Hi all, like many, I am a few years late on discovering this board. My credit mess started as an 18 year old who moved out of his parents house in the middle of a messy divorce, ran through a series of credit cards to survive, ignored the fallout, and then about two years ago, started picking some self-help to get things straightened out. Now, ten years later, I seem to have won some battles, but am as yet unsure what I've done to the overall war. My scores were all in the low 500s, so it seems to be getting better. What remains is a hodepodge of what once was, as you'll see. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to post my 3 bureau report info as it stood on 10/15/03. I pulled it from qspace.com. The scores they gave me are: Exp-633; Eq-606; and TU-611. 1) Names are correct. Current addresses are correct, Ex & Eq have 2 previous addresses (correct, but in mixed order). The employment details are inconsistent and vary in correctness. 2): Account History ----------------------------------- - American Express, Exp, Eq,& Tu all same - Open, May 1995; Bal=$1861/2300. Paid as agreed (never late for at least the last two years, which is all it shows. I added myself as an AU to this account (my wife's) about a year ago to help age my history. It had a low balance, which has since gone up (I am in law school and just trying to make ends meet until I graduate)). ----------------------------------- - Capital One, Exp, Eq, & TU; Open Dec. 2002; Balance 189/267 (I just paid this off and hid the card). Never late. ------------------------------------ - Chase, Installment, Exp, Eq, & Tu; Open Aug 2000; Bal - 8267/18266, all three show that I was 30days a handful of times(as recently as August -bc my wife was in the hospital all summer and I stayed there, let teh ball drop). I was also 60days in 9/2002. ------------------------------------ - Collechtech, Collection, Open Aug 1998 $6720. This is only on Equifax, I managed to get the original holder and this ca removed from the other two cras. It is from a phone bill that my college roommate racked up making calls to Korea for an arranged marriage(in 1 month!). I couldn't xfer the debt and I never collected or paid on it. I still have the original bills (assume I am not suing the roommate). I have commented on this in various ways in earlier correspondence with Equifax - I can provide more detail as I am sure this will be a source of comment. -------------------------------------- - Cross Country Bank - Open Mar 2002, Eq, Exp, & TU. Shows Exp $910/850; Eq 687/850, and TU 687/850. I just paid this off and hid the card also, hoping to catch it before it was reported to Eq and TU. Along with Cap1, this is part of my credit rebuilding. They've raped me on fees, but I've never been late. --------------------------------- - Educaid - Installment Feb 2003; Eq & TU, 10k, deferred, no negatives.(student loan). - Educaid - Installment, Sep. 2001; Eq & TU, 10k, deferred, no negatives. - Educaid - Installment, Mar 2001; Exp, Eq, & TU; 5000, deferred, no negatives. - Educaid - Installment, Open Feb 2003, Eq & TU, 8500, deferred/as agreed, no problems -Educaid - Installment, Open Mar 2001; Exp, Eq, & Tu. 5,500. deferred. - Educaid - Installment, Sep. 1992; $12,764; deferred. Exp shows as "Current, was 180 past due. Eq & TU say "as agreed" and "unrated". This is a consolidated balance of several student loans that I picked up in 1992 to 1994 and then let go to hell during the whole mess at home and after. I am not sure of the date that they are using as the 180 as it went several times in the 1995 to 1997 era before I would forbear and capitalize it. There was some confusion in 2000 about whether I was in deferrment. I have not contacted anyone about this in fear of screwing it up worse, but it needs to get cleared. The possible upside is that it was from one bank that has since been gobbled 2 or 3 times, so records might not be available, but on the downside, I am guessing that the federal agency that I filed the forbearance paperwork with has records. -FstFidelity - Installment. Closed, Bal =0, student loan not in repayment. This is on TU only and is one of those original student loans that was consolidated in the mess above. -------------------------------------------- - M&T Bank - Installment, Closed (from Apr 1998). Bal= 0/15,776. Old car loan that was paid as agreed and no negative history. I paid it off in 2000 when we picked up the chase loan. - Manufacturers Trading - Exp, Eq, & TU. Auto loan, closed (same one as above). Open Apr 1998 Bal-0/15776. Paid as agreed, never late. I know this is a duplicate, but it seemed like a double positive to me? --------------------------------------- -MBNA - Open Mar 1994; Exp, Eq & TU. 9707/9500. I am an AU on this account, again to age my history. The balance was originally very low and it was good, but between school, not getting student loans other than stafford, my wife in the hospital, and teh baby, it is maxed. I paid it to under the limit, but I can't just pay this off like the others. Can an AU argue that it shouldn't be used in his totals? Exp says 'was 30", but that was more than 2 years ago (before I was added), Eq & TU say as agreed. ------------------------------------- - MBNA (#2) - Was opened May 1995, per Equifax, and June 1995 per Experian (removed from TU). Bad debt placed for collections. I know this was closed several months after it opened (no later than year end 96), but they did not send it to collections until late 2000 even though I wasn't paying on it. I think I have sent letters in the past saying it should have come off (seems as good as saying its mine, but I've never sent any docs supporting it - sorry, didn't know better.) - NCO - Open Aug 2001 - Equifax only. $2509. This is the corresponding collection account. I managed to get it off of Exp & TU because they were double reporting it and when I disputed it, they deleted both ( yeah for me), but Eq has kept it. I only ever had an $800 limit. NCO is still sending me letters asking for ~3500. --------------------------------------- -Marlin Integrated - Open, Bal=0, Eq only, "Paid Collection, at least 120 days or more than 4 past due". This is collection agency that followed up on the PECO issue below. In short, when I moved out of that doomed apartment, I called PECO to shut off the power. They didn't. Two months later a bill forwarded to me for $168. I called PECO who never shut it off and claimed I never called. Would do anything with the debt. I was so pissed I didn't pay it out of spite until Mar 2003. Of course, not having come here first, I did not negotiate an agreement to have it removed. It was small and I just wanted it to be over with... PECO - Closed Mar 2000; TU only, Settled less than full balance [NOT TRUE, paid in full], payment after charge off. ----------------------------------------- No public records, liens etc. 15 inquiries in last 2 years, primarily for the CC Bank card, the cap1 card, and attempts to get student loans and an autoloan last summer(all unsuccessful). I know this is a lot of info to dump on you, and there is more pertinent detail to be sure. I appreciate any help you can offer though. I've cleaned up and paid off about 4 other cards that are no longer on there, and other than the personal issues that led me to slip on the car payment over the summer, I've been steadily rebuilding over the last few years. My strategy so far: I've established the new accounts (Cap1 and CC Bank) and kept them in good standing. I just paid them both off and am finished using them. I added myself as AU to the MBNA and Amex of my wife, but the balances have shot up, backfiring of sorts. I like the age on the MBNA, but I'd like to have that balance out of my total. Otherwise, I am under 50% with the recent payoffs). Paying down MBNA would help, but that will take some time. Trying to pay the monthly bills on time, and clean up the report. That has been the general approach I've been taking. My wish list is that I can qualify for some kind of not stafford student loan by january, and in the long term, get rid of those elements that will prevent me from getting a mortgage in spring 2005. Feel free to respond here, or email me directly at haberschmidt @ aol .com Thanks!
I did not negotiate an agreement to have it removed. 1*It was small and I just wanted it to be over with... schmitty *********************** 1Just Paying it never works for getting it over with.Usually it has just the opposite effect. SEND THE CAs THE VALIDATION LETTER Helpfull reads INTRO: Unofficial CreditNet Board FAQ INTRO: PsychDoc's Credit Repair Primer MUST-READ: "Hall of Fame" Postings These are posted at the top of each page. THE END ** *** ** LB 59 """"```--~~~~~~~~~--```'""'''
I see that now, but its too late on that one. I'm trying to devise the appropriate plan to take on what's left without making similar mistakes.
Used to be all it took to make them happy was to pay your debt.Now days they're not sasitified with that as they're out for blood too.
So I've discovered. Can anyone offer specific insights on how they would suggest prioritizing and responding to the individual accounts left on the reports? (based on your experience with those accounts and entities). I've had some success with only writing directly to the CRAs in the last few years (you should have seen the report before!), but for what remains, I want to be a little more careful. As it stands, almost everything negative should drop off by 2006. My two goals are: 1) to speed that up as much as possible, and 2) not do anything stupid that manages to extend it.
