Is there anything else I should do?

[Anonymous]

OK - trying to decide if there is really anything else I can do right now - or basically if I'm to sit and wait in the Garden and write letters....

Scores in my signature.....

Baddies:

I have 2 derogs

1.   Tax lien State of Iowa - making payments

2.   Collection - old Cable bill (early 2014)- I could contact CA and PFD (I could pay it using one of my new cc's!) OR Contact Cox and see if I PIF they will recall from Collections - (I may want cable sometime in the future and it's the ONLY company in our town - and I don't know which way is best) ----   Recommendations? 

3.    Late payments - Sent a GW ltr to Credit Union last week- loan is paid off and closed - it had several late pays - no response as of yet.    Sent a GW letter/e-mail to Chase Auto response - "is being investigated" and I am to have a final response by 9/22.

4.    Inquiries - I think I'm at 5 - I had 2 (one about a year old - one from spring - and have 3 recent ones with my current apps

Good Stuff:

In the last 20 days I have received 3 unsecured CC's - Cap One QS/Discover It/Cap One Plat - each with $500 limits that I am using (and paying off on paydays) 

Just There Stuff:

Car Loan - Chase - payment $250 mo/ current

Student Loans - IBR - payments $0 mo/ current  

My hope is to buy a house next summer - so I am trying to do the major clean up now - so inquiries get old, and there is time to Garden and let the score go.

Is there anything else I should be doing (store cards?)  or just keep up the goodwills and making my payments ontime (waiting 3 mos to get CLIs on the luv button on cc's) etc.??

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anything?

[Anonymous]

I'll try to hit on a few:

Old cable bill - I would suggest contacting the OC and asking if they can recall the debt from the CA and you PFD, or PIF and GW later.  If they can recall it, that would make the CA lose their authority to collect and they have to drop.  If you can PFD, that is a second drop and it never existed.  If you have to just PIF, at least it will be closed and show a zero balance.

INQs - they are not so bad during the rebuild and will dissipate with age.  If you only have 5, that is good for getting 3 recent CCs, so dont worry.

GWs - you wont get instant results just because you paid them.  Give it some time, set them up as docs in your pc, change the dates, and try again in a few weeks.  Sometimes they never make any changes.  Outline what happened to make it late, what steps you are taking to prevent it in the future, and how the lates do not accurately reflect your current credit habits.

If there are store cards from places you would like to shop at, it would be Ok to try to get one or two.  I would suggest trying the SCT to hopefully avoid HPs (no guaranty, but good chance its a SP), and dont just try for anything, use good judgement about the number and type.   You dont want a pile of store cards with low limits.  I personally have 3 store cards and I shop there.

Try to use patience.  It often takes a long time to get scores way up there.  I am going on 4+ years with COs and no BK.  I am not done but I'm in the high 6s and low 7s.

Definitely make all payments on time and look for auto CLIs and use the Luv button when you think its appropriate.  Dont allow any new baddies.

Very good idea to have everything settled and in place before making a mortgage app.  Shoot for at least 2 or 3 months with no activity before the app.

You're making good progress, you have the 3 CCs, you have an installment loan with the auto, and keep working on the GW stuff.

GL

[Anonymous]

Thanks.  Next paycheck I'll call COX and see what I can do (that is tomorrow).

I've gotten responses on both GW's - one is going to get back to me 'soon' and the other by 9/22.   Cross fingers and all that stuff.

Tax Lien - just going to keep paying.....hopefully I can get it low enough to pay it off in full soon.  It's about $1500 so I'm slowly working on it.   I get a bonus in January so I'll probably pay it off then!

Store cards - IF I ever get the pop up - I would get a VS card - but the pop-up never comes - so I quit trying - maybe in a month or so.  

Thanks again - if anyone else has suggestions - I'm happy to take them!

[Anonymous]

About the SCT with VS:

Use the private or incognito mode of whatever browser you have, add things into your cart and check out as a guest.  Type slow and hesitate after inputting last fields of contact info, making sure it is exactly as it shows on CRs.  If it doesnt work, use the big 'X' on top of browser and close out without going further.

Dont drink an espresso just before trying it, you have to be patient and keep trying.

I dont know what scores they are interested in, but you need to entice them to get the pop up.

Try again in a couple days until it is successful.

GL

[Anonymous]

THX -

And - the pop up should come up BEFORE I have to enter my payment (CC) number - correct?   I don't want to goof any buy something just because I oops'd it!

[Anonymous]

Yes, IIRC it was before the CC info, but I havent done VS.  I did Overstock and Sportmans Guide Visa.

Several ppl recommend having a good amount of products in your shopping cart to encourage a high SL, but not sure that applies with VS.  From what I have read, 350 to 500 is the norm.  Many ppl empty the cart after approval, I always buy something if approved, sort of like a self imposed annual fee.

I always sign up for their emails first, showing I am serious, and sometimes you get a coupon for discount on first use.  Maybe I am overthinking it.

If you are not successful, try the privacy mode with other browsers, and if possible, other pcs.  Not sure if it works on mobile, I know some have had probs using it that way.

Keep trying, dont give up.

And dont get greedy, just get ones you will use.

hth