I came across this board about two weeks ago and have read numerous posts. I feel confident that I am ready to begin repairing my credit with the help of you good people. Background: In 1996, having known nothing about credit, I began getting and using credit cards left and right in college. When I graduated in 2000, I already had a bunch of collections, delinquents and didn't even know what a credit history was. Fast Forward: I have been working for the last few years (a stable job), and have targeted the end of this year as the time I want to own a home. My credit history is bad as you will see. I have some ideas as to what to do, but since my situation is a bit complex and I will have to prioritize which ones to pay first, I will need your help. Oh, I am in MINNESOTA and work in North Dakota. Here are some factors: #1# I keep track of my credit online with consumerinfo.com. It shows my Experian score as 562, Equifax as 572 and TransUnion at 645. #2# Experian and TransUnion have my current address while Equifax has my old addresses. Both Experian and TransUnion have my old addresses too. Experian also has my current employer currently listed. #3# My public Records section is empty. Here is what my current summary shows: Experian Equifax TransUnion Real Estate Accounts : Count: 0 0 0 Balance ($): $0 $0 $0 Current: 0 0 0 Delinquent: 0 0 0 Other: 0 0 0 Revolving Accounts: Count: 6 6 5 Balance ($): ~$3,000 ~$750 ~$5,000 Current: 1 2 0 Delinquent: 3 3 3 Other: 2 1 2 Installment Accounts: Count: 2 0 0 Balance ($): ~$8,000 $0 $0 Current: 1 0 0 Delinquent: 1 0 0 Other: 0 0 0 Other Accounts: Count: 0 2 1 Balance ($): $0 ~$8,000 $0 Current: 0 0 1 Delinquent: 0 2 0 Other: 0 0 0 Collection Accounts: Count: 5 7 3 Balance ($): ~$250 ~$750 ~$8,000 Current: 0 0 0 Delinquent: 5 7 3 Other: 0 0 0 Total Accounts: Count: 13 15 9 Balance ($): ~$11,500 ~$9,500 ~$13,500 Current: 2 2 1 Delinquent: 9 12 6 Other: 2 1 2 Accounts Summary: Open Accounts: 1 10 4 Closed Accounts: 12 5 5 Public Records: 0 0 0 Inquiries (Prev 2 Years): 2 1 2 This is what it shows for Current Inquiries: For Experian: XYZ Collection Agency Other Collection Agencies Nov 20, 2003 My BANK All Banks May 19, 2003 For TransUnion: ABC Collection Agency Collection services Sep 5, 2003 PHONE COMPANY Utilities and fuel May 28, 2003 For Equifax: DEPARTMENT STORE Sales Financing Jul 7, 2003 As for my ACCOUNT HISTORY. I have tried to list it exactly as in report. BANK Experian Equifax TrasUnion Account Name: BANK FINANCIAL Account Number: XXXX XXXX XXXX Account Type: Credit Card - Revolving Terms Revolving or Option Revolving account Type of Business: Bank Credit Cards All Banks Banks and S&Ls Terms: Revolving Not reported Not reported Account Status: Closed Closed Closed Monthly Payment: $0 $0 $0 Date Open: Jul, 2000 Jul, 2000 Jul, 2000 Balance: $0 $0 $0 Balance Date: Dec 31, 2002 Dec, 2002 Dec 1, 2002 High Balance: $300 $0 $300 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported Not reported Not reported Past Due: $0 $0 $0 Remarks: Transferred to another lender or claim purchased ACCOUNT TRANSFERRED OR SOLD CREDIT CARD Purchased by another lender Payment Status: Account transferred to another office (Empty) Unrated or bankruptcy Account Two year history: Both Experian and Equifax show OK for Year2, with Year1 being 2002 BBB COLLECTIONS Equifax (This is not listed in the other two CRAs): Account Name: BBB COLLECTIONS Account Number: MNNXXXX Account Type: Collection Account Type of Business: Other Terms: Not reported Account Status: Open Monthly Payment: Not reported Date Open: Aug, 1999 Balance: $32 Balance Date: Jun, 2000 High Balance: Not reported Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported Past Due: Not reported Remarks: Not reported Unpaid Payment Status: Unpaid QQQ COLLECTIONS Equifax (This is not listed in the other two CRAs) Account Name: QQQ COLLECTIONS Account Number: XXXXX Account Type: Open Account Type of Business: Factoring Data Terms: Not reported Account Status: Open Monthly Payment: $0 Date Open: Not reported Balance: $1,617 Balance Date: Feb, 2005 High Balance: ~$1,300 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported Past Due: $1,617 Remarks: COLLECTION ACCOUNT CUSTOMER