Garden Club - June 2015

[SunriseEarth]

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@xnxo wrote:

So my car blew up yesterday, transmission. I decided to walk into Toyota for a new camry drove off the lot with a pre-owned Lexus lol... They of course ran my credit like crazy. I didn't have any problems getting approved. Does this put me out of the Garden Club? I've done so well these last 6 months! 

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The HPs and the new loan do reset your Gardening clock to "Seedling" status.   However, you can definitely come right back into the Garden Club!   Welcome back and congrats on approval!

[SunriseEarth]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Just dropping by to collect my silver!!  Three months in the garden!!

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Congrats on Silver!

[SunriseEarth]

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@MissMoni223 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Not sure if an sp counts.  If it does, I'll have been here for just about 5 days.  Getting bored.  Click all but Cap One's luv buttons!  Better go water my potted plants.  Get my mind off of "other things".

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GREAT news, SP's don't count against gardening. That's actually the HIGH LIFE of being here, LOL!!!

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SP CLIs aren't just allowed...they're encouraged!  I'm going through the same thing.

[SunriseEarth]

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@kenspi67 wrote:

Hello Boys n Girls .. For that past several years my thought process was so out of wack when it came to credit .. Only had one auto loan on my credit file. I had zero credit cards thinking i was doing the right thing paid for everything in cash. Back in late March I decided i wanted to purchase a brand new 2015 Jeep Wrangler. I ran into this website. I ended up getting the service and found out my scores were in the 580 range across the board. I cleaned up a few things on my file, and luckily just so happened that a judgemtent was due to fall off in April from something back in 2008 .. (that is how much i checked my credit, wasn't even aware of that judgement.. I remember paying it though).. I added two credit cards from Capital One following the advice from this board, and my scores ballooned as high as 679. Right in time to get my auto loan for my Jeep. .. I was able to get a auto loan at 10.2% on April 13th. Now, I came from Santander from my previous loan where the rate was 22%, I was so excited to get 10.2% .. When that auto loan hit my credit report I dropped aprox 40 points across the board due to the new debt, and the dollars. I was in the 615ish range. Fast forward to this past week .. I was able to execute a "pay for delete" from a colllections that appeared on 12/2014. That bumped my score up average 55 points. I immediately refinaced my two month old auto loan at 5.25% (cut in half interest wise), and was approved for a Discover IT .. I have 15-16 inquiries on my file from April to ttoday .. I have 4 credit cards, and my goal is to lay low for 12-15 months to get a prime rate at DCU for another refinace next summer, Currently my highest score is Experian at 672, not bad with all the movement / roller coaster the past few months .. Wish my luck ..

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Sounds like an excellent plan!  We welcome you here and definitely will encourage you in your goals.  

I think a lot of people have a distrust of credit, especially anyone who's Gen X or younger, seeing how much damage people did with it in years past.   I think there's also a false idea that using credit means you have to assume debt, which isn't true.   For the most part, I've moved to a PIF model.   I use credit for nearly all transactions that I can; I like being able to get rewards and to have a level of protection with my purchases.  

[Anonymous]

Today makes 2 months in the Garden for me. I'm seeing good things as a result of not doing HP or apps. Thanks for all the support back here as I continue to garden until at least the end of the year.

[Anonymous]

Congrats on the longevity Vulcan!

I got the word that the HELOC is officially a no go. They won't do a full appraisal. I'm totally fine with this. We refi'd and rolled a bit into the first, and that's enough. I was mostly doing it to use it as insurance against 0% offers ending July 16. I now know that if I don't have them paid down, I have PLENTY of good low to 0% options. Recap of what I've done since finding this place: 

-got errors in DH's student loans removed (currently 20-40 pts above March)

-got errors on a couple things for me removed and got EE on a couple more (currently 60-100 pts above March)

Went from 10 monthly obligations including $27k at an average of 11% and monthly min payments of $1360 to 4 monthly obligations all at 0% and min monthly of around $500 (don't know since I don't pay min) 

Went from 4.75% first and 8.95% second to 4.125% first, rolling in things, payment first to first went up $235 (second was a weird thing attached to prop taxes and while we should have been effectively paying about $500 we hadn't been so our first was going to go up about $1000 to cover past shortage) 

I got a new car so that payment went up, but with all the work my other car needed, I feel it was the right thing to do and I'm going to stop deluding myself that "this car is the one, I'm going to keep it FOREVER". I like new cars, and I love new technology, so I think leasing is the way to go for a bit. And I know that if I feel differently in 3 years I'll be in a great position to finance the balance I'd have to pay to keep it. 

On the CC front, we got a few new cards all focused on cash back. I'd been itching to app for more but needed to wait for this to be done (the ones we did were before I realized we were almost in a position to do the house stuff). I started to become enamored with the idea of some of the travel/transfer oriented cards and was thinking of going in that direction once the house stuff was finalized, but I think I'm over that now. We may pick up a couple hotel cards, but I'm not even dying to do that now (thanks Chase). 

Since the highest 0% stuff is on DH, we may do something for some more utilization padding for him. But I'm going to think it through some more. (Also thinking of refi-ing his car). 

Thanks for all the help and support here. 

[MissMoni223]

GOOD Tuesday Morning Fellow GC Members!

Today makes 2 whole months that I've been back in the Garden! I'm a true witness that gardening really does work! I just LOVE watching the baddies & inquiries fall off while my credit score rises!  I'm here for the long haul, at least until 2019, which is when ALL of my baddies will be gone and I'm looking to MAYBE purchase another vehicle, LOL!!! I'm absolutely loving NOT having a car note (2 yrs & counting) and I'm in no rush to get one. Credit is a very much like a realistic game. Once you learn all the rules then you definitely become a better & more competitive player. Knowledge is POWER!

[MissMoni223]

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@Vulcan1600 wrote:

Today makes 2 months in the Garden for me. I'm seeing good things as a result of not doing HP or apps. Thanks for all the support back here as I continue to garden until at least the end of the year.

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We have the SAME gardening start date, CONGRATS on making the 2 mths mark!

[Kidcat]

That's great!  I hope I can hang in there at least that long

[Anonymous]

I have learned to much here. I literally stumbled upon this site while researching how I wanted my new credit life to go. It has gone very well thanks in big part to all of you and what I have learned here.

In my wallet: Capital One (secured) 1917; Quicksilver 5000; Venture 15,000; Barclay Apple Rewards 2000; CareCredit 3300; Bank of America Platinum Visa 2000; Bank of America Travel Rewards 3500; Bank of America Travel Rewards 3500; Amazon Store Card 5000; Discover 10,000. Total Credit: 51,217.
6/19-FICO: EQ - 782; TU - 769; EX - 681; GOAL: 780 across the board. Gardening until further notice.