topic Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do? in Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge!

myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Sarah — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:40:03 GMT

Hey Challengers! Congrats to everyone who is wrapping up the myFICO Fitness Challenge for 2012. As we gear up for the 2013 Challenge, we at myFICO thought we’d try something new this year and post a wrap up thread for folks to report their successes.

How did you do this year? Did you reach your financial goals? What successes and milestones did you achieve? Here’s the place to give yourself a much-deserved pat on the back, as well as tell us about any important lessons you may have learned along the way.

Additionally, do you have any advice for new folks who will be taking their first myFICO Fitness Challenge in 2013? If so, you can post your wise words here!

We’ll be posting the new myFICO Fitness Challenge thread on January 1^st – and we've got some new features in store for you, including optional monthly check-ins to help keep you on track. So get ready to ramp up, and make 2013 the year you take control of your finances and achieve your credit goals!

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

webhopper — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:12:25 GMT

According to the orginal thread, my goal was:

webhopper wrote in January 2012:
My goal is to have 750 in the next 24 months!!!

So far in 2012 I've positioned myself to do just that! Here are some milestones that I accomplished this year:

January: Got an inaccurate 2010 chargeoff tradeline from Santander deleted from Credit Report, with mortgage broker's help. (The account was purchased by Santander and it was Settled in Full in 2009)

Closed on a new home!!

February: App spree for new cards, only had 1 credit card at the time. I picked up: Amex Zync, Chase Amazon Visa, and Amazon store card

March: Joined NFCU through my husband. Refinanced my truck, going from 7.5% to 4% interest. Picked up NFCU Cash Rewards credit card.

April: Joined the Garden Club and Gardened my heart out!

May: Gardened

June: Researched the judgment from the 2009 auto account that was Settled in Full account from the courthouse and realized that this judgment had been dismissed.

Sent disputes along with copies of the court's dismissal to get the judgment removed. Removed Judgment from EQ, and TU!

July: Applied to refinance my investment property.

August: Gardening

September: Applied and approved for NavCheck 15k

October: Closed on the refinance, went from 6.125% to 3.75%. Applied and approved for NFCU new auto loan: 1.79% interest on 45k loan. Ordered the car through overseas delivery :)

November: Gardened. Re-disputed judgment with EX... Judgment removed from EX!

December: Gardened, handed over the NFCU loan check, my new car's VIN number was available :)

In 2013: I have several baddies that are due to fall off, including a 90 day late on a WF credit card account, and a 30 day late on a Nissan Motor Account.

I plan to apply for Amex PRG and Amex Lowes in January. Also flying to Sweden in January to pick up my new car!

Overall: 2012 has been an exceptional year and I have been truly blessed! (*feel a tear coming on*) I feel as though my 2013 goal of reaching 750 is acheivable if I maintain my accounts correctly, keep utilization low, and allow hard inquiries from this year to age off! 2012 was more about strategy and taking advantage of low rates. 2013 will hopefully be marked by the score jumps that go along with maintaining and gardening :)

I'm blessed to have the wonderful folks on this forum to rely on for good advice!

My advice to new members as you make and pursue your 2013 goals: Be realistic in your goal, make it acheivable! Be persistant in pursuiding your goal, never give up! Try again if it doesn't work the first time! Don't lose sight of the $$ that you can be saving, use strategy to make your good credit work for you and save you $$!

Good luck to all in 2013!

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Shogun — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:20:29 GMT

My goal is to be above 760 on all 3 by the end of 2013

2012 accomplishments:

Raised my score over 100 points

Got new CCs for the first time in years!

Cap1

Barclays

Citi

Walmart

Lowes

Made moderator on myFICO!!!!!!

Have been trying to pay it forward. :)

Learned how to make my credit work for me, and hopefully how to never put myself in the same situation I was before.

Wishing everyone the best of luck and many Happy Dances!

