Lost and not sure how to get the right help i need

Anonymous · ‎02-24-2016

Hi, I've read through countless posts and threads looking for advice and insight on how to get my credit back on track (and keep it that way)

So through the years since my early 20s I've had bad credit i was very naive when it came to finance. Had a credit card i didn't even understand, hospital bills i didn't know go to collection, cellphones i didn't care to let get cancelled with a balance and termination fees, mother running up things in my name... But today at 28 i hate my self in the past for putting me in this terrible mess today. Now i'm trying to do right now, have two credit cards that i handle responsibly with a max limit at 2.5k(350 balance until i pay it off at the end of the month before the statement is due), try to spend within my means. I have 5 items in collection (sprint bill, tmobile bill, and two hospital bills) i've recently setup auto payments with my debit card through the CAs but first payment hasn't been made yet i keep reading to get them to agree to delete or don't pay etc

Question... what should i do, should i continue the auto pay, or cancel that and come to a different term... i'm so lost and don't know who to ask for guidance, i've just been tempted to contact Lexington Law and have them help me, but i keep hearing/reading mixed opinions on the establishment

right now my score is sitting at 578 equifax, 536 transunion, 550 experian

Anonymous · ‎02-25-2016

Not an expert by any means, but I would wait and make a pay for delete agreement before making any payments. I would then try to pay them in full. I've also been tempted to contact Lexington Law but I've made a lot of progress on my own, just by doing research on here and writing letters on my own. I've had charge off deleted and now I'm working on my last collection account.

Anonymous · ‎02-25-2016

Keep reading here ... there's a wealth of information.

I'm too new to offer much advice, but I will say this.

Don't bother with Lexington. My mess is worse than yours, in terms of volume, and if I can make headway without Lexington, you can too.

Set up a spreadsheet to track your progress, pick away at it a little each day. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Anonymous · ‎02-25-2016

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi, I've read through countless posts and threads looking for advice and insight on how to get my credit back on track (and keep it that way)
So through the years since my early 20s I've had bad credit i was very naive when it came to finance. Had a credit card i didn't even understand, hospital bills i didn't know go to collection, cellphones i didn't care to let get cancelled with a balance and termination fees, mother running up things in my name... But today at 28 i hate my self in the past for putting me in this terrible mess today. Now i'm trying to do right now, have two credit cards that i handle responsibly with a max limit at 2.5k(350 balance until i pay it off at the end of the month before the statement is due), try to spend within my means. I have 5 items in collection (sprint bill, tmobile bill, and two hospital bills) i've recently setup auto payments with my debit card through the CAs but first payment hasn't been made yet i keep reading to get them to agree to delete or don't pay etc
Question... what should i do, should i continue the auto pay, or cancel that and come to a different term... i'm so lost and don't know who to ask for guidance, i've just been tempted to contact Lexington Law Leave them alone!!! That is money poorly spent in the best of circumstances and with the handfull of items you have that would be a crime IMHO. and have them help me, but i keep hearing/reading mixed opinions on the establishment
right now my score is sitting at 578 equifax, 536 transunion, 550 experian

All LL will do is put everything in dispute and that can cause more harm than good. They will not negociate on your behalf and you are your best advocate when it comes to that anyway.

You might want to add a couple of accts to what you have. Try the Cap1 pre-qual site and go for the Plat and QS1. They are great, report to all three and will grow rapidly. Take the money you would give LL and open a secured installment loan (even a small one) with a good CU (several are touted here regularly for their outstanding performance).

I'm not the expert on paying CA's either but I tend to agree you should hold their feet to the fire untill you have exhausted every effort to get a PFD out of them. Then consider your options and start a payment plan if need be.

There are ways to deal with Med. bills and the info is all over here so you'd need to search or start a new thread for them and you should get some good info.

The phone bills shouldn't be that hard to crack but I've never had to deal with that issue so again do a search or new thread for them.

Anonymous · ‎02-25-2016

where should i start? whats some good threads to read?

Anonymous · ‎02-25-2016

@Anonymous wrote:
where should i start? whats some good threads to read?

Hard to pick and choose ... there's SO much info here.

My advice would be:

1. Pull all three credit reports.

2. Make a spreadsheet listing all of your baddies ... amounts, original creditors, collection agencies, DoFD or when it will fall off your report, etc.

3. Make a plan to tackle the debts.

As far as pulling back on the arrangements you've already made, I doubt you can do that. But I'm not an expert.

Just telling you what I've done so far.

And let me tell you, even with all the work I've done so far, I've seen little improvement in my scores, but I know that's coming. So I'm being as patient as I can