Hi Everyone! New member here who is truly grateful to all of the wonderful and knowledgeable people here who have already helped me immensely! I have already posted much of this in the FICO Fitness Challenge thread, so I apologize if this is a double read for you. If anyone is interested to read my story and give any tips/pointers they could offer, I would really appreciate it. Be warned - it's a bit long!
I am a 26 year old and I decided I really needed to start cleaning up my credit as I am looking to purchase a home in the next 6 mos to 1 yr. I've made a lot of credit mistakes in my younger years, and have some baddies that I need to tackle before I can become eligible to make a purchase. Right now my lowest FICO is 594 EQ according to this site, next is 608 EX (from a lender pull) and 622 TU, also from this site. The negatives I have on my reports are as follows:
Citibank - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005
Macy's - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005
Old Navy - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005 (seeing a pattern lol?)
-All three of these should be timed off CR by 11/2012
Midland - paid collection due to fall off report 05/2013
-Still trying to GW them. If anyone has a fax #, PLEASE PM. PLEEAAASE
Granite State management - SL reporting 1 30 day late payment
-Successful GW adjustment: received letter from company that they will remove this late payment record from CR
-Finally removed 9/5
Credit Union Loan - several late payments
Medical Collection Agency - unpaid collection for $45 from last November
-Paid; Just checked CRs and it has been DELETED 
SW alert: EQ FICO increased from 594 to 630!!!! Thanks to removal of collection (only reported to EQ)
Based on the info I have learned from this awesome site, I have made some positive strides towards improving my situation. First off, I've learned that the 3 charge offs are all due to fall off my reports in Nov of this year. So it's just a matter of waiting for these to go away and hopefully see a good sized score increase. I have also been successful in getting GW adjustments, resulting in AFNI and Cap One negative TLs being deleted from my reports. As far as the SL goes, I called the company and found out that the late was erroneously reported, stemming from my transfer from one school to another and the account mistakenly being put into repayment status for one month without my knowledge. The rep stated she would have the late removed and send me a letter confirming this. Its only been a couple of days so I am waiting for that to go through.
The medical collection for a whopping $45 was also an error of sorts. I had surgery last year and everything was handled through my insurance, or so I thought. Apparently some blood work was done by an affiliate of the hospital, which got old records of mine with an out of date address and no listed insurance. So the bill and subsequent collection notices were sent to the wrong address. The collection agency rep stated that since they received the returned letters due to inaccurate address, she would delete the collection if I PIF. Thanks to the advice I've read here (lurking) to get everything in writing, I kindly told her I would be glad to do so once I received something on their letterhead confirming this. This was also a few days ago, so I am still waiting on the letter.
I also GW'd the credit union to remove the lates, and the person who responded to my request said that I should dispute the lates, and they would confirm the payments were on time, thus removing the lates. I agreed to this arrangement before I really got immersed in these boards, so I am not really sure now if that was such a good idea. So far the disputes are still pending (I just submitted them several days ago). Any thoughts (those of you who are still reading this opus hehe)?
-Dispute is still pending. Emailed original contact for status update (in a very kind, unassuming, non-rushy tone). Got no response. Getting worried.
I am still trying to GW the Midland acct off, but so far I haven't gotten any responses. I will stay hopeful though, and reading the Midland success stories on here keeps me motivated!
I have a few (very few) positive TLs going for me. Two active SL accounts from 2007 which have never been late; 1 recently opened CC from Cap One (only one who would approve me 
) with a CL of $500. I plan to of course pay this on time every month and get some good history with them on my reports. My AAoA is about 7 years, which I am sure will drop once the charge off accounts age off my reports. I have been contemplating getting a secured CC to add another TL to my records, although I am unsure if it will do much good since it will also be a brand new acct and do little for my AAoA. Thoughts?
-Applied for and was approved for BoA secured card w/$600 CL. Now have two positive revolving TL that will hopefully be reporting by end of Sept or early Oct.
I have also have 4 inquiries on my files (not good, I know).
So that is where I stand. If anyone wants to wager a guess at where my scores might end up if/when all of the credit repair seeds I've mentioned above actually flower, I would be eternally grateful. I would like to get to the 700s sometime in the next year or two, and definitely hoping to buy my first home in the next 6 mos to 1 yr. I am really looking forward to learning more through this community and chronicling my journey towards credit health. Stay tuned if you want to be updated on my progress, since I will likely be using this as a personal journal of sorts to keep track of how things go. And again, any insight that could help improve my situation is welcomed!
THANKS FOR READING!!!!!
Thanks for the reply rkstrscott. I figured it out thanks to this msg board
@Anonymous wrote:Hi Everyone! New member here who is truly grateful to all of the wonderful and knowledgeable people here who have already helped me immensely! I have already posted much of this in the FICO Fitness Challenge thread, so I apologize if this is a double read for you. If anyone is interested to read my story and give any tips/pointers they could offer, I would really appreciate it. Be warned - it's a bit long!
