Greetings!
I just wanted to post an update about how far I have made it since my rebuilding journey started and what I have left to conquer the mountain.
First of all I started my full on rebuild journey back in May 2016. At the time we were trying to buy a bigger house for our growing family...baby #3 is on the way next month! Our current house was financed just with her credit and income but that wouldnt be enough this time as we are looking to by our forever home and I have the majority of the income.
My FICO8 scores in May were as follows: EQ:563 TU:575 and EX:634 I had nothing but baddies essentially on my reports. 72 total lates over all my student loans, 3 C/O CR accounts, 1 repo vehicle, 3 collections.
As of today my FICO8 scores are: EQ: 595 TU: 602 and EX: 645 Below is what I have done to get this far and what I have left.
First things first I had been added as an AU on my wife's Discover and Fulton Financial CCs so this was helping to offset the baddies a little but there was work to do.
I read about the SCT on here and figured that was my best shot to add credit cards to my reports first but I didnt go crazy. I got the popup for Boscov's for a $250.00 preapproval and I accepted. Something I can use to buy random clothes and such so not like it will go unused.
I then checked all the preapproval sites...and of course I didnt get anything that wasnt secured. So I went to work on my baddies. I email Cap1 and asked for them to remove the C/O from my credit report and they gladly did so as it was 3 years old and already sold to PRA. I had two collections removed because they were not accurate and I disputed directly with the bureaus. Someone used my name to open an electric and cable account and I was living with my parents. I sent PFD letters to PRA and of course received no answer from them so I let it alone as I would be coming up on the SOL for this account soon(4 years in PA essentially for everything)
After a month of so I figured I would go back to the well on Cap1 preapproval only because I knew the other ones were still long out of reach. I received a pre-approval for both the QS1 and Platinum. I took the QS1 and was approved for $300.00. I then decided I would take another chance and apply for the Kohl's card. I was instantly approved for $300.00. Baby limits but I felt good and was going the right direction. I tried for Barclays Rewards but was denied. They wanted to see less inquiries.
Fast forward 2 months and my son was getting ready to turn 2 so we were looking to get him a new bed and I had the cash for it but we saw a bed we really liked on Wayfair and would have liked to take advantage of the 0% interest for 12 months on the purchase. So knowing it was comenity and I had a little relationship built with them I figured Id take the chance...was approved instantly for $750.00. Got to order my son's bed and build some more credit...another win!
I was emboldened by that success so I tried for Discover and a Chase Freedom(there was a bug in the preapproval site and it showed up)...REALLY STUPID to waste those pulls....but there was one CC issuer I didnt try to preapprove for because I had their student card 10 years ago in college and burned them...AMEX. When I typed in my info there was a preapproval for the BCE...I was very leary at first after the last two go rounds but figured what the heck Im going to the garden either way...I was instantly approcved for 1k!!! I was so excited...and I was off to the garden to tend to my accounts.
Since then I have graduated from credit steps and went to $500.00 and after a call to the Cap1 CSRs they forwarded my concerns to the EO and I received another $300.00 So I am at $800.00 on that card. I have been unable to gain anymore CLI on my Boscov's or Wayfair and I have failed to get the 3x increase from AMEX twice now. But one morning I woke up and I received a $500 auto increase about a week after being denied the 3x so I was super excited about that LOL!
That is kind of where my progress is as far as building and below is what I have left to try and cleanup but its not going so well
I still have the charged off repossession with CapitalOne that just passed the SOL. They have never sold it to any C/A and it shows a 10k balance. I never received the documentation that I can remember...but who can remember clearly from four years ago. How can I go about getting this removed? Try to dispute directly with CRA stating I didnt receive proper notices? Maybe contact Cap1...but I dont want to surface on them now...or accidentally reset the SOL...
I have two C/O from First Premier Bank and I have tried multiple ways to get them removed...these are also past the SOL and I cant get them to budge...they now added a new remark that the account is deemed uncollectible...but they have also not sold to a CA
Still have an account with Portfolio Recovery and they only offer a 75% settlement...I mean they have ripped off so many people I dont feel for them...
And lastly I still have 72 lates reporting on my reports. I did GW the AES office and received a response stating that they were going to update the reporting the the months reported late and that it would take 60 days for them to update the reporting. I called in and asked if this meant they were removing the lates and CSR said the lates were already removed from their system...Now AES has reported since this conversation and the lates are still there but all my accounts have had comments added to the effect of dispute resolved-reported by grantor...does this mean they wont get removed as they said? I have the documentation but only have the word of the CSR stating that the lates were getting removed as that language isnt specifically in the letter I received. Its only been 30 days but Im anxious as this would be a HUGE win for me. They are over 2 years old but are major DEROGS...over 120 days late...
Any advice from the board to help me continue on my journey...Im still short of getting a mortgage and I have maybe 6 months before moving is going to become almost a necessity...
Thank you for getting me this far!!!
