I Need Help

[Trying_Hard_Every_Day]

Hello!

I've been lurking for a little bit now and I've finally decided it's time to be an adult and admit that I need help with my finances and credit. I'd like to be in a much better place by the time I'm 30 (3 years) and for that to happen, I'd like to request the advice of some of you great folks. I was, until the beginning of this year, extremely irresponsible and have what seems like irrepairable damage to my credit scores and reports. The only thing that gives me hope are the NUMEROUS success stories on this board, so thank you!

Here's what I'm looking at:

Current FICO scores according to this site: Equifax - 521 / TransUnion - 531 / Experian - 557

Information pulled from CreditKarma - Location: Florida 

Equifax 

Accounts

1. DriveTime Credit Corp - Type: Auto Loan - Status: Open - Current - Open Date - May 2015 - Balanace: $17,682 - Not Late
2. USAA Federal Saving Bank - Type: Credit Card (secured) - Status: Open - Current - Open Date - February 2015 - Balance: $273 - Limit: $700 - Always paid in full each month; Never paid interest.
3. MarkOne Financial - Type: Auto Loan - Status: Open - Collection/Charge-off - Open Date - July 2012 - DOFD: 04/2014 - Balance: $6,109 - REPO
4. Dept of Ed/Sallie Mae - Type: Student Loan - Status: Closed - Open Date - December 2008 - DOFD: 01/2010 - Balance: $0 - Paid in Full via Wage Garnishment
5. Sallie Mae - Type: Student Loan - Status: Closed - Open Date - December 2008 - DOFD: 01/2010 -  Balance: $0 - Paid in Full via Wage Garnishments
6. US Dept of Ed - Type: Student Loan - Status: Closed - Open Date - December 2008 - DOFD: 01/2010 -  Balance: $0 - Paid in Full via Wage Garnishments

TransUnion 

Accounts

1. USAA Federal Saving Bank - Type: Credit Card - Status: Open - Current - Open Date - February 2015 - Balance: $273 - Limit: $700 - Always paid in full;
2. MarkOne Financial - Type: Auto Loan - Status: Open - Collection/Charge-off - Open Date - July 2012 - Balance: $6,109 - REPO
3. Dept of Ed/Sallie Mae - Type: Student Loan - Status: Closed - Open Date - December 2008 - Balanace: $0 - Paid in Full via Wage Garnishment
   

Open Collections

1. Creditprotect - Original Creditor: Bright House Networks - Open Date: February 2013 - Status: Open - Balance: $333 - Estimated Removal per TU Report: 12/2019
2. Gold Key -  Original Creditor: FL Emergency Physicians Kang FHA - Open Date: October 2013 - Status: Open - Balance: $987 - Estimated Removal per TU Report: 05/2020
3. Midland Funding LLC -  Original Creditor: T-Mobile - Open Date: January 2012 - Status: Open - Balance: $1,126 - Estimated Removal per TU Report: 10/2015
4. N Amer CR - Original Creditor: FL Hospital Orlando - Open Date: February 2014 - Status: Open - Balance: $2,382  - Estimated Removal per TU Report: 05/2020
5. Natnl Cred - Original Creditor: Wyndham Place (Apts) - Open Date: November 2011 - Status: Open - Balance: $555  - Estimated Removal per TU Report: 08/2018
6. Virtuoso - Original Creditor: Sprint - Open Date: February 2015 - Status: Open - Balance: $1,112  - Estimated Removal per TU Report: does not exist on TU ??

Again, I got in over my head with trying to be generous to family and that hasn't worked out too well. I've done some reading on the board and believe I need to start tackling some of these, but my question is: Where do I start? I'm pretty sure I should tackle the Bright House and Wyndham Place accounts first, then the cell phone accounts, then lastly the medical bills. That's my train of thought, but I'd like your help in either validating or telling me I'm dumb and pointing me in the right direction.

I appreciate anything you may offer.

Sincerely,

Dave

[Callandra]

I would start with the most recent collections (it looks like that one Midland/T-Mobile collection is falling off in 3 months? You might just want to wait that one out). Medical collections tend to be the easiest to get off your reports -- can you pay these in full?

If so: 

1. Contact the original credit (the hospital/doctor's office) and ask them to recall the collection for full payment

2. If that does not work, offer a pay for delete to the CA

3. Even if they don't agree to the delete, pay it anyway and then google the HIPAA removal process (we cannot discuss this here) and you can contact the creator for some help

For the others, offer pay for deletes and then I would just pay them anyway (unless you are willing to let them just fall off) and start writing good will letters and see if you can get them removed. 

Good luck!