Cleaning Credit

[rainbowbrite]

Hi, I am cleaning up my credit and wanting to stay on top of it for the rest of my life.

In what manner would you do it.

1. Get 3 credit reports and go from there.

2.  Join what???to monitor my credit report.  Is there a 1,2,3 plan to get your credit going?

thank you

[annielorie]

Rainbow brite stay on one question in board trying to assist you! Did you get your reportss yet?

[llecs]

---

@rainbowbrite wrote:

Hi, I am cleaning up my credit and wanting to stay on top of it for the rest of my life.

In what manner would you do it.

1. Get 3 credit reports and go from there.

2.  Join what???to monitor my credit report.  Is there a 1,2,3 plan to get your credit going?

thank you

---

Yea, get all 3. You can get all 3 for free via annualcreditreport.com. These reports contain info critical in your repair journey, and you cannot find this info elsewhere (unless you pull your reports from the CRAs themselves).

Definitely consider subscribing to a credit monitoring service (CMS). It's a great way to track changes to your CR. Depending on the service, you can track on a regular interview. It's handy to see if there are any changes after sending DV letters, PFD letters, GWs, and so on and it beats spending $10+ on a new report to see that.

For more info on CMSs, be sure to check out the CMS Guide.

[LIGHTNIN]

Hi rainbowbrite,

To save you money, Dont buy the scores when pulling your Free CR's from annualcreditreport.com

The scores are what we call FAKO"s, not a real FICO score

[LS2982]

---

@rainbowbrite wrote:

Hi, I am cleaning up my credit and wanting to stay on top of it for the rest of my life.

In what manner would you do it.

1. Get 3 credit reports and go from there.

2.  Join what???to monitor my credit report.  Is there a 1,2,3 plan to get your credit going?

thank you

---

Kind of expensive, but if you can afford it get the CMS for each bureau and myFICO EQ scorewatch. It total's about $60 a month but you have all info. available daily and daily pulls on each bureaus report.

[Anonymous]

---

@LIGHTNIN wrote:

Hi rainbowbrite,

To save you money, Dont buy the scores when pulling your Free CR's from annualcreditreport.com

The scores are what we call FAKO"s, not a real FICO score

---

+1 Great advice LIGHTNIN.

I also think IIecs has given you perfect advice, as well as LS has too.

Best of Luck.

[Anonymous]

Congrats and welcome.  I started the same journey in Aug 2011. 

yes, first I would get a copy of all three reports (FREE ANNUAL REPORT).  I would look for errors etc and start challenging older accounts etc.

I would clean up as much as you are able on your own- then buy a copy of your scores.    I previously subscribed to creditreport.com which is about

$14 a month.  If you call to cancel within the trial period they will drop your rate to around $7 a month.       

I made the mistake of signing up for Lexington Law- about 100 text messages and emails later I was finally able to get them off my back.

Just dont do it. 

[LS2982]

Never had problems with lexington. they did their job and I relieved them of their duties afterward. What did they do to try to stay with you?

[Anonymous]

I was about to use lexington law as well..glad I didn't

[Anonymous]

At the time it appeared they had some interesting information about clearing debt on their website- which is why I signed up to the website.
I was able to clean up my credit without their assitance but their text messages and constant emails were...annoying. 

I guess if you have some stubborn collectors perhaps they are helpful.  Just dont sign up to the website unless you want their help.  That is my opinion.

But whatever works for you.

Here are the steps I took.

Get copies of all three of your reports.

Challange everything.  A lot of mine fell off just through challenging but some of my debts were old.

    However Sprint fell off and that was a recent debt.

What you are left with pay- but try and get a pay for delete letter.  Also, try and settle for about 1/2 on the dollar.  Then ask for a pay for delete letter.

Good luck to you.