Well everyone my credit seems to be improving. I applied for the Chevron Visa but instead of turning me down flat I ended up with a regular Chevron Credit Card. Slow improvement, but it's a start. I am hoping if I continue to show positive trade lines (including this one) I will eventually qualify for something better but first things first.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Glad to hear you're making some progress. It takes time and patience, but it sounds like you're headed in the right direction. Just remember to keep your credit utilization low, and always pay on time and in full. If you can do those 3 things, your credit scores will continue to improve.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Thanks Joshua. It might not be the card I asked for but the fact they gave me ANYTHING is a step forward. If I only use it for gas (I work at one, so theoretically I can use it for other stuff) and pay it off every month (which I plan to) I am hoping the additional positive tradeline will work in my favor if I ever need something REALLY important like a private student loan (I eventually want to go to grad school). Currently, I also have (which I managed somehow not to loose through everything) a target card, the target visa with a really low limit (all that's needed for my recurring charges thank you), and an overdraft line of credit attached to my checking account which I don't use intentionally because of the crazy interest rate, and a 76 gas card. I don't really need anything else since I also have a Visa check card I use for most things, though I think sometimes I think it would be nice to have another Visa or MC as back up I know if I go too overboard too soon I will just end up right back where I started.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Where do your FICO scores stand now? I would keep doing what you're doing and wait until you get your scores back up into the 700 range. Then you could apply for a good rewards credit card and shift your debit card purchases onto the credit card to enjoy more rewards. I doubt your debit card is giving you much, if anything at all.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Got my credit reports and vantage scores. They are in the 600's and I am rated at "c". I hope to eventually get a rewards card but the one advantage I have with debit is that stuff is already paid for so the amount of trouble I can get into is limited. Do you have any suggestions on rewards cards to shoot for? Citibank and American Express are likely out of the question (long story).
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Don't pay much attention to the "Fako" Vantage scores. They're actually on a completely different scale up to 990 instead of 850. The only scores you should really care about are your actual FICO scores. Regarding rewards credit cards, if you're worried that you may get yourself into trouble again, don't use them. It's not worth it. However, if you can commit to only purchase what you already have the cash to pay for, then using rewards credit cards responsibly is rather simple- and quite rewarding. Capital One has some good no annual fee credit cards that offer cash back as well. Check out the Capital One Cash Card.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea That is what I was thinking though it would have Bern nice to qualify for the Chevron visa so I could save on gas as much as I drive.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Per the suggestion of Joshua and what I've usually read on reviews, it seems that Capital One has good offers, especially to those who just had bad credit. However, I haven't checked if their interest rates are competitive with others. Do you have any idea? Thanks.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Capitol One seems to want to be my new best friend. Ever since I got my credit card issues taken care of (still have student loan debt but that is all current) my PO box has been flooded with offers from them. On a side note,does anyone know how long collections can stay on your credit report? I looked over my reports and I have three medical collections on there. One for sure isn't mine (currently trying to dispute it with the credit reporting agencies) and the other two are maybes but if that is the case the alledged medical providers never sent me a bill. I only call them maybes because the dates listed on the report are close to when I had an illness requiring an ER visit.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Collections can remain on your credit reports for 7 years from when the account went into serious delinquent status, which is generally 180 days after the first missed payment.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Interest rates will be a bit higher than average, especially for credit cards for fair credit that are meant for those who have likely had some credit problems in the past but are trying to build positive payment history and get back into the good credit range. Frankly, I never pay much attention to interest rates because I don't believe you should ever carry balances on credit cards. If you never carry balances, interest rates are meaningless.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Thing is these aren't credit card collections. These are alleged medical collections I was never actually billed for by the alleged providers. One for sure I know isn't mine (currently disputing)and the other two are questionable. Is it worth trying to contact the collection agencies? If so, how do I go about doing it so they will take it off my record (even if it ends up they are mine and I end up paying)?
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Medical collections can actually be easier to deal with sometimes, especially if the debt is still owned by the medical provider. Try to first determine if that's the case or if the debt has been charged off and sold to a CA. If the debt is still owned by the OC, you may be able to get in contact with their payment department and convince them to pull your account back from collections so you can pay them directly.
Re: Credit Improving-Applied for Chevron Visa but got regular Chevron Gas card instea Since the topic is focused on gas cards, just wanted to give good-to-excellent credit users a heads up that both Discover it and Chase Freedom are now offering 5% bonus cash on gas station purchases through September. Only catch is there's a limit ($1,500 - but seriously, who spends $1,500 in gas in a quarter? Pizza delivery drivers, maybe?) and you have to enroll. Otherwise, plenty of time to sign up if you want to save some cash this summer:
