Hi everyone! I love this website, tons of great info! I'm on the road to credit repair and I wanted to share my story thus far...
I'm only 20 years old, but I was horribly irresponsible with my finances in the past. If there was an application for it, I applied. Payday loans? Yes please. Credit cards? Gimme!!!
I didn't care if bills were paid, I laughed off a mailbox constantly full of collection letters...and here I am today, where the only words I see are "DENIED".
So who all did I screw over?
T-Mobile
Chase CC
Gas & Electric Company
Sparkletts Water
Total Card
2 Payday Loans
Chase Bank
WaMu Bank
Bank of America
First Internet Bank
San Diego Library
A hotel room
That's everything that comes to mind. All in all it was around $6k owed. Once I realized I couldn't get approved for squat I took my head of out my you-know-what.
Through disputing I removed a surprising number of accounts. My "CR Debt" is down to $2300. I took an hour out of my day to call up one of those Credit Counseling Agencies. They (soft) pulled my CR, got my income and expenses calculated and gave me advice on what to do. They even emailed me an overview of our talk and an action plan! All FREE! I'd recommend you look up a good non-profit CCA and see what they have to say. It helps when an outsider is looking at the big picture and telling it to you like it is: "YOU CAN AFFORD TO PAY THIS OFF!!!"
Anyway, here's where I'm at now:
6 collections
1 public record judgment
1 good CC
TU597 EX504 EQ575 FICO EQ548
I've sent DV letters to all my remaining accounts. 3 have sent back paperwork (interestingly enough they're the same 3 I wanted to pay first). Now, one is bearing my signature, so I sent PFD. One is a stupid computer prinout and letter saying I owe it, but it's the second lowest $ on my CR so I sent PFD. The third is also a computer printout of the account in their system (it was a CC and they're the OC) plus 3 statements, but no signature document, probably because it was an online app. The thing is, they said any further contact needs to be with the CA...HOWEVER the CA didn't verify and got deleted from my CR but the OC did verify and is still reporting! What am I to do?!
Now, for credit rebuilding...
Chexsystems = yes
Dispute = yes
Declines:
bank AND credit unions wont touch me!
Credit cards? Nope. (Except for my First Premier).
Cell phone? Had to pay $750 deposit for AT&T.
Secured credit card? B o A = declined.
Orchard Bank secured card, they approve everyone right? DECLINED!!!
FINGERHUT...you guessed it, the big D!
So I'm stuck in a catch-22...my credit is horrible so I can't get credit to restore my good name.
On a lighter note, I have my FP credit card which boosted one score 20+ points. My prepaid card offers small direct deposit advances which will also get reported. I'm looking into Crown Jewelers and Daniels Jewelers just for another good TL. Also going to finance through eclubusa.com which is expensive but works in my budget and reports also. Anyone have any other good programs that will get good TL's across the board?
After Wells Fargo declined to open a regular checking they sent a letter offering me a second chance account so I went and opened that yesterday. All is not bad!
Financial responsibility here I come!
Any tips? Comments? Thanks for reading!
I'm only 20 years old, but I was horribly irresponsible with my finances in the past. If there was an application for it, I applied. Payday loans? Yes please. Credit cards? Gimme!!!
I didn't care if bills were paid, I laughed off a mailbox constantly full of collection letters...and here I am today, where the only words I see are "DENIED".
So who all did I screw over?
T-Mobile
Chase CC
Gas & Electric Company
Sparkletts Water
Total Card
2 Payday Loans
Chase Bank
WaMu Bank
Bank of America
First Internet Bank
San Diego Library
A hotel room
That's everything that comes to mind. All in all it was around $6k owed. Once I realized I couldn't get approved for squat I took my head of out my you-know-what.
Through disputing I removed a surprising number of accounts. My "CR Debt" is down to $2300. I took an hour out of my day to call up one of those Credit Counseling Agencies. They (soft) pulled my CR, got my income and expenses calculated and gave me advice on what to do. They even emailed me an overview of our talk and an action plan! All FREE! I'd recommend you look up a good non-profit CCA and see what they have to say. It helps when an outsider is looking at the big picture and telling it to you like it is: "YOU CAN AFFORD TO PAY THIS OFF!!!"
Anyway, here's where I'm at now:
6 collections
1 public record judgment
1 good CC
TU597 EX504 EQ575 FICO EQ548
I've sent DV letters to all my remaining accounts. 3 have sent back paperwork (interestingly enough they're the same 3 I wanted to pay first). Now, one is bearing my signature, so I sent PFD. One is a stupid computer prinout and letter saying I owe it, but it's the second lowest $ on my CR so I sent PFD. The third is also a computer printout of the account in their system (it was a CC and they're the OC) plus 3 statements, but no signature document, probably because it was an online app. The thing is, they said any further contact needs to be with the CA...HOWEVER the CA didn't verify and got deleted from my CR but the OC did verify and is still reporting! What am I to do?!
Now, for credit rebuilding...
Chexsystems = yes
Dispute = yes
Declines:
bank AND credit unions wont touch me!
Credit cards? Nope. (Except for my First Premier).
Cell phone? Had to pay $750 deposit for AT&T.
Secured credit card? B o A = declined.
Orchard Bank secured card, they approve everyone right? DECLINED!!!
FINGERHUT...you guessed it, the big D!
So I'm stuck in a catch-22...my credit is horrible so I can't get credit to restore my good name.
On a lighter note, I have my FP credit card which boosted one score 20+ points. My prepaid card offers small direct deposit advances which will also get reported. I'm looking into Crown Jewelers and Daniels Jewelers just for another good TL. Also going to finance through eclubusa.com which is expensive but works in my budget and reports also. Anyone have any other good programs that will get good TL's across the board?
After Wells Fargo declined to open a regular checking they sent a letter offering me a second chance account so I went and opened that yesterday. All is not bad!
Financial responsibility here I come!
Any tips? Comments? Thanks for reading!
Stay away from the jewelry. Go for a new millennium card. With your first premier and new millennium you will have revolving credit, which when you keep the use to 0-9% of the limit amount you will boost your score. The installment loans do not count as much, so your money is best spent somewhere else.
Congratz on the wells fargo account! Be careful. Even with a second chance account, they can shut it down a few weeks to a few months later just because they feel like it if you are on Chexsystems. So do a search, talk to a credit union, see if you can just get a savings account somewhere to be able to at least cash checks and use an ATM card. And keep a bunch of cash on hand just in case. Trust me. Wells Fargo did that to us years ago, and I still read about it happening online.
Seems like you are in a good position. Its amazing how silly we can be with our credit. My husband and I did the same thing, playing with our credit and just not caring. It can land us in hot water fast. Be happy with how lucky you were to end up with such a small amount. Our current credit report totals (including some stuff that is not ours) totals over 45k.
I live my life like I type, fast and with a lot of mistakes.
Spacebar broken. Watch for finger.
02/04/2015 || TU 08: 728 EX 08: 709 EQ 08: 748
Spacebar broken. Watch for finger.
02/04/2015 || TU 08: 728 EX 08: 709 EQ 08: 748