What can I do to fix my score???

[AnaMKMK]

Hi All, I've been trying for the longest time to fix my credit and i'm looking for more fixes, maybe faster???

I just purchased my 3 FICO Scores and Credit Reports; my scores are as follows:

TransUnion 637

Equifax 626

Experian 565

I don't understand why the Experian score is so much lower...?

I am 25 years old, with 5 credit cards, 4 with limits under $750, with the a high balance of $150 on one otherwise everything is at $10-50; I've been told to carry a balance and that it helps my score vs. paying everything down to $0. The 5th card is a CareCredit card, the limit is $2700 and has a balance of $2100. I have one dept. store card that has a 0 balance, $200 limit (this card has a late payment from over a year ago). These cards have all been opened for last than 2 years.

I have a student loan of $11k, paid current since '03.

I have two civil judgments (doesn't appear on my Equifax report) one for $3000 paid off and another for $4000 that has approx $800 left to be paid. Stupid mistake from years ago.... Both were default judgements for credit cards opened the instant i turned 18. My stupidity let both cards accumulate fees until it became ridiculous, the original amount owed on both was approx $1,000.

There were a few other things on my report that weren't mine, like credit cards i'd have opened when I was 10.... I worked with Lexington to clear up a lot of this old stuff and they've helped some, but I want but i've been working on better scores for over a year and I feel like i'm getting no where...

There are a few things I'm hoping to get clarification on....

1. Why the difference in score, almost all the information is the same, with the exception being the judgement not posted on Equifax.
2. Can the judgements be removed once paid? These were collection accounts in 1999 and the default judgement filed in OCT '04 and then JAN '05.
3. Should I be asking for higher credit limits or waiting for them to be offered?
4. I'm looking to purchase a car, should I keep waiting until the scores look better? Will this help my score or lower it?
5. I've signed up on multiple sites to use their score simulators and its just left me confused. One says my best course of action is to pay on time for 2 years, others say i could 'potentially' have a higher score if i purchase a car now, pay down credit cards, etc.

Any ideas? Any help is greatly appreciated!!

THanks! 

[Anonymous]

Your scores are not that bad considering the judgmetns and some lates.

Only carry a balance on 50% or less of your revolving accts. So with 5 cards 2 or 3-

I have found the best way to get CLI's is to use them and pay them off.

You have installment accounts- so I can see why a car loan would increase your scores-

I did not do a very good job of answering your specific questions- but I hope this helps.

[rudy]

first, you are on the roght track. get the judgement pif (800). Then work on your car. Pay the other bills to a even lower balance. Use one to buy groceries or somthing easy to pay off every month, and the others to buy socks ( one pair a month) easy to pif. This will show activity every month. Look at scores hopefully around the 640-660 area. then buy car. Should give you a nice jump after 3 months payments on time 

Experian, is a hard nut to crack. Having problems with them myself. But they will have to come around sooner or later. The good pay record, cli's and low utilization will make it happen

Message Edited by rudy on 11-18-2007 04:50 AM