I figured using my zero-balance Sears card at least oaccasionally was a good idea as I attempt to rebuild my FICO from a lowly 587 (former spouse wasn't paying bills on time). The card in my wallet expired 8/11, so I was probably due to get one soon. But as I didn't have one yet, I called and requested a new card, as I can't locate the one that expires at the end of this month in order to use it. It is somewhere buried in my house. This resulted in a hard inquiry against my report (per the Sears customer service rep, they do an inquiry to check for alerts in this case without informing the account holder that this is part of the procedure) and, presumably, a dip in my FICO score. At 587, I'm clinging to the hope of getting a car loan when my current lease expires in early November. So I'm a little bummed that trying to do "the right thing" in rebuilding my wounded credit backfired in this way - I had already paid off the balance in April. Maybe someone else can benefit from my mistake by avoiding it. Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions? As I say, this feels like a setback, especially as a few points either way could make the difference when I go to make a car purchase in a couple of months or so and need to apply for a car loan.
