Breeze... I hope you don't mind me asking this of you... ;-) Could you please tell me what credit cards you have starting from the beginning to present. And how long it you waited b/f applying for each one. I know it is a lot to ask... But... I am really trying to model you and Roni as much as possible... in my credit venture...lol...!! Thanks So Much
Here they are I know Roni planned hers out a lot better, got higher scores faster. If I had it to do over, I would not have gotten the Toy Cap One card, the second Providian card, or the Associates card, and waited for prime time instead. I don't use them except to keep them active. I also have all the gas cards I could get, just for convenience though, they don't report, and I have car loans going back to 1994. PROVIDIAN BANCORP Opened Date: 03/1999 $1,000 Now $7000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST CONSUMERS NATIONAL BANK /Spiegel Opened Date: 03/2000 $750 Now $2050 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIRECT MERCHANTS CREDITCARD BK Opened Date: 03/2000 $2,500 Now $5,300 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAPITAL ONE Opened Date: 05/2000 $1,000 Now $2,200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AMERICAN EXPRESS green Opened Date: 08/2000 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PROVIDIAN FINANCIAL Opened Date: 10/2000 $1,000 Now: $2,400 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSOCIATES NATIONAL BANK Opened Date: 11/2000 $750 Now $1250 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAPITAL ONE Opened Date: 11/2000 $200 Toy card Account closed in April -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CITI BANK Opened Date: 03/2001 $4,000 Now $4,500 going for another increase ------------------------------------------------------------
I just impressed the heck out of myself, hehe. To think where I was before - had to reach up to touch bottom.
Thank So Much Breeze... ;-) Ok... Here Is my situation... What would you suggest I do next. I have: Wal-Mart/MBGA card $ 800 12/1999 FCNB/Mastercard (secured) $1000 7/2001 **Wachovia 1996-5/2000 $500 Closed by Consumer Paid as agreed (I am thinking of trying to open that card back up. I just do not need any extra inquires at this time.) What Do you think I need to do..?? Should I wait about four more months with my secured card before trying to get anything else? I have maxed it out then paying my $1000 limit off. I plan on doing this for the next few months. As.. you can see.. I have spent a majority of my time Jan. 1999 until present. Trying to have fraudulent items removed from my credit report and make sure it doesn't happen AGAIN. I was terrified not knowing what all they knew about me..... SO I closed all of my accounts out.... Dillard, Sear, Belk and two visa's. What is so bad.. . those accounts are know deleted b/c they all had fraudulent activity... in return... the trade lines where deleted instead of updated w/ the CRA's. So.. I am at square one...:-(
Well, knowing what I know now, I have become very conservative. I would wait for the inquiries to die down. Takes 3 months from last inquiry. I have been restraining myself (not easy) and the offers are steady getting better. I think what happens is, we start to look better to creditors, we get overeager, take the first thing that looks likely, instead of waiting and building with what we have until we are good prime material. Have your scores gone up any? Have they tried to catch whoever is doing this to you? There is supposed to be more help out there for victims of ID theft and fraud. Man I would want those people in jail soooooo bad if they did that to me. It's scarey.
Re: Breeze..I have a Question Dear Breeze, I know you probably have answered this a million times, but if not... what did you go through to get the substantial LOC raises with Providian? I have a Providian Gold card at $3000 and 15.9%. I'd like them to increase the LOC and lower the APR (duh, lol), but repeated calls to customer service have so far netted me nothing. (Well, wait, now I can't remember... I think the APR started out a bit higher than it is now. But the LOC has stayed right where it was when the account was opened in February this year. They haven't even offered me an increase for money, which I'm not likely to accept. Thoughts?
Re: Breeze..I have a Question Dear Use it a lot. Providian wants you to use it. I carry a small balance, use the card every month, every 3 months I make a real big payment. Whoosh, up it goes. I have paid for the earlier ones - til I found out how to get out of it.
Re: Breeze..I have a Question Dear Great advice! That's my problem -- I've been using it very little (anywhere from $0 to $50 per month) and paying it off completely each billing cycle.
Re: Breeze..I have a Question Dear Ahhhh! Yeah, you gotta make their puter believe they will make big bucks off you if you have the limit for it, hehe.
Hi Breeze To Answer your question. Yes.. they have tried to apprehend who done this to me. Due companies reporting addresses to my credit report. I/We was able to find the address they had used. Once I filled the police report, in return they went to the house. They confiscated several credit cards that they had called and added themselves as Authorized users and a few cards that they had opened on there own in my name! (get this 5 companies added this guy and his wife to my (non-married accounts, mailed them to them in another state I have never lived in, and NEVER contacted me) The bottom line is... Most companies have took total loss.. SO.. I am no longer the victim by law... So.. I can NOT press charges.. This is up to the companies who are at loss/victim. I know it is messed up but that is the way the law works....!!!!!!!!!!! So far... I don't think they have done anything... If they have...no one has contacted me! I have called and asked but they are so confidential ... most will not relinquish the information to me...:-(
Ohh I forgot to tell you.. That I can't check my scores with the CRA's b/c I have a fraud alerts. Although...I am still waiting on my score to be snail-mailed from TU. This is a bummer.... :-(
Wow!! Well at least they stopped them. I guess that's fair enough, I would rather let them go than pay money I didn't owe. You want cards? you got a Cobalt card?? It satisfies that craving for a while, hehe. I even got a paypal debit card, and ummm Visa Buxx card - just for passifiers while I am not applying, hehe. It's worth it to see those offers improve. Like everything - act like you don't want them, then they want you.
Thanks Breeze... For all of your help...!!!!! I think I will hold out another 4 months, try to find out my scores, post it them all here, and then you guys can tell me what you think ... ;-)
