Operation Rebuild Journal - Advice welcome!

[Shogun]

With the actions you're currently taking, you will have a nice healthy CR in no time.  Keep on it and keep working at it, I think you're doing great!

[HigherFico]

I have a lot of student loan debt also with a lot of mates. Im a teacher now was only able to get $5000 for my loan forgiveness. What did you find out abt getting the loan debt tackled. I have Sallie Mae and ACS which is reporting badly.

I just need to pay down my 1500 dollar debt and send out some GW letters and 2 pfd letters.

You seem to be on your way which is good. You are lucky that some of your stuff is going to fall off soon. I sure wish mine wld!

[LadyLeah]

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@Shogun wrote:

With the actions you're currently taking, you will have a nice healthy CR in no time.  Keep on it and keep working at it, I think you're doing great!

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Thanks, Shogun! (And thank you for all the great advice and encouragement you've given on the forum. I have enough to fill a book just based on the notes I've taken from some of your posts)! 

[LadyLeah]

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@HigherFico wrote:
I have a lot of student loan debt also with a lot of mates. Im a teacher now was only able to get $5000 for my loan forgiveness. What did you find out abt getting the loan debt tackled. I have Sallie Mae and ACS which is reporting badly.

I just need to pay down my 1500 dollar debt and send out some GW letters and 2 pfd letters.

You seem to be on your way which is good. You are lucky that some of your stuff is going to fall off soon. I sure wish mine wld!

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I just spent about 3 hours reading up on loan forgiveness. The closest opportunity I could find for my situation is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The problem is I'd have to make 120 payments (10 yrs) while working in public service. I didn't really plan on staying at my job or in my field for another 10 yrs so I'm not sure that will work out lol. But the alternative is so grim. If I don't do a loan forgiveness program, it will take me 20 years or more to pay off these loans. And I still can't get over the emotional part of it, the resentment, the frustration, regret, anger... all that. But anyway, my plan of action for now is to finish my degree (one more class, one more loan smh), try to enroll in a rehab program, which I'm hoping will get me current AND delete all my lates, and then start the PSLF program. 

Have you looked into the PSLF? You should be able to get in as a teacher. It may be useful if you plan to teach for the next 10 yrs. 

[myjourney]

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@LadyLeah wrote:

It's been nearly a week since I began my journey. I'm proud of my efforts thus far, although I have a long, long way to go. Here is what I've accomplished this week. 

• Obtained copies of all three credit reports and read each one.
• Obtained two of three credit scores, which are significantly lower than my FAKO from CK.
• Investigated a lien on my credit report. Learned that it was paid in full in 2011. Went to the court to obtain a copy of the debt cancellation. Faxed it to TU and EQ, requesting a deletion.
• Called to request two other deletions: a cell phone bill debt which may or may not have been mine, and a repo'd auto which is paid in full.
• Did some research on what is the best course of action to take to bring my student loans current. 
• Opened credit union account.
• Opened three new credit cards (Fingerhut $500, CU Secured Card $300, First Progress Secured $350). 
• Paid my Capital One down to <9% util. 

I think once I get my student loans current and all the baddies removed or aged off, I should be in a decent place. 

Current scores:

EQ: 529

TU: 551

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My what a difference a few days and a little time can make LOOKING GOOD! Bravo 

[guiness56]

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@LadyLeah wrote:

UPDATE:  I called Sprint today to see if I could do a PFD. It turns out the social security number on the account does not match mine, so they suspect it may be fraud. I have had T-Mobile for as long as I can remember - like 12 years or so, and I honestly do not remember whether the Sprint charge is mine or not, but if they're going to remove it, I'm going to let them. 

If not, I'm certainly prepared to pay a settlement amount if they will delete it. Worst case scenario, it falls off 5/2015. 

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Best way to handle this is to file an FTC Fraud Affidavit http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0094-identity-theft-affidavit.pdf and file a police report.  Send both of these to the CRAs and ask that they block the information.

You do not need to prove it is fraud and the CRAs have to block the information from your credit report.

If there is a CA also reporting, send the information to them as well.

If you can get Sprint to send you something that would be good also but not necessary.

[LadyLeah]

Thanks you, Guiness! Before seeing your comment, I filed a dispute over the weekend. Sprint also told me over the phone that they would look into it and if it turns out it isn't mine, they will remove it from my credit report.

I guess if those efforts don't pan out, I will file the FTC fraud affidavit.

[LadyLeah]

And as an update: I was finally able to get my EX score. Imagine my surprise to see a whopping 614! Not impressive by any means, but certainly higher than what I expected. Suddenly my goal of 650 doesn't seem so out of reach, at least not for EX.

[LadyLeah]

Welp.... I filed two disputes with TU and EQ for the lien and for Sprint. 

I'm a little bummed out that neither removed the lien, but TU did remove Sprint, which was a collection item. Aside from the lien that just won't die, I now have the NCO/Progressive Insurance collection remaining on TU, which should be falling off any day now, according to NCO. They said it was removed at the end of last year, and should be reflected by 2/1/14. 

No response from EQ as of yet. 

UPDATED SUMMARY OF BADDIES

• NCO/Progressive ($224) - should be falling off any day now. (TU and EQ).
• Paid Lien ($644) - Disputed, not removed thus far. Will not fall off until 8/2018. (TU and EQ)
• Danco Financial ($0) - should hear their decision by 1/27. Hoping they agree to delete it. Will fall off 10/2014. (EQ)
• Foshee Mgmt ($0) - Disputed, still pending. Closed account that shows "pays as agreed" but there are so many lates. (EQ)
• ERC/Sprint ($539) - Removed from TU; dispute still pending. Also contacted ERC who is investigating. (EQ)
• Ch7 BK - Will fall off 5/2015. (TU, EQ, EX)
• Medical Collection ($165) - Sent PFD on 1/23. No response yet. (EQ)
• Student Loans ($112k) - Some current, some past due, many, many, many lates. (TU, EQ, EX).

My EX is pretty clean, but my score is only 614, so I'm thinking the only thing I can really do there is clean up the student loans and hope that gives me a boost. 

[LadyLeah]

Today I learned that the only way to get a lien off of my credit report is if the State of Georgia withdraws the lien. Apparently marking it paid, satisfied and/or cancelled is not enough. It has to be withdrawn from public record, and then I can go to the credit reporting bureaus and ask them to remove it from my report. 

So that leaves it up to the good will of the State. I sent a letter to the Tax Commissioner and the Taxpayer Advocate today begging them to please extend some grace and withdraw the lien on the grounds that it was paid in full three years ago and that I was in a really dark place during that time. I begged as well as I could. I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that I hear back from them promptly and that their response is what I want to hear. 

SN: Since starting this process a few weeks ago, I have picked up a new habit of refreshing my email inbox several times a day lol. I'm dying to hear from these people!!!