newbie on board (LONG) hello all. I've been hanging around here unregistered for a week or so. I came to this site after checking my cr. I was looking at posts, as I was seeking an answer to a specific question. I'll get to that in a later post though. I must say that I'm quite impressed with all of you. You all seem to be very knowledgable and generous with your time. I can relate to all of you as I have been there. At my lowest point I remember sitting at home on a fridgid February day with a gasoline generator providing the only source of heat/electricity in my house. The company I worked for had gone bk and I was laid off. My spouse had also been laid off from his job due to lack of work. I had a small child and a newborn baby. Just a few weeks before, everything was fine. The unemployment checks couldn't meet the bills though, and I relied as many do on credit. I couldn't get gov. assistance because get this... we made too much money! Cards got maxed, checks bounced, I'm sure some of you know the routine. I got rid of the unnessesary stuff like phone and cable right off the bat. The car insurance was next. Eventually the electricity went. I had always heard that they wont shut you off in the dead of winterfor non payment. I heard wrong. I used the house payment money for heat... It all came to a head when a creditor cleaned out my checking acct. I saw a commercial about getting rid of your debts for good.. file bk. I was in the lawyers office the very next day. I was forced into this by sheer desperation. I regret that I did it now. Although I asked about the ramifications, I was told only that my credit would suck for a while. Just how bad it sucked and how long it sucked was very under stated. I had at one point looked into credit repair, but I decided to take my lumps and wait it out. In the 12 years since that cold February day I've learned alot about credit and about life in general. The whole process was very humbling. That 12 years has made me a timely bill payer even if it means jumping out of bed at three am and driving a payment to the post office. I will never again suffer the humiliation of "bad credit". The thing is though. I dont think that I would have had the same appreciation for credit that I do now, if I had taken the quick fix approach. I had helped a friend who had problems getting a mortgage with all this deletion stuff, I researched and suggested ideas and it worked!!! all baddies were gone in a few months credit was perfect, she got the loan and every chance she got she began dissing me about my bk. la la la I have perfect credit and your a loser kind of thing. I won't be surprized if she's back in the same boat in a few years. It was too easy for her. If I could give the best advice I have found , It would be to teach your kids how to deal with credit this isn't something they should have to learn the hard way.I have only a small scar left on my cr. It is a late pay 5yrs old. Although I may have been late at some point. I know they have the date wrong.as I keep my cancelled checks.....although I hate cra's with a passion, as long as it causes me no problems, I'll leave it be, It makes me look....natural. lol coral
Re: newbie on board (LONG) Welcome to the board coral. It sounds to me that your insights can and will be a great addition to this collective knowledge base. I agree that it sounds to me that your friend probably hasn't learned from her past mistakes and will most likely make them again. And I wouldn't blame you if you thumbed your nose at her, though it sounds as if you are way to mature for that type of response. Again, welcome to the board. fla-tan
Re: newbie on board (LONG) Welcome You have a couple of choices on the late pay. You can dispute it as never late (if the account is in good standing, often times they won't verify or can't verify), or you can write the company for a goodwill adjustment. There has been a lot of talk about goodwill letters on the board, so just do a search. L
Re: newbie on board (LONG) Welcome, I also I'm pretty new to this board and in reading your post you are right in what you say, but I have a couple of questions for you! Did you ever check your credit report a couple of years after your bankruptcy? See my husband (He is not that young) was married sixteen years when he got a divorce and was ordered to file BK. Now I can deal with that. However his credit report has several mistakes in it. LIKE EQ 33 open accounts (He has 7) Two judgements that he was never served or went to court over because he had already filed BK. One account that is not his. And three charge off's that were suppose to be listed as BK as they were not charge off's at the time he filed BK. Now with the 33 open accounts, the two judgements,the account that is not his and the three chargeoff's his FICO is 581. According to goodmortgage.com even with the BK and the judgements after three years and re-established credit he will have A- credit. It can not be A+ credit for 10 years because of the BK however A- will get us anything that we should happen to need (ie. a car for work etc..) Now had you have known all this information would you have waited those long 12 years when you didn't have to?
Re: newbie on board (LONG) coralreef, Congratulations!!! You are one of us lucky ones who have found creditnet. There is a ton of priceless info here, along with a little BS, but you will be amazed on how your credit will look in a couple of months. Charlie
Re: newbie on board (LONG) 12 yrs ago, a lot of the options you now have weren't available to us. I went through something similar 12 yrs ago. There was no Providian, CapOne, Orchard, etc, to rebuild with. FCRA was the "prior to 97" version, credit repair organzations barely existed, the internet was in it's infancy, hence not much support or experience to draw on. So, given the lack of choices.......... most of us pretty much had to do the time. I began disputing in 1995, after discovering Lexington on the internet (with my PS2 and a 14.4 modem, LOL.)
Re: newbie on board (LONG) Charlie, if you read through her message you'll see that her credit is great already -- with just one 30-day late mark five years ago! Welcome to the board, coralreef! I hope you'll stick around to share your experience, hope, and strength with those who are just now considering how to handle seemingly impossible situations. It sounds like you're not exactly a "newbie" even though you've just found this board! Doc
Re: newbie on board (LONG) Welcome to the board coral! Now, with "Fla Tan," "breeze," and "coral reef," we just need a "sunny day" and perhaps "scuba gear" and we'll be in business <bg> Stick around - there's more here than just credit repair - like credit "tips and tricks," and "who's doing what in the credit world."
Re: newbie on board (LONG) Welcome coralreef!!!!!!!!!!! You have found a great site to find out lot's of valuable information. I have to admit, I am a creditnet.com addict. I check the board everyday and learn something new and post messages. Have fun in here and enjoy !!!!!
Re: newbie on board (LONG) AMEN coral, I've worn similar shoes and know that's a thorny road. I know there's some that believe that any having filed BK were just escaping their responsibilities and irresponsible; taking advantage. I however know and believe most of us are forced there in desperation without any other options being realistic and practical at that moment in time. It was nice of you to help your friend, some wisdom though, comes only through experiential living and that's a perspective only appreciated in retrospect. Very nice to meet you and thank you for sharing. Sassy