HAS NOW LOCATED CONSUMER Payment Status: At least 120 days or more than four payments past due Account Two year history: Shows Ok for 2005 February QQQ COLLECTIONS Experian (Doesnt show on the other two. Actually, it does, but as a different account with a different two year history) Account Name: QQQ COLLECTIONS Account Number: XXXX Account Type: Unknown - Credit Extension, Review, Or Collection Type of Business: Sales Financing Company Terms: 1 Month Account Status: Open Monthly Payment: $0 Date Open: Apr, 2002 Balance: ~$1,500 Balance Date: Mar 14, 2005 High Balance: Not reported Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. ~$1,300 Past Due: ~$1,500 Remarks: Not reported Payment Status: Credit Grantor could not locate consumer / consumer now located Account Two year history: Shows as Collection account starting 06.2004 till 03.2005 except 7.04 and 1.05, where it shows as 'No Data'. BIGBANK Transunion (Not listed in other two) Account Name: BIGBANK Account Number: 541XXXX Account Type: Revolving account Type of Business: Banks and S&Ls Terms: Minimum Account Status: Closed Monthly Payment: $200 Date Open: Oct, 1997 Balance: $1,407 Balance Date: Jun 1, 1999 High Balance: $0 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $1,100 Past Due: $172 Remarks: Canceled by credit grantor Payment Status: 120 days past due Account Two Year History: Shows 05.1999 as 120 days past due. BIGBANK Equifax (not listed in other two) Account Name: BIGBANK Account Number: 412XXXX Account Type: Revolving or Option Type of Business: All Banks Terms: Not reported Account Status: Open Monthly Payment: $20 Date Open: Feb, 1997 Balance: $742 Balance Date: Aug, 2000 High Balance: $0 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $500 Past Due: $380 Remarks: CHARGED OFF ACCOUNT Payment Status: Bad debt& placed for collection& skip Account Two Year History: Shows 60 days past due in 1.2000, 120 days past due in 8.2000 and ok from that point on, with last report on 8.01. ZZZ COLLECTIONS Experian Equifax TransUnion Account Name: ZZZ COLLECTIONS Account Number: 291XXXX 291XXXX 291XXXX Account Type: Collection Department / Agency / Attorney Collection Account Collection Account Type of Business: Other Collection Agencies Other Collection services Terms: Unknown Not reported Not reported Account Status: Closed Open Open Monthly Payment: $0 Not reported Not reported Date Open: Jan, 1999 Jan, 1999 Jan, 1999 Balance: $111 $111 $111 Balance Date: May 25, 2000 May, 2000 May, 2000 High Balance: Not reported Not reported Not reported Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $111 Not reported Not reported Past Due: $0 Not reported Not reported Remarks: Not reported Not reported Unpaid Placed for collection Payment Status: Seriously past due date / assigned to attorney, collection agency, or credit grantor's internal collection department Unpaid Collection account Account Two year History: Shows collection for 04 and 05 2000. My Bank Account Name: My Bank Account Number: XXXX XXXX XXXX Account Type: Check Credit Or Line Of Credit Revolving or Option Overdraft / reserve checking account Type of Business: All Banks All Banks Banks and S&Ls Terms: Revolving Not reported Not reported Account Status: Closed Closed Open Monthly Payment: $0 $0 $0 Date Open: May, 2003 May, 2003 May, 2003 Balance: $0 $0 $0 Balance Date: Nov 3, 2004 Nov, 2004 Nov 3, 2004 High Balance: Not reported $300 $0 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $300 Not reported $300 Past Due: $0 $0 $0 Remarks: Not reported ACCOUNT TRANSFERRED OR SOLD LINE OF CREDIT Payment Status: Account transferred to another office Pays account as agreed Paid or paying as agreed It shows OK up until 11.04 and has no reports since. (CONTINUED)
