I've gotten a lot accomplished this year and finally took the time to type it all out:
Beginning Scores: 528 TU FAKO, 635 EQ, 610 EX FAKO
Total Available Credit: $0
February: Accepted pre-selected offer for Household Bank credit card; Approved for $400
March: Applied for Average Credit Capital One Cash Rewards - Denied and countered with Secured card. Approved and funded. $301 CL
April: Removals: First Bank of Delaware (Continental Finance MasterCard), Midland Funding (CA for non-reporting paid Aspire Visa C/O), NCO Financial, Trident Asset Management (TU only), Salute Visa card via FDIC case, Paid small claims judgment via MOV
May: Paid Aspire CA for Midland re-reported on EQ – re-disputed, Trident Asset Management removed from EX, Paid small claims judgment removed from EQ via MOV
June: Disputed paid Aspire CA from Midland removed from EQ, LVNV CA for HSBC CO removed via BBB complaint
July: Unpaid small claims judgment removed from EQ via MOV.
August: Applied for AMEX Zync, Discover, SonyCard, USAA, Target. Denied all due to collection accounts, short revolving account history and inquires but all except AMEX quoted EQ score at 650+. AMEX cited public records as reason for denial. Accepted Pre-Approval for Credit One Bank Visa – approved with $300 CL.
September: Received pre-approval for First Savings Credit Card, accepted and approved instantly with $500 CL
October: Received pre-approval for Show MasterCard, accepted and approved instantly for $500 CL, received automatic CLI on Capital One Secured card – CL is $501.00
November: Received automatic CLI on Credit One Visa – CL is $500.00
December: Soft pull pre-approval for WFNNB Express card - $1000.00 CL
Current Scores: 671 EQ, 590 TU FAKO, 653 EX FAKO
Total Available Credit: $3,401.00
Looking forward to in 2013:
February: 1st year anniversary of Household Bank card – will be calling to have annual fee waived and to inquire on CLI. Full conversion to Capital One card should be happening by Summer
March: 1st year anniversary of Capital One Secured card
May: Plains Commerce Bank C/O should be falling off EX and TU
July: SSA collection should fall off EX and EQ.
August: 1st year anniversary of Credit One Bank card; if CLI’s keep coming in at $200 intervals every 4 months, CL should be at $1,100 or so; will be calling to see if monthly fee could be waived.
September: 1st year anniversary of First Savings MasterCard; will be calling to see if annual fee could be waived
October: 1st year anniversary of Show MasterCard; will be calling to see if annual fee could be waived
November: First Premier Bank C/O should be falling off EX, TU and EQ
Goal Cards for 2013
NFL Barclays MasterCard: This card seems like a good way to slowly transition into “primeville”. From what I’ve read online, this card seems easy to get…I’m thinking of applying once the inquiries on TU I have from First Savings and Show turn 6 months old. Depending on CL, I would probably close Credit One when the monthly fee kicks in.
Assuming I win this battle with Midland and this unverifiable debt they have on my reports, by November 2013, my EQ file will be completely clean. I’d want to apply for these cards at this point:
- Discover IT
- Chase Amazon, Slate or Freedom (whichever one pulls EQ)
- USAA (I would have a good chance at approval at that point; they cited collections as the only reason for denial when I applied in August 2012)
I wanted to thank everyone for their knowledge...I only wish I found this site a few years ago but you know what they say, better late than never!
Scores 5/15/2016 (clean reports!): TU Walmart FICO: 696 | EQ FICO: 679 | EX AMEX FICO: 680
In my new wallet: American Express Green EMV: PSL $2000 | BankAmericard Cash Rewards Visa EMV: $2500 | Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World MasterCard: $6400 | Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard: $1000 | Discover IT: $2500 | Amazon Rewards Visa Signature: $1500 | Chase Freedom: $1500 | Capital One QuicksilverOne MasterCard: $2100 | Target: $2800 | J.Crew $21,550 | Marvel (Captain America) MasterCard: $6000