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

bethany — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 04:47:48 GMT

2012 starting score: 484

as of 12/18/12: score 566. up 82 points!

my goal was to make it to 620. Maybe next year. I'm still happy with my 86 point rebound. :)

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Epcot — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 05:00:20 GMT

Even though I just joined a few months ago I have learned so much. My score shot up close to 65-70 points. Mostly due to bringing down my utilization from 80% down to below 30%. I applied and got a credit card I have been wanting for years and I also got a Walmart and Victoria Secret card with the shopping cart trick and no HP.
I am happy with what I have accomplished and look forward to spending some time in the Garden while paying down more debt.

One of the things I have learned is patience.. Gardening and working on credit takes time and patience. It will not happen overnight. :)

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Jutz — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:29:23 GMT

Didn't have a goal in mind, eventually made it 660. Started in May at 525, raised it over 100 points, EQ 645 and TU 676. Very happy with the results. Goal next year is 700!

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

creditnocash — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:45:01 GMT

copied and pasted from this thread....

Click This

Might as well add my review.

Before 2012 Start:

Start of credit history

Best Buy: Opened 10/10/10- 2500 limit (with mom as joint account holder with a bk discharge in 07')

Macy's: Opened 12/20/10 100 limit:

2012: And Beyond

Jan 5th: apped kohls approved for 400-still there. sd for now.

feb:apped for chase/citi and cabelas; all denied for not enough revolving accounts

fast forward to june

Started working for bank- opened accounts there they pulled my credit, one for openeing account(it's interest bearing) go figure, and then again for a cc app i did for the employee card 500 limit

July was a busy month as well.

Ae-apped in store-400 girl said was a good limit with a smile lol- now 700

Chase Freedom-Approved 500 limit- still there

walmart-approved for store card- 800 limit- now 5k after 2 increases 3k to 5k

macy's in june noticed they started reporting limits. as stated was 100 dollars then it was 2k in june never told me since i get estatements and dont use the account-cli to 3.5k this month

then i was good in the garden for a little over a month and then aug 30th came.

I GOT A NEW CAR

so toyota finance and the dealership pulled all three of my reports each

then citizens pulled all three of my reports for a od line of credit was denied for lack of credit history but spit out a 726 score but was pre approved for a 2k card- no pull for that

and my last app was amex for the zync- approved

December-Pre approved for a 5k card at work via soft pull.

took that

2013+ Goals

cli on freedom

cli on 5k card from work to 10k

costco te from amex with backdate(think ill wait until 2014 for this though)

close smaller limit cards. (kohls(no wiggle room for a cli, dont even really shop there-i actually applied for this because i didnt want my mom to have another card lol(surprised i got approved) , ae(they have a visa version but no rewards whatsoever) , citizens bank(lower limit ones)

Keeping my util=< 5%

so essentialy want to have my zync, costco te, Freedom Visa Sig, My work MC 5k + and an upgrade to wm discover(if only to pc to a discover it(which i know it isnt possible).

im young=21, working, college student. no baddies and planning on buying a house/condo in the next 5 years.

but then again that could all change tommorrow.

edit/adding: so i went from 2600 in credit to almost 20k (19900) and a new car. (installment loan for 10k lease over 3 years) (putting away 100 dollars extra a week to buy a new car outright before lease is up (another car is more likely)

went from a 16.6k job pre tax, to a 32k pre tax not including bonus/pre tax 401k dedutcion + matched by employer)

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Oorah — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:49:30 GMT

I guess I am very disappointed for 2012, so I will just keep working in 2013

I was able to get my credit score up from 580 to 689 from Jan '12 - May '12, then is seemed that no one wanted me to have that score because it dropped back to 589 and has stayed there. I just sit shaking my head.