(Continued) CREDIT BUREAU COLLECTION AGENCY Experian and Equifax (not listed in TransUnion and IS LISTED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES, WITH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS) Account Name: CREDIT BUREAU COLLECTION AGENCY Account Number: 17XXXX 17XXXX Account Type: Collection Department / Agency / Attorney Collection Account Type of Business: Collection Department - Credit Bureau Other Terms: Unknown Not reported Account Status: Closed Open Monthly Payment: $0 Not reported Date Open: Jan, 2000 Jan, 2000 Balance: $30 $30 Balance Date: Jun 6, 2002 Jun, 2002 High Balance: Not reported Not reported Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $125 Not reported Past Due: $30 Not reported Remarks: Not reported Not reported Unpaid Payment Status: Seriously past due date / assigned to attorney, collection agency, or credit grantor's internal collection department Unpaid Account Two year History: For all four, 06.2002 as 'Collection' CASHBACK CREDIT CARD Experian Equifax TransUnion Account Name: CASHBACK CREDIT CARD Account Number: XXXX XXXX XXXX Account Type: Credit Card - Revolving Terms Revolving or Option Revolving account Type of Business: Bank Credit Cards All Banks Banks and S&Ls Terms: Revolving Not reported Not reported Account Status: Closed Closed Closed Monthly Payment: $0 $0 $0 Date Open: Mar, 1997 Mar, 1997 Mar, 1997 Balance: $0 $0 $0 Balance Date: Jun 25, 1999 Jun, 1999 Jun 1, 1999 High Balance: Not reported $0 $0 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported Not reported Not reported Past Due: $0 $0 $0 Remarks: Credit line closed-consumer request-reported by subscriber PAID ACCOUNT / ZERO BALANCE ACCOUNT CLOSED BY CONSUMER Account closed by consumer Payment Status: Paid satisfactorily Pays account as agreed Unrated Account Two Year History: Shows status as OK with last year being 06.1999. *ACCOUNT HISTORY FOR THE FOLLOWING THREE APPEARS TOGETHER FIRST NATIONAL BANK COLLECTIONS TransUnion(not in other two) Account Name: FIRST NATIONAL BANK COLLECTIONS Account Number: XXXX Account Type: Collection Account Type of Business: Collection services Terms: Not reported Account Status: Open Monthly Payment: Not reported Date Open: Apr, 2002 Balance: $1,617 Balance Date: Mar, 2005 High Balance: Not reported Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported Past Due: Not reported Remarks: Placed for collection Payment Status: Collection account FIRST NATIONAL BANK (TransUnion. However, I don't remember having two cards from them.) Account Name: FIRST NATIONAL BANK Account Number: XXXX Account Type: Revolving account Type of Business: Banks and S&Ls Terms: Not reported Account Status: Closed Monthly Payment: $0 Date Open: Oct, 1997 Balance: $1,058 Balance Date: Apr 1, 2002 High Balance: $1,058 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $1,000 Past Due: $1,058 Remarks: Profit and loss writeoff Payment Status: Charged off as bad debt ANOTHER BIG BANK Experian and Equifax (not listed in TransUnion) Account Name: MBNA AMERICA MBNA AMERICA Account Number: XXXX XXXX Account Type: Credit Card - Revolving Terms Revolving or Option Type of Business: Bank Credit Cards National Credit Card Cos. Terms: Revolving Not reported Account Status: Closed Closed Monthly Payment: $0 $36 Date Open: Nov, 1997 Nov, 1997 Balance: $0 $0 Balance Date: May 17, 1999 May, 1999 High Balance: Not reported $1,500 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $1,500 Not reported Past Due: $0 $0 Remarks: Transferred to another lender or claim purchased CHARGED OFF ACCOUNT ACCOUNT TRANSFERRED OR SOLD Payment Status: Charge-off Bad debt& placed for collection& skip Account Two year History: Experian shows collection in 04 and 05 of 99, while Equifax shows OK in 5.99after a 120 day late in 4.99 BAD COLLECTION AGENCY Equifax (Shows as different account in the other two, followed right after this) Account Name: BAD COLLECTION AGENCY Account Number: xxx Account Type: Open Account Type of Business: Factoring Data Terms: Not reported Account Status: Open Monthly Payment: $0 Date Open: Not reported Balance: ~$6,500 Balance Date: Mar, 2005 High Balance: $2,766 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported Past Due: ~$6,500 Remarks: COLLECTION ACCOUNT Payment Status: At least 120 days or more than four payments past due Account two year history: Shows OK for 3.05 BAD COLLECTION AGENCY Experian and TransUnion Account Name: BAD COLLECTION AGENCY Account Number: 406XXXX 406XXXX Account Type: Unknown - Credit Extension, Review, Or Collection Collection Account Type of Business: Other Collection Agencies Collection services Terms: 1 Month Not reported Account Status: Closed