter before they just went ahead and defaulted them anyway. I used the ombudsman office of the Dept of Ed to help me out and they made the creditors remove the defaults officially from all 3 credit bureaus in 4/01. But I had already cleaned it up off 2 of my reports completely anyway by the 30 dispute process.
Re: THX Roni - sweet thing...whimph I had a Citibank student loan that defaulted. It's now removed from all three CRAs -- at Citibank's request! -- and it was never rehabilitated. I've posted about that elsewhere here. (Search this board using keywords "Citibank paralegal" and you'll see the previous rambling posts, lol.) In a nutshell, I had paid off the loans IN FULL the same week they defaulted. After I got to the right folks at Citibank two years later, they simply sent a tradeline delete request to the three major CRAs. (Check my previous messages for more elaboration.) Also, I found the Ombudsman at the Dept. of Education to be exceptionally helpful in navigating my way through those hoops. They really seem to be focused on helping you not destroy your credit through mishandled student loans -- so long as you have or are demonstrating a clear intent and pattern of current responsibility. Bottom line: rehabilitation is a great way to clear the path, but if that's impossible (as when you've paid them all off like I did), they're still willing to help. Doc
Re: THX Roni - sweet thing...whimpher Roni What is meant by "the 30 dispute process?" Please don't hit me. I am asking only because I honestly don't know. I know very little about student loans at all
Re: THX Roni - sweet thing...whimpher Sorry, Bill. That should be the 30 day dispute process (with the credit bureaus) leading to deletion. Sorry for the confusion. It took me about 2-3 disputes to get them off with each bureau. I got them off TU the first round though.
