Hello All,
I've spent an exhausting amount of time monitoring and building my credit over the last year. I'm 24 now and have had bad credit since I turned 18. It's looking up now, but every time I get a win, I lose. *shrug*
My credit score has gone from 460 to 630 in a little less than 12 months thanks to my credit union upgrading my $300 secured card to a $2,000 unsecured (got a 60 point boost!) However, as excited as I was, an old UTIL bill transferred from CA's and is now reporting twice (and recent). I lost 57 points! UGH!!!
ANYWAYS, to my question.
I have a capital one paid collection entry on my credit file. It was a $300 starter card that I opened in 12/2006 and went bad in 2008. I finally settled the debt in 2010. After reading these forums and learning as much as I have, I tried my hand at a GW letter to remove the entry from the CRAs. I received a generic "we're reporting accurately" reply from them. I'm going to continue to send GW letters to different addresses and see if someone will do something.
One interesting thing about the account.... I opened it one month before my 18th birthday and the account started reporting then (when I was still 17). Is this something I can use to my advantage in a goodwill letter? any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated!!!
Starting Score: 565
Does anyone think I have a legal upper hand since the account was opened when I was 17? Unable to legally be binded to contracts??