CREDIT REBUILD PROJECT LOG

[retroAction]

Did you have any luck with GWs? I read through your log and I know it was probably helpful for you to track your progress this way but I also want to say thank you because it is encouraging to see someone make actual progress and the individual events that made it happen. Did I overlook your GW updates? Were any of them successful?

Thank you!

[p-]

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@retroAction wrote:

Did you have any luck with GWs? I read through your log and I know it was probably helpful for you to track your progress this way but I also want to say thank you because it is encouraging to see someone make actual progress and the individual events that made it happen. Did I overlook your GW updates? Were any of them successful?

Thank you!

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Not really - the two that I needed it most on were a student loan and Verizon.  Neither were willing to help.  Everything else seems to be aging off.

I didn't really have a lot of luck with the GW process, but from reading other posts it takes a literal deluge of letters.  I would guess that maybe I either was facing serious hard-a's, or I didn't keep at it long enough.

Good luck;

[sjt]

Congrats on your success! I really enjoyed reading your credit journal.

[p-]

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@sjt wrote:
Congrats on your success! I really enjoyed reading your credit journal.

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Thanks...  It's a work in progress.

[p-]

Updated Scores:

07-06-2012: EXP - 687 EQU - 697 TRANS - 706 AVG - 697

Previous scores:

04-09-2012: EXP - 700 EQU - 700 TRANS - 709 AVG - 703

06-04-2008: EXP - 577 EQU - 530 TRANS - 542 AVG - 550

Wifey's new job comes with a car allowance, instead of a car like her old one, so we went car shopping.  Yay for the USAA car buying service.  The inquiry and new account brought us down a bit, and her expense cycle means we always post a balance on the chase card now.  That is hurting our utilization - plus we posted a balance at statement time with money we charged for a bathroom remodel on the Amex.  That should be gone shortly.  Altogether our util is now almost 30%.

Luckily we have no plans to app for anything, so I'm not too worried about those items.  Verizon home is still haunting my report with false information.  I'll probably have to sue my way out of that.  And there are a few kibbles and bits in the very old payment history that will just have to age away.  

A bunch of the inquiries will drop off soon, as they were done about 11.5 months ago when I bought my jeep... 

In other news, JC Penney just doubled our CL unrequested with no HP.  The only other change is I got the 200 increase from Orchard.  No hard pull, call every six months and get your 200 for passing go.  

Now I have 19,320 in revolver credit available, plus whatever my Zync will let me spend.  I think they have me somewhere around 5k.  Nice.  Not long ago I was excited to reach the 10k mark in total available ... and not long before that my only card was a 300 buck Orchard.

[p-]

No score update - since USAA CMS got rid of daily pulls I'm going without monitoring right now.  Just going to pull the yearly freebies unless I have a need for a score before a major app.

I still have plenty of inquiries in the last year, EX-5, EQ-3, and TU-1, but by the end of November it will be 1,2, and 0.  My last paid collection is still hanging on, scheduled to drop in 8-2013, and I have one late from 2008 that will continue to affect me for a while.  Otherwise my file is pretty clean.  My AAOA is right at 4.5 yrs.

My reported utilization hovers around 8 to 18 percent, due to expese reimbursement timing, but I have the capability to get them to 0 before any apps, if necessary.  I plan to continue requesting credit limit increases in order to improve that number ongoing.

My plans for the next quarter are fairly simple - 

I have requested a soft pull/account review product change for the Chase Freedom Card to a Sapphire Preferred or Freedom Signature, along with a credit limit increase.  I sent that via secure message on the Chase website, and am awaiting an answer.

In January, I will request a CLI from Orchard bank, as my six months will be up and a soft pull increase will be possible.  If they are fully integrated into Capital One, I will reqest a PC to the Cash Rewards Visa Signature.

I will also request a CLI on my Capital One Cash card as it will have been one year in Jan since the last CLI.

I may also ask USAA for a CLI at that time, but knowing they pull hard I may not.

Otherwise my credit file is going to be in gardening mode.

[p-]

Secure message to Chase sent today:

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Good morning,

I would like to upgrade or product change this card. I would like a product change to a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but will also accept a change to a Chase Freedom Visa Signature card. I would also like to see a limit increase, if possible.

I m not sure if you can do that with a soft pull of my credit file, or an internal review but my preference is to not have a hard inquiry.

The reason for this request is that I am using this card for business expenses, and would like to optimize the rewards activity and utilization. Right now I am rotating the business expenses through this card, and a USAA American Express. I would prefer to have all of the expenses on your card.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Best regards,

P

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[p-]

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@p- wrote:

Secure message to Chase sent today:

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They responded with a form letter promising to get back to me within 4 hours.  Time's up.  No response.  

[p-]

Chase responded:

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Dear P,

Thank you for contacting us.

At this time, I'm unable to change your account to a 
different product. I apologize for any inconvenience this
may cause you.

As an alternative, you may apply for a new product. For 
new account applications, please visit our web site at 
www.chase.com. Select "Credit Cards" from the "Personal 
Banking" section. Then choose the new card and apply for a
new account online.

When selecting the credit card that best meets your needs,
please remember that our policy no longer allows for 
customers to have more than one credit card in the same 
product. Applications for a card product you already have 
may not be eligible for approval.

Further, in order to get your account reviewed for credit 
limit increase, you need to authorize Chase to obtain a 
copy of your credit report, credit bureau history and any 
other information in order to determine if the request can
be approved. This would be a hard pull on your credit 
report. We are unable to request for a credit limit 
increase without a hard credit inquiry. 

Please reply to this email with the following information,
if you want to process your request:

* Gross Annual Income (Alimony, child support or separate 
maintenance income need not be revealed if you do not want
to consider these as a basis for repayment. Gross Annual 
Income is income that you are able to use for repaying 
your debts. Examples may include income earned from 
salaries, investments, rental properties, Social Security 
benefits and retirement accounts.)

* Total credit line you are requesting (Current credit 
line plus amount of requested increase.)

After your request has been processed, you will be 
notified of the outcome via email.

If you have any further questions, please reply using the 
Secure Message Center. 

Thank you,

A  
Customer Service Specialist

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Looks like a form letter to me.  Debating whether to reply asking again for a softie, or just going the exec route.  

[p-]

My response to Chase:

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Thank you for getting back to me. My current annual income is ***,***, and I would like a total credit line in the 10,000 to 20,000 range. I would prefer a soft pull for authorization of this increase. It is my understanding that your company does grant such special requests occasionally for current customers. Please let me know if you can accommodate me.

Thank you,

P

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