This is my situation, so bear with me. my score is 522,...

[Anonymous]

This is my situation, so bear with me.   my score is 522,  it is bad I know it.  

This is what happened,  last year I got flooded out of my house that I lived in for about 2 months, just bought it.  I was working full time and then some.  I went to a hotel to stay for a week while the water receded and I could get back in.  When I got in the house was ok but it wiped out all my heating etc underneath the house.  Had no money to fix it, but just got it fixed recently by paying cash to get it done.  But I had a truck payment and needed to make the hotel bills, food and gas etc.   None the less I got behind on Mortgage payment and I just got caught up this past month.  I am expecting it to go up  I hope.  In the mean time I have 2 Premier cc acounts and now an Orchard cc  1 is secured the other two are not.  I had a chapter 13  January of 06,  I am making my truck payments on time.  Not sure what else I can do to make it go up and have a credit card account that has a high cl.  not sure what I could qualify for.  I am not a veteran.  Please help as boyfriend has almost perfect credit and this would be something I would need improvements on before we get married.   Not sure what else to do to raise it.

[Anonymous]

the only thing you could really do is just wait. make sure your cc are not maxed out. util should be less than 10%. try not to apply for more cc as that will lower your score. keep paying your bills on time and you will slowly see your scores go up.

[Anonymous]

.....and don't ever be embarrassed for your score or apologize for it.. the fact that you found this forum is evidence of your committment and you deserve respect for that...I am the poster child for those who thought there was no way out and I am here to tell you you just found.  Keep asking the questions and take one step at a time..  I can't say it enough, these people are awsome and they will provide the best support you will ever find.     Good luck.  YOU CAN DO THIS .....................julie

[Anonymous]

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connie65 wrote:

I got behind on Mortgage payment and I just got caught up this past month.

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I have 2 Premier cc acounts and now an Orchard cc 1

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I had a chapter 13  January of 06

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I am making my truck payments on time.

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Please help as boyfriend has almost perfect credit and this would be something I would need improvements on before we get married.

You could give GW a shot. If you're now current on the truck and house payment, they might be inclined to help you.

Was your BK13 filed or discharged in January 06?

Keep your util on the CCs low or zero. Check out the Friendly CC link in my sig. A local CU might be your best bet to secure loans. Sitting down across the desk, looking eye to eye. Makes you a person who's been through rough times and less a number.

Your boyfriend's perfect credit will NOT plummet the day he says "I do". His credit remains his credit and your credit remains your credit. If y'all apply jointly for anything, a lender might go either way. They could decide his good credit makes y'all a good risk, or they could decide your less than ideal credit makes y'all a bad risk. A CU is more likely to conclude the former.

DO NOT apply for anything jointly until you're married.

[Anonymous]

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biglearner wrote:
the only thing you could really do is just wait. make sure your cc are not maxed out. util should be less than 10%. try not to apply for more cc as that will lower your score. keep paying your bills on time and you will slowly see your scores go up.

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Agreed. Started at  525 in Dec 2005. Didn't get  serious about cleaning up credit until late last year. Didn't really get super serious until tried to refi a Heloc a month ago w/ mine and DH name- and Countrywide turned me down- not him. You can do it with time and effort. There are no super quick fixes except clearning up baddies, keep sending GW's and PFDs, and whatever new credit you have NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER PAY LATE AGAIN.  Set up payments  on automatic withdrawal. Make sure you have enough money to do auto withdrawal. It will take some budgeting. Get a CC, pay it down to less than 9% util, and then 9 mos later get another one. Do the same for the next year. If you can't get a reg. CC get a secured one. Look through the boards, there are links.

Treat your credit like your new Porsche or Ferrari, one that you will never let a teeny tiny scratch or bug get on it, one that you hand wax every couple of days. Keep strict eyes on your accounts and your budgets.

Get cash at the beginning of the week for purchases, and when you are out of your budgeted cash stop. Don't carry a checkbook or credit cards if you are in the early, early rebuilding phase or if you had a history of poor money management via checks.  Do not give yourself any way to buy anything on impulse, save for like a Phone Card in your wallet to  call for someone in an emergency.

I am at 660-677 almost to 680's. It doesn't happen fast, but it will happen. Read this board and do everything that the moderators suggest. It will make it happen faster for you than it did for me because you will be using the bests suggestions faster. But realize too, that history and  on time payments are what will carry you through the long term.

Get honest with yourself, and that fact that you are here appears to be a committment that you aren't  and won't go backwards. Make a pact w/ yourself that you never will. Commit to being as educated as you can about money, credit, taxes, bugeting, etc.

You can do it!!! Many have done it!! You will be good to go, and be better for it, because you won't take it for granted again!!

You go!!

[Anonymous]

I have maxed out my CC and I can only  pay $100 a month. How soon b4 they send it to the creditors? the payments over 30 days past due.

[Anonymous]

Did you file claims w/your homeowners insurance to pay for some of this?  Being a fairly new homeowner when this happened, your mortgage company would have required homeowners insurance as a condition for funding the loan.