I did buy a car in March 2012, but that didn't seem to affect my score. My pets old vet sold his office and the new staff apparently decided to go through some old books and just present a bunch to collection without checking the files properly. Apparently they have another customer, with a minor spelling difference in the name, that had a dog that they never paid the vet bill for. They are charging me for a dog that isn't mine from forever ago. I called the vet, and my records show that I ALWAYS paid for my services when rendered. I also told them that I never owned the dog in question, and the address listed for the dog was not mine. I ask them to contact the collection agency, and she told me NO, that once they were given to collection she couldn't do that. So, its on my credit report. How do you prove that you never owned a dog that you are being billed for? Amazing!!!! I was a customer of theirs for over 10 years, so I am speechless. New vet brought in new staff, so I don't know any of them.

Also, my mortgage was bought in 2006 by one of those big multi faceted mortgage trust buyouts. Deutshe, JPMorgan, Capital, etc. When I started making my payments they were being sent back to me with another address to mail it to. I sent payments to Utah, and was told to send them to NC, NC told me to send them to Ohio, etc. The end result was that by the time I was given the proper address, my check for the three months mortgage payments was returned because they said they had started foreclosure. I called and explained that I had been mailing checks and they were returned, gave them all of the addresses, etc, and their response was that they were just the servicing company, not the note holder. I immediately went to an attorney with all of the documentation, thank goodness I kept it. 18 months later we go to mediation and without even asking they lowered my interest rate, removed all the penalties, etc, and I was elated. Until they didn't follow through with the mediation agreement, and I had no idea how much or where to mail my payments. After two orders by the court to enforce the mediation agreement, they still did not comply, so we filed a dismissal motion, and it was granted Dec. 2010. Dismiss with Prejudice due to failing to comply with 2 court orders, and the bank contacting me directly and not through my attorney, happened Jan 2011. However, now they have refiled another foreclosure, which my attornay has ask to be dismissed. Nightmare.....but I knew it couldn't be over with the dismiss with prejudice. Something in my gut just said no one gets a $200K mortgage wiped off the books, even though I did everything I could to correct THEIR mistake with wrong addresses, and willingness to make good on the missed payments, it was a three year nightmare of not knowing if I could keep my house, even though I had never missed a payment. There are two attorneys as co-counsel on this for free because they said they have never seen anything like this before. Of course, I have to pay my attorney, but she is still trying to get my legal fees reimbursed from the three year nightmare, which is probably close to $10-$15K. The dismissal order does say that I can get legal fees, but they never paid them. If the tables were turned, and I did not comply with court orders, I would be on the street.

Needless to say, I have to deal with the credit bureau's through this, and they would not even remove the previous foreclosure even though it was dismissed with prejudice. My credit reports looks like I have been dealing with a foreclosure since 2007. It was not affecting my score as much due to the aging, but the new filing in September 2012 did, and all the effort I made to get my score up vanished. I thought credit agencies had to remove negative items that were dismissed with prejudice, but apparently not.

I guess I continue into 2013 still fighting the fight, but I am about to throw in the towel.

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Cageym — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:05:27 GMT

Well, I got a few prime cards finally and got Amex backdated to 1993 which really helped. And I got one score up to that 800 mark! I can't complain.

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

beb86 — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 02:20:17 GMT

Well my scores rose another 60 pts at there highest point.... Closed on my first home on 4/30/12!!!! but since then my scores have dropped a little bit... I will work on raising them to the 740s in 2k13

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Revelate — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 07:12:06 GMT

Holiday fun, already reflecting on how the year has passed. Have to admit, finding this forum and announcing a plan and sticking to it has been nothing but goodness for me.

Original plan:

Revelate wrote:
2012 plan:
- Jan: open up another secured card at old credit union
- Jan: take out a secured CD loan 3 year term USAA, cheaper way for installment tradeline
- Jul / Aug (depends on when they report sixth payment): finish off the unsecured personal loan
- Aug/Sep/Oct: depending on current FICO score, pull trigger on refinancing auto loan
- Dec: *maybe* try for an Amex Zync if scores look better, report gets a little cleaner, and mortgage is delayed as I expect
- Ongoing: depending on finances, figure out when to use the long stick to wake the tiger (IRS), might be paid but my documentation has been lackluster this decade
- Ongoing: seeing if I can get that collection removed

I hit nearly every single milestone with the exception of finishing the IRS issue and getting the collection removed (really didn't try hard on this one as frankly the collection is righteous from my own wayward stupidity). Highlights from the year included:

- Hitting my goal score of 640+ in July, though my score has since flatlined at 643 for the last several months.

