No longer lurking,taking action

[lalat]

Hello everyone. I've been reading and visitng for a few months. I'm still a bit confused about what will help and what might backfire. I ask for help below.

Last month I finally paid for my FICO scores and they are as dismal as I feared. 

EQ - 568

TU - 617

EX - 560

I have a WF mortgage since 10/2002 that's been paid on time for 13 months - though due to 2 layoffs in the past 7 years I have many 90 day lates still showing, 46% equity in my house.

August 2013 - a Cap One secured card, I pay this twice a month, but I need to keep the usage lower - in good standing

April 2014  - Credit One secured card, I plan to pay this twice a month too - not yet showing up

The delinquents:

TNB cc - last activity, 1/2010, charge off, I paid the collections company, status dates range from Feb 2012-May 2013 (not sure what that means)

Midland Funding (the CA for TNB) shows acct paid in full, removal 11/2016

Comenty Bank/NYWRK & CO - closed 7/2008 - balance $423, purchased by a CA that isn't showing up here - should be removed 12/2014?

Xerox state/local - this is $101 in parking tix (that were actually incurred by my stepdaughter) in collection 8/2008

Verizon - I have no idea what this is/was. It's showing up as a charge-off, $0 balance, status date Nov 2009. I am a current Verizon customer and have been since around Nov 2009 - both wireless and Fios tv/internet - this makes no sense to me.

Jefferson Capital - $76 for Wachovia Bank checking. Again - no idea what the heck this is/was, shows in collection

Not surprisingly, I've been turned down for a Home Equity loan for "Serious deliquencies" "# of accts with delinquencies" I really, really, really need a home equity loan. The other mostly important detail is that I'm in the middle of divorce process - probably will be finalized within 4 months, but we kept 90% of our finances separate the entire marriage (and the mortgage has always only been in my name, I bought the house while still single) so I don't think this will affect me much.

My rookie opinion is that I'm suffering from too little credit and what I do have is crappy to okay. If anyone has any actionable items to suggest, I'm willing to try. My goal, once the numbers move up, is to use a home equity loan to fix my house and then sell it within the year (it's an old house and becoming too much hassle to maintain).

[RobertEG]

The Verizon reporting rings a serious bell, and is likely a major concern.

They are reporting that you owe them a debt, and that the delinquency on the debt has reached the point where they have determined that you are not going to pay, period.

The reporting of the charge-off does not terminate your continued obligation for the asserted debt.

By repoting a $0 balance, that does not mean the debt is no longer owed, it means they have sold the debt to someone else, who can continue to attempt to collect the entire amount.  Thus, the purchaser can report a collection at any time, thus further dinging your score.

I would call them and inquire about the debt, and who they sold it to.

They may agree that there was an error, at which point you could get it deleted from your credit report.

Letting that issue sit willl most likely bring a collection into the picture, futher damaging your score and having to also deal with a debt collector.

[lalat]

Thank you for your reply. I did as you suggested, called Verizon. And within minutes of the woman looking over my account, putting me on hold once, she came back to tell me that it seemed like a mistake and she would remove it. Honestly I was so unprepared and taken aback by that response that I stammered my way off the phone. So "remove it" could mean many things, I guess, but I was very clear that I was trying to get it off of my CR so hopefully she and I are on the same page. I'll put a reminder in my calendar to call back in a month or so.

See? I meant when I said I want to take action!

Should I attack the cc with a balance in collections with a PFD?

Is it possible to approach WF and ask for removal of some of the 90days lates?

Do I have any hope of getting TNB to remove? 

[lalat]

I'm going to send PFD requests for NY&Co and the parking tix - the former is scheduled for removal in 12/2014 the latter 7/2015, but I want to clean things earlier than that.

I'm still at a loss for how to approach Target - estimated removal is 12/2016 showing as CO, simlarly Midland, the CA for that account is removal 11/2016. Midland shows it as a paid collection. Anything I can do to request a removal at this point?