I am a 26 year old nurse and I decided I really needed to start cleaning up my credit as I am looking to purchase a home in the next 6 mos to 1 yr. I've made a lot of credit mistakes in my younger years, and have some baddies that I need to tackle before I can become eligible to make a purchase. Right now my lowest FICO is 594 EQ according to this site, next is 608 EX (from a lender pull) and 622 TU, also from this site. The negatives I have on my reports are as follows:
Citibank - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005
Macy's - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005
Old Navy - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005 (seeing a pattern lol?)
Midland - paid collection due to fall off report 05/2013
Granite State management - SL reporting 1 30 day late payment
Credit Union Loan - several late payments
Medical Collection Agency - unpaid collection for $45 from last November
Based on the info I have learned from this awesome site, I have made some positive strides towards improving my situation. First off, I've learned that the 3 charge offs are all due to fall off my reports in Nov of this year. So it's just a matter of waiting for these to go away and hopefully see a good sized score increase. I have also been successful in getting GW adjustments, resulting in AFNI and Cap One negative TLs being deleted from my reports. As far as the SL goes, I called the company and found out that the late was erroneously reported, stemming from my transfer from one school to another and the account mistakenly being put into repayment status for one month without my knowledge. The rep stated she would have the late removed and send me a letter confirming this. Its only been a couple of days so I am waiting for that to go through.
The medical collection for a whopping $45 was also an error of sorts. I had surgery last year and everything was handled through my insurance, or so I thought. Apparently some blood work was done by an affiliate of the hospital, which got old records of mine with an out of date address and no listed insurance. So the bill and subsequent collection notices were sent to the wrong address. The collection agency rep stated that since they received the returned letters due to inaccurate address, she would delete the collection if I PIF. Thanks to the advice I've read here (lurking) to get everything in writing, I kindly told her I would be glad to do so once I received something on their letterhead confirming this. This was also a few days ago, so I am still waiting on the letter.
I also GW'd the credit union to remove the lates, and the person who responded to my request said that I should dispute the lates, and they would confirm the payments were on time, thus removing the lates. I agreed to this arrangement before I really got immersed in these boards, so I am not really sure now if that was such a good idea. So far the disputes are still pending (I just submitted them several days ago). Any thoughts (those of you who are still reading this opus hehe)? I opened a dispute on four accounts that I knew were not mine, three were removed and one was "verified." I remain adamant that it was not mine, but either way, it's there and I had to deal with it by paying it off yesterday. I opened the dispute June 21 and got my results July 20 so it may take a little while before you get your results, but if they remove the lates, it's more than worth the wait.
I am still trying to GW the Midland acct off, but so far I haven't gotten any responses. I will stay hopeful though, and reading the Midland success stories on here keeps me motivated!
I have a few (very few) positive TLs going for me. Two active SL accounts from 2007 which have never been late; 1 recently opened CC from Cap One (only one who would approve me
It could go either way. Based on past experience with a Bank of America secured card, it didn't do me much good because they reported it as secured and, at that time, I had A LOT of collections so I'm sure the good was being way offset by the bad, too. It's another one of those YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) situations. Not all banks report them as secured, and I'm sure you'd find some helpful information on which banks do and don't by perusing these boards some more. I had that card for three years before closing it.
I have also have 4 inquiries on my files (not good, I know). Four isn't too bad, especially if they're old. They stay on your report for two years, but only affect your score for one year (I believe).
So that is where I stand. If anyone wants to wager a guess at where my scores might end up if/when all of the credit repair seeds I've mentioned above actually flower, I would be eternally grateful. Again, this is a YMMV situation. Everyone's credit profile is unique and, therfore, everyone's results are unique. It's not unrealistic to expect your scores to go up once the baddies fall off, but it will affect your AAoA so the increase might not be as significant as you hope. From reading on here, 15-30 point increases in one reporting cycle aren't unheard of, but again, everyone is unique. I would like to get to the 700s sometime in the next year or two, and definitely hoping to buy my first home in the next 6 mos to 1 yr. I am really looking forward to learning more through this community and chronicling my journey towards credit health. Stay tuned if you want to be updated on my progress, since I will likely be using this as a personal journal of sorts to keep track of how things go. And again, any insight that could help improve my situation is welcomed! The best thing you can do is continue to pay on time and don't overextend yourself. Keep your CC balances below 10% utilization and keep GWing Midland. Although they're tough, people have had success with getting them to remove accounts. Persistence and patience are key. Keep up the good work. You're well on your way. Not to hijack your thread, but I just paid off four collection accounts yesterday, have two more to go, and I will be Goodwilling the heck out of the creditors that say "they can't" remove the account. They will be getting a fax every day until I receive a cease and desist letter in the mail
I've only been a lurker here for the most part, but the wealth of knowlege and willingness of the people here to help is unreal - and it's all free! You can't get this kind of information from a "credit repair agency." Best of luck, and keep us all posted!
THANKS FOR READING!!!!!
