@Anonymous wrote:
Good morning all!
I have a few different questions that I'd like to address. First, I just got married for the third (and hopefully final) time. My credit has been shot since college when O stupidly opened two credit cards and had no job. Trust me, I wish I hadn't. In addition, my first husband didn't work so I tried to do everything and couldn't. We ended up filing for bankruptcy at the beginning of April 2009. The payments were coming out of my paycheck every two weeks while my husband got off scot-free as we'd split up. I lost my job in June 2010 and had to move back home (I was living in Alabama, home was Virginia.). My ex had agreed to pay the bankruptcy payments (as he'd since gotten a job) until I could get back on my feet in Virginia. He didn't and so the payments got behind and the bankruptcy was dismissed.
Some creditors did not reappear on my credit, but some did. The bankruptcy has since fallen off. I want to get it cleared up but I'm unsure where to start after I've gotten my credit reports.
First, I have school loans and they're in good standing as I'm still in school getting my first masters (I've planned for two). However I noticed one of the credit bureaus (Experian) has all of my school loans listed as closed but paid as agreed. Shouldn't these still be listed as open? School loans cant be discharged in a BK but the proper procedure is to close them and report how they were on the month of the BK filing, at some point they will be coming back but I would not be asking for them to show up.
Second, how can I determine when an account was first reported so I can determine when it should come off? I do know there are some accounts I know should have come off by now but can't verify because I don't know the dates. For example, I have a very old cell phone bill that closed in 2005 that is still there. There's also an account that was opened in my name by my mother when I was a minor that shouldn't be there anymore. How do I find out this information. The time it can be reported on is from the accounts DoFD (date of first delinquency) typically the 30 day late that immediately preceeds the CO. If the DoFD on that cell bill is in 2005 or any other time period 7.5 yrs from this month going back in time and its a derog account then you can dispute it off as having passed the time allowed for it to be reported
Third, should I pay off these debts or let them fall off my credit? I know this should depend on how close or far away they are to the typical 7 year limit. If they are past states SOL then you could offer to settle for less and if they are so old as to be ready to drop once they do drop you can make a lower offer to settle as well. Its up to you if you want to settle and I would if you are looking to buy a home as they still have to be disclosed if they ask for any unpaid debts on the application (other than those discharged in a prior BK).
Last, I have two judgements that show up on my TransUnion report but not the other two. One is from 2011, which should fall off in 2018. The other is from 2015 (wrong decisions on roommates can ruin you big time!). I'm leaning more towards paying off the more recent one and paying off the older one in a PFD agreement or an agreement not to deactivate after it's removed from my report. Is this usually doable? A PFD doesnt work on a judgment only a judge can cancel or vacate the judgment, what you would want to do is try to get them to agree to file motion to vacate the judgment once its been paid if you cannot do it yourself. In some states you can file said motion.
I know I've written a lot and have a lot of questions. My husband and I eventually want to be able to buy a house and know it will take years to get things straight so we can do that and we want to get started ASAP. My husband also has some debt, but really only two things on his credit. So his will be more easily fixed than mine. Any advice I can get would be helpful. Thank you.
Welcome to the board 
