Hello! I am new to this site and found it while searching online for answers. I need some major advice. My credit has been poor for as long as I can remember. While in college, I received five credit cards and let them all go to collections over the years. That was ten years ago and they have all fallen off my CR! Because of my poor judgment then, I have never been able to get any new cards. I just want to repair my credit. Here is a breakdown of what's on my CR. Total Mortgage Accounts: 0 Total Installment Accounts: 1 (on EQ) and 1 (on EX) Amounts: $2600 & $101 Total Revolving Accounts: 1 (on EQ) and 1 (on TU) Amounts: $293 on both (This is for a recent secured Capital One card I had for $200) Total Other Accounts: 5 Total Open Accounts: 2 (on EQ) and 6 (on TU) and 1 (on EX) Amounts: $2892 & $2556 & $101 Under my Potentially Negative Information, I have 12-14 negative accounts listed for each Credit Bureau. My student loans are 10+ of each of these negative items (one loan per semester). I have one more payment to make and then my student loans will be out of default. Can anyone help me figure out how to fix my credit?? I was going to file for bankruptcy, but I don't have any payments except the stupid Cash Call loan I took out and an old hospital bill for $600. Paying these things off will not fix my credit. My current score for the 3 bureaus ranges from 390-429. 
Thanks for any help you can offer!!!
Thanks for any help you can offer!!!
OMG! Thank you for replying!! Please see below and again thank you for your time! INSTALLMENT OPEN ACCOUNTS EQ - CashCall (Balance $2600 / Late 90 Days / Opened 12-2012) EX - RJM Acq -Literary Guild (Balance $89 / Collection / Opened 10-2010) INSTALLMENT CLOSED ACCOUNTS EX - CashCall (Balance $2600 / Late 90 Days / Opened 12-2012) ALL - JD Byrider -Auto Loan ($0 Balance / Paid As Agreed / Opened 7/2008) EX / EQ - US Dept of Education (Listed 7 times on both with varying amounts of $3K-$12K / Collection / Opened 9/97 - 8/00) TU - US Dept of Education (Listed 7 times with varying amounts of $3K-$26K / Collection / Opened 9/97 - 1/00) OPEN REVOLVING ACCOUNTS EX / EQ - Capital One (Balance $293 / Late 90 Days/ Opened 1/13) CLOSED REVOLVING ACCOUNTS ALL - Capital One ($0 Balance / Paid As Agreed / Opened 8/2010 & Closed 6/12 by my request) EQ & TU - First Bank of Delaware (CC) ($0 Balance / Collection / CO) TU - First Premier (CC) ($0 Balance / As Agreed / CO) OTHER ACCOUNTS / OPEN TU - Hospital Collection Bill (Balance $605 / Collection / Opened 7/2008) TU - Collection Bill (unsure who? Possible PDL) (Balance $819 / Collection / Opened 3/13) TU - Collection Bill (unsure who? Possible PDL) (Balance $448 / Collection / Opened 2/13) TU - Collection Bill (unsure who?) (Balance $83 / Collection / Opened 10/12) TU - Collection Bill (unsure who?) (Balance $300 Possible PDL / Collection / Opened 4/12) So my credit score is so low that its cyclical in that I cant get any credit to help me rebuild my credit because my credit score is so low. Make sense? I have been thknking about filiing for bankruptcy to help start over, but I am not sure if it is the right answer either. I just dont know who to get a real evaluation from. i tried my bank for a financial advisor but they couldnt help me. I met with a bankruptcy lawyer and he thought filing would help but I am just not sure I agree. Who knows? Maybe thats the best choice. I would just love for someone to look at my situation and advise what my next steps should be. Thanks again! 
With regard to BK, I just thought this would be the most benefiical because I need these things removed from my account. Its my understanding that paying things in collection does not help raise your score because it's already a scarlet letter. The only thing stopping me is that I was told that once my final payment is made to the US Dept of Education, my student loans would come out of "default" status. if that is the case, then will all the accounts listed become active and in good standing again? If so, my credit score would be hugely and favorably impacted. These are the things no one seems to know the answers to in. In the interim, I have recieved a summons to go to small claims court for Cash Call in august and I want to file before then as I do not want a judgement on my record! 
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AHello! Thanks again for your help! Do you have any advice on who I can talk to "in real life" about my situation? I feel like I am damned.
Does bankruptcy remove all of these negative items on your credit report once its been discharged? I feel like I have read so much information where people are still waiting for stuff to "fall-off" their reports.
The summons is for Cash Call. it's a small claims court and the amount is $2600. I live in California. I know I can work out a payment plan with them; they call me all the time. I just cant decide if trying to rehab what is on my report will be more lucrative in the long run, then filing bankruptcy.
Thanks again! And sorry to keep bugging you! 