Open Monthly Payment: $0 Not reported Date Open: Jan, 2001 Jan, 2001 Balance: $6,452 $6,452 Balance Date: Mar 20, 2005 Mar, 2005 High Balance: Not reported Not reported Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $2,766 Not reported Past Due: $6,452 Not reported Remarks: Not reported Placed for collection Payment Status: Seriously past due date / assigned to attorney, collection agency, or credit grantor's internal collection department Collection account Account two year history: Shows as Collection each month starting 10.04 BANK BANK BANK CARD Experian and Equifax (not listed in TransUnion) Account Name: BANK BANK BANK CARD Account Number: 53XXXX 53XXXX Account Type: Credit Card - Revolving Terms Revolving or Option Type of Business: Bank Credit Cards National Credit Card Cos. Terms: Revolving Not reported Account Status: Closed Closed Monthly Payment: $0 $10 Date Open: Oct, 1997 Oct, 1997 Balance: $300 $0 Balance Date: Jul 31, 2000 Jul, 2000 High Balance: Not reported $300 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. $500 Not reported Past Due: $0 $0 Remarks: Transferred to another lender or claim purchased ACCOUNT TRANSFERRED OR SOLD CHARGED OFF ACCOUNT Payment Status: Past due 180 days Bad debt& placed for collection& skip Account two year history: shows Collection on 7.2000 in Experian and 120 days overdue in Equifax SMALL TOWN COLLECTION AGENCY Equifax (Not in Experian and TransUnion) Account Name: SMALL TOWN COLLECTION AGENCY Account Number: 0110XXXX Account Type: Collection Account Type of Business: Other Terms: Not reported Account Status: Open Monthly Payment: Not reported Date Open: May, 2001 Balance: $463 Balance Date: Jul, 2001 High Balance: Not reported Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported Past Due: Not reported Remarks: Not reported Unpaid Payment Status: Unpaid YET ANOTHER BANK CARD Experian and TransUnion (not in Equifax) Account Name: YET ANOTHER BANK CARD Account Number: 53XXXX 53XXXX Account Type: Credit Card - Revolving Terms Revolving account Type of Business: Bank Credit Cards Banks and S&Ls Terms: Revolving Not reported Account Status: Closed Closed Monthly Payment: $0 $0 Date Open: Nov, 1997 Nov, 1997 Balance: $2,766 $2,766 Balance Date: Dec 31, 2000 Dec 1, 2000 High Balance: Not reported $0 Credit Limit/Orig. Amt. Not reported $2,500 Past Due: $2,766 $2,766 Remarks: Not reported Profit and loss writeoff Payment Status: Charge-off Charged off as bad debt Account two year history: Experian shows collection as of 12.2000. That is the account history. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS WHEN SUGGESTING ME MY OPTIONS: 1. I currently have no credit cards. 2. I own some stock that I can either keep to pay the down payment for when I get my house or to clear my credit history by paying creditors now (whichever helps get me to a position of getting a house first) 3. I got an offer from Capital One with some suggestion that I was preapproved for a card which would transfer the amount I owe into a credit card. I know, it was dumb, but I bit. They declined my application, and got my signature on an agreement that I did not carefully read. This was around October last year. 4. Other than the stocks, at the end of next month, I should have about 4000 bucks at my disposal that I can use to start paying these off with. Here are my questions: 1. Who should I pay first? 2. What should I dispute with what CAs? 3 What can I do to get the Original creditors to delete the accounts that they have already sold to Collection agencies? My plan of action with your help is to: 1. Determine what to dispute to the CAs. 2. Determine how to get OCs to delete account. 3. Dispute CAs and go through the cycle. 4. Reach settlements with OCs to delete accounts. 4. Pay off accounts to CAs that can't be deleted by disputing. Thank you good folks for giving me the inspiration to post this and for your valuable time and suggestions.
Too many questions? I think I asked too many questions here. I appreciate the help I could get from you very much. If someone could tell me if my plan looks ok, it would be great.
Too many questions? Some information was edited in order to protect the identity of the poster. CCN steve