- Refinanced my car from 19.35% APR in August down to 5.99% (now 5.74% with DCU's good behavior bonus)

- Zynced just under the wire in October before it was discontinued.

Next year's plan is a theoretically simple two-step process (with some random score target since I've no idea anymore):

- Deal with IRS

- Get mortgaged

Have a wonderful holiday season and best of wishes and luck to everyone for next year!

Edit: Tale of the FICO score (EQ Beacon 5.0) for the curious:

01/01/12: 561

02/03/12: 571

02/24/12: 595

03/30/12: 608

04/27/12: 617

05/25/12: 619

06/29/12: 631

07/27/12: 646

08/31/12: 634

10/01/12: 643

10/26/12: 643

11/30/12: 643

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

lg8302ch — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 10:15:34 GMT

Did not achieve my goal because I started last month only. At the same time I went on an app spree 4 hard pulls and 3 new cards: CapOne (already reporting), Amex and Discover (not yet reporting). So far I have not been punished yet but it might come as of JAN13. So you might see my scores going in oposite direction next year. Just got ready for 2013 and updated my signature. More realistic goal for end of 2013 now. We will see.

Happy Holidays to all of you and great success on your goals for 2013 :smileyhappy:

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

talamafa — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 15:46:06 GMT

Happy Holidays!

The first step on this journey was to get my credit score. I am pleased. But I want to take it higher. A bad choice, an impulsive decision to get a Macy's card while doing Christmas shopping and one missed payment in '08 still haunts me. In 2 years, that red flag can be eliminated. In the mean time, what can I do to maintain or improve my credit score? Besides property or a car, what else might I buy on installment?

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

webhopper — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:34:03 GMT

talamafa wrote:
Happy Holidays!
The first step on this journey was to get my credit score. I am pleased. But I want to take it higher. A bad choice, an impulsive decision to get a Macy's card while doing Christmas shopping and one missed payment in '08 still haunts me. In 2 years, that red flag can be eliminated. In the mean time, what can I do to maintain or improve my credit score? Besides property or a car, what else might I buy on installment?

There is no need to buy a car or something else just to have an installment loan reporting.. check with banks in your area and find one that offers a secured loan... that is a loan secured by your money. What happens with a secured loan is that you take money to the bank and use it to buy a CD. They then take out a loan against the CD, and give you the money back. Then you pay the bill on the loan for 12 months, while earning interest on the CD. After 12 months, you own the CD free and clear, and you've built 12 months installment history which can help if you want to buy a car later on.

Re: MyFico Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

Unique620 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:24:12 GMT

Started to rebuild exactly a year after filing bankruptcy. Went from 523 to my highest score being 663 this year. Up 130 points :)

After reading forums on bankruptcy and rebuilding credit I did the following:

March 2012- started rehabilitation on defaulted student loan

April 2, 2012- approved car loan Capital One

June 2012- approved Capital One unsecured & secured

August 2012- Learn all accounts were not iib, and got them corrected.

November 2012- completed student loan rehabilitation. Loan in deferment. Currently in school

December 2012- approved Barclay Apple Card & Apple Federal Secured Credit Card

Plan to garden until June 2013. That way all my hard pulls except the two I did this month will be a year old.

As soon as the collection is removed from a rehabilitation student loan, I am looking for another boost in my credit score. Was hoping it would have been completed before the year ended, but no success as of yet.

I have learn so much from the forums this past year and my suggestion to new comers is time is your best friend, learn from your mistakes and others! It will take some time and patience, but the reward is worth the wait.

My goal is to be at 700 post two years filing bk (April 2013). Hopefully, when default loan is removed and with time I will make my goal.

