Garden Thread - March 2015

[Anonymous]

Short term goal: Show I have a solid payment history with the amount of credit I have now so I can go back to Barclays and get a card.

Long term goal: Improve scores to 700+ across the board. Increase credit limit on at least one card to 5K+.

[Ragelog]

Been in the garden since 1/15/2015 came out when I bought a different car and decided what the heck and applied for a few cards I thought could be useful or for relationships I wanted to build.

Short Term Goal: Ideally stay in the garden for the rest of 2015. I would love to see all of my 08 FICO scores break above 680 between now and the end of 2015. This will be accomplished by accounts aging with positive payment history.

Long Term Goal: My remaining negatives drop off July 2016, March 2017 and July 2017. I hope to have no more than 2 inquires on each bureau by the time July 2017 gets here and with the Credit I have established aging, inquiries and negatives falling off I hope to be well into the 700+ Fico scores. 

[itgirl74]

---

@BT90138016 wrote:

    What is everyone's short term goals while in the garden? I've asked this before but we have some new people and I want to hear from them also for those that have been here a while just a little motivation to hang in a little longer.

Mine is to pay down my six small cards to zero...After that I plan to start replacing cards that aren't going to grow. I'm also letting some inquiries age and fall off as well as tending to some inacurate data on my report. I'm not really focusing on my score though all of what I am doing will improve my score. 

---

Short-term goals:
1) Figure out how best to use my new cards to maximize rewards and increase my chances of auto or SP CLIs.
2) Talk to my CU to see if I can get a small installment loan using the same report they pulled for my new CC.
3) Get an early exclusion on my last remaining collection on EX and TU (not my last baddie since I still have COs).
4) Go back to saving money like I was last year.

Medium-term goals:
1) Close the cards I'm not using (Cap One Secured, Fingerhut, Brylane Home, Victoria's Secret).
2) Get the next cards on my wish list: Amex, Discover, Alaska Airlines Visa
3) Save more money.

Long-term goals:
1) House! I live in an expensive area, so in order for this to happen I need to save up a hefty downpayment and get my scores to a point where I get a decent interest rate.

[Ghoshida]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Ghoshida wrote:

---

@BT90138016 wrote:

    What is everyone's short term goals while in the garden? I've asked this before but we have some new people and I want to hear from them also for those that have been here a while just a little motivation to hang in a little longer.

Mine is to pay down my six small cards to zero...After that I plan to start replacing cards that aren't going to grow. I'm also letting some inquiries age and fall off as well as tending to some inacurate data on my report. I'm not really focusing on my score though all of what I am doing will improve my score. 

---

Short-term goals:

(1) Stay in the garden till summer

(2) Get that second 3X CLI from AMEX

(3) Go the Cap One EO route one more (and possibly final) time - get some CLI and APR reduction for good

(4) Reduce CC debt by half

(5) Get all scores above 720

Medium-term goals:

(1) Get a good car loan. But first, decide whether to buy a car or not. I'm after all a weekend driver, and rental upgrades have spoiled me. EMIs even at 1.5% may not be justified.

(2) Get all cards above 5k. Do some housekeeping if required. At least 3 10k+ cards. All through CLIs if possible.

(3) Get all scores above 750

Long-term goals: 

We're all dead. 

Jokes aside, a house. But that needs even more thinking and planning. And a steady job for myself

---

Really, my only goal is a house, so I understand the planning and what not. Nothing is more boring than standing pat for 18 months.

---

But your AAoA will increase by a year and a half.

Then you'll get that loan. And a new house !

Best wishes !!

[macuserftw]

I hope to stay in the garden until April 2017. I have 3-4 baddies on my reports depending on CRA that all happened in 2009 so, they are ALL supposed to be completely aged off by September 2016. Then once April 2017 rolls around, all 3 CRA's will show zero inquiries and my AAoA should be around the 3 year mark. 

Up until that point I'll keep utilization low (below 10%) while continuing to move money through the CC's in order to try and reap as many rewards as possible. Hopefully this behavior will trigger automatic or SP CLI's. 

If I'm able to get my baddies removed off the reports sooner through early exclusions, I might exit the garden earlier though. 

[Anonymous]

My spade is gone. 

I found a lender, pulled the mortgage app trigger. Preapproval, great scores and report.... its in underwriting at USDA right now.

I'm so cautiously thrilled.

I'll be back in the garden as soon though!

[Anonymous]

Congratulations!! 

[tonyjones]

Can't wait until September 2016!!! No accounts will be considered "new" anymore and 0 inquiries on all three CRA!!!

[Anonymous]

---

@tonyjones wrote:

Can't wait until September 2016!!! No accounts will be considered "new" anymore and 0 inquiries on all three CRA!!!

---

I'd never be able to make it that far!! I have doubts that there will ever be 0 inqs on any of my CRAs.

[Imperfectfuture]

HHHMMM, where is Irish?