Hello everyone,   I'm back on this board after a long spell without posting. I'd like to get advice on what my next moves should be.   First, I'd like to thank the administrators who run this site and the forum members who help out. Thanks to the advice I received, I have been able to go from some negative credit to a nice (although thin) file.   My current status is:   SW EX FICO: 734 "Great" payment history (never late) "Good" credit balance (about 39%) "Good" length of history (oldest 7.5 years / average 5 years) "Great" amount of new credit   I currently have only three accounts reporting: 7.5 year old installment account (PIF / no activity since 2005) 5 year old credit card (0 balance, still open / reporting, $5,800 limit) 3 year old credit card (0 balance, still open / reporting, $15,900 limit)   No inquiries / collections / records / etc.   At the time of the report, my balance was quite high. At the time of this writing I PIF one card and have made large payments (10x minimum payment) with a goal to pay the total off in the next two months. I don't tend to keep extremely high balances, but it was a necessary expense for education.   My current credit goal is to possibly purchase a vehicle within the next six months. According to SW, I should fall in the top tier of interest rates.   What can I do to maintain my current score? Am I at any risk of my score falling with the old installment account coming off of the report?   Once I either decided to purchase the car or not, what should I do to grow my credit? I feel like I am at a point that I should be hunting for new credit, but I am a bit unsure of where I should seek it. I decided to go for the annual subscription to SW, so I am in this for the long haul!   Thanks for your advice! ... View more

Thanks everyone on the forum!   I apped NFCU for the platinum (no rewards) visa, and was approved after two days for a CL of $10,000. My only previous card (see history in my previous post) was a $700 limit Bank Atlantic (Barclays) card. I know that my score is going to take a hit because my AAoA is going to go down; however, I feel that this was the best move considering my circumstances.   My reason for wanting a new card with higher credit limit is that I am overseas and could not purchase airline tickets in an emergency. I requested a CLI from Barclays, however they denied the request due to the type of card.    Once again, thanks for all of the good information! ... View more

Good afternoon everyone!   First of all I would like to thank all of you for the helpful forum! I will be turning 25 soon, and have decided that I would like to make an effort at building a stronger credit history. I will try to give all of the important details that may be needed - but please feel free to ask for anything that I have missed.   I was able to pull two of my free credit reports (TransUnion and Experian), but Equifax is requiring a paper form. I will start out by saying that I do not have much in the way of credit history, and have only one open account. I have a credit card with a maximum limit of $700 that is branded Bank Atlantic - I believe this is issued by Barclays. This card has been open for almost two years without a single late payment. I usually keep the balance close to zero although the last report was at $390. TransUnion did not have a single derog reporting, but Experian reported a paid charge-off of $197 which I believe was originally reported in 2003. (Latest reporting date was in 2004 when the payment was made.) I requested a credit increase on my card at the beginning of this year; however, after pulling my report they told me that I was not allowed to request a credit limit increase because of the program that I was in.   Lastly, I would like to mention that I am a member of Navy Federal Credit Union. I have seen mention of it here on the board, however I have only savings and checking.   My questions would be:   1) I am living overseas, and would love to have my CL increased (or to open another card) so that it would be possible to buy two international aircraft tickets in an emergency. What should I do?   2) I would like to increase my credit rating so that I will be in a better position to buy a home one day. What can I do?   3) Would you suggest anything else in my situation?    Thanks!     Credit Report Info:   TU:   BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE Balance:  $390   Date Updated:  04/2009   High Balance:  $733  Credit Limit:  $700  Past Due:  $0  Terms:  Minimum $5  Pay Status:  Paid or Paying as Agreed   Account Type:  Revolving Account   Responsibility:  Individual Account   Date Opened:  06/2007  Loan Type: Credit Card    Inquiries: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE Requested On: Inquiry Type: 06/03/2007 Individual   EXPERIAN:   Derog: WACHOVIA/SOUTHTRUST BANK Status:  Paid,Closed. $197 written off. Date Opened: Type: 10/2002 Reported Since: 08/2004 Date of Status: Deposit Terms: NA Monthly Payment: $0 Responsibility: Signer Last Reported: 08/2004 Account History: Charge Off as of Aug 2004   Accounts in good standing: AARON SALES & LEASE OWNE Status:  Paid,Closed/Never late.  Status Details:  This account is scheduled to continue on record until Mar 2015.  Credit Limit/Original Amount: $627 High Balance: NA Recent Balance: NA Recent Payment: NA Date Opened: 12/2004 Reported Since: 03/2005 Date of Status: 03/2005 Last Reported: 03/2005 Type: Installment Terms: 24 Months Monthly Payment: $0 Responsibility: Individual   BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE Status:  Open/Never late.  Date Opened: 06/2007 Reported Since: 06/2007 Date of Status: 04/2009 Type: Revolving Terms: NA Monthly Payment: $5 Last Reported: 04/2009  Responsibility: Individual Credit Limit/Original Amount: $700 High Balance: $733 Recent Balance: $390 as of 04/2009 Recent Payment: $150 ... View more