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

BikerMama — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:14:13 GMT

Well, I just found this forum but since I started using myFico, my score has increased from 715 to 747! I'm pretty happy :) I guess I will sign on for the 2013 FICO fitness challenge. Hoping to get to at least 765 in 2013 and have all of my outstanding CC debt paid off. Here's to a prosperous new year, Cheers!

smooth salingRe: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

nvergvup — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 05:22:57 GMT

Wow!! iam just starting out. ( EQ 629 TU 644 fico ) (EXP 590 on credittotalcheck.com )so iam tying to REMOVE some inq now, wanting for that to come off, here shortley.

my file is light how ever JUST A couple of small cards thinking about putting some AU with long history and larger balances what do you think? trying to get up to 700 club with in 60days and so on >>>>> 2013 WILL BE MY YEAR JUST PLAY THE GAME RIGHT......

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

chasmith — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:59:37 GMT

I had a mixed year. I'd hoped to break 700, and did so for TU, not for EQ.

My EQ scores have stayed in the low 680s all year. But I was able to purchase new home, kill off the high fee rebuilder cards (First Premier and CreditOne), and replace my last secured card with 6.2K in two unsecured cards.

I believe inquiries generated to finally get my mortgage and utilization are the reasons I didn't do better in 2012.

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

tinuviel — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:02:40 GMT

I had a wonderful 2012! My credit rebuilding journey was successful, during which I was able to achieve the following goals:

All scores reached 700+
All CO/CAs aged off my reports
Soft CLIs on several credit cards
Approved for ALL four of my goal cards, and with nice starting limits:

Bank of America 1-2-3 rewards Visa Signature (affinity card for UCF Alumni Association), $5000 CL
Discover More, $2000 CL
Citi Diamond Preferred MC, $6800 CL
Wells Fargo Rewards Visa, $7000 CL

And, a miracle occurred... asked for and was granted an upgrade to my Cap1 Visa Platinum; went from no rewards to Venture Visa Signature!

I'm grateful for all of the knowledge and support that I've received on these forums. My participation in the myFICO community has really been a life-changing experience. My sincerest thanks to all.

Re: myFICO Fitness Challenge 2012 Wrap Up: How Did You Do?

bornhuge — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:31:21 GMT

bornhuge

Established Member

Posts: 19

Registered: ‎12-20-2011

Re: Take the FICO Fitness Challenge for 2012!

‎01-16-2012 04:06 PM

My wife and I decided to get serious about our debt when we bought our first house. We found out that she was pregnant with our first child the day that we closed. A couple of weeks later, we bought her a car as hers was about to shoot craps. Our goal was to pay as much down as we could in 2011. Last year, maternity leave notwithstanding we paid off the remaining $4,500 on my car. We paid her car off in one year too. We also knocked a bit off our student loans and mortgage and paid off a little over $11,000 in credit card debt. We also paid off the $3,200 we owed on furniture we bought when we moved in our house. We haven't carried a balance on a credit card since 2010.

Our debt is now her student loans and mine and our mortgage. Our goal for this year is to pay off another $50,000 in student loans. Unfortunately, we haven't always been good about paying down debt or even paying our bills on time. We each have scores in the low 700's and I'd like to see 750's by the end of the year. Good luck to everyone else this year. I look forward to seeing updates from everyone.

Starting Scores: TU-666 on 10/29/11. EQ-701 on 12/29/11
Current Scores: TU-708 on 11/2/12. EQ-733 on 12/23/12

My wife's scores are in the 740's, but mine have been more stubborn (more baddies). As to the remaining goals for 2012, we did lower our combined student loan debt by a little more than $52,000.00 in 2012. It's where we spent most of our extra money. Still haven't paid any interest on any credit card debt since 2010. Overall, it was a successful year. We have 28k in student loans remaining and hope to have it paid by the end of 2013. After that, it's down to just the mortgage and eventually complete financial freedom.