@Anonymous wrote:
Citibank - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005 - Let age off
Macy's - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005 - Let age off
Old Navy - paid charge off DoFD 11/2005 - Let age off
Midland - paid collection due to fall off report 05/2013 - Keep GWing this one, however, with it being old, this alone won't keep you from 700 or a house.
Granite State management - SL reporting 1 30 day late payment - Looks like this is under control and will be taken care of
Credit Union Loan - several late payments
Medical Collection Agency - unpaid collection for $45 from last November
Based on the info I have learned from this awesome site, I have made some positive strides towards improving my situation. First off, I've learned that the 3 charge offs are all due to fall off my reports in Nov of this year. So it's just a matter of waiting for these to go away and hopefully see a good sized score increase. I have also been successful in getting GW adjustments, resulting in AFNI and Cap One negative TLs being deleted from my reports. As far as the SL goes, I called the company and found out that the late was erroneously reported, stemming from my transfer from one school to another and the account mistakenly being put into repayment status for one month without my knowledge. The rep stated she would have the late removed and send me a letter confirming this. Its only been a couple of days so I am waiting for that to go through.
The medical collection for a whopping $45 was also an error of sorts. I had surgery last year and everything was handled through my insurance, or so I thought. Apparently some blood work was done by an affiliate of the hospital, which got old records of mine with an out of date address and no listed insurance. So the bill and subsequent collection notices were sent to the wrong address. The collection agency rep stated that since they received the returned letters due to inaccurate address, she would delete the collection if I PIF. Thanks to the advice I've read here (lurking) to get everything in writing, I kindly told her I would be glad to do so once I received something on their letterhead confirming this. This was also a few days ago, so I am still waiting on the letter. -- Just be aware, sometimes collection companies will not write those letters indicating they will remove upon payment, because it is frowned upon by the CRAs which they have contracts with. If you don't get it in writing, since it is small, I would encourage another attempt, but if they don't write it, I would just pay because you could always GW it away, or attempt a HIPAA deletion. This account seems like it will be removed, so if you don't recieve that letter I PERSONALLY would just pay in full.
I also GW'd the credit union to remove the lates, and the person who responded to my request said that I should dispute the lates, and they would confirm the payments were on time, thus removing the lates. I agreed to this arrangement before I really got immersed in these boards, so I am not really sure now if that was such a good idea. So far the disputes are still pending (I just submitted them several days ago). Any thoughts (those of you who are still reading this opus hehe)? - I mean, you already disputed so you might as well wait for it. It may work. However, it sounds like the person who responded really doesn't understand how the whole system works. If they don't remove the lates, I would attempt a second GW as soon as the dispute is over.
I am still trying to GW the Midland acct off, but so far I haven't gotten any responses. I will stay hopeful though, and reading the Midland success stories on here keeps me motivated! - Keep working at it, but its only a year from falling off anyway. Newer collections and negative hurt more than older ones.
I have a few (very few) positive TLs going for me. Two active SL accounts from 2007 which have never been late; 1 recently opened CC from Cap One (only one who would approve me
I would get a second secured trade line, and depending on how much money you can put it down, something with a decent sized limit; maybe another $500 for starters. I would keep the overall util on both cards under 10 percent. Ideally, one card would report a 0 balance, and the other would be 10 percent or less. AAoA is important, but it is no where near the most important FICO scoring percentage, and yo uneed to have new positive accounts showing. You need to grow with your credit. Did you have anyone, maybe a parent, who can add you as an AU on an older card to offset the AAoA and increase your avail limits? AU cards count the same on FICO scoring.
I have also have 4 inquiries on my files (not good, I know).
So that is where I stand. If anyone wants to wager a guess at where my scores might end up if/when all of the credit repair seeds I've mentioned above actually flower, I would be eternally grateful. I would like to get to the 700s sometime in the next year or two, and definitely hoping to buy my first home in the next 6 mos to 1 yr. I am really looking forward to learning more through this community and chronicling my journey towards credit health. Stay tuned if you want to be updated on my progress, since I will likely be using this as a personal journal of sorts to keep track of how things go. And again, any insight that could help improve my situation is welcomed!
THANKS FOR READING!!!!!
Just so you know, a house in 2013 is def. a real probability. I was at 490ish when I started in Nov of 2010, and when my lender pull came though for the mortgage, my TU was 722 and all scores were near 700. I was able to get the house, even with 6 negative factors (all old and paid however)
You can make this happen.
-scott
@ mjm - Thanks for your detailed reply. I will definitely wait patiently for the results of the dispute. You're absolutely right - those lates coming off would be well worth it! I will also try to do some shopping around before I commit to an secured CC app. I was not aware that the CC is reported as secure vs. unsecured - good to know.
Unfortunately, 3 of the 4 inquiries are new, 1 from the new cap 1 card, and 2 others from denied apps 
My thoughts are to apply for just one more (secured) card now, then stop apping for another 6 months to 1 year to let them all age. Chime in any/everyone if that is a bad idea!
Thanks again for the reply and great advise. It is heartwarming to know that there are still so many ppl out there who are willing to take out the time to help someone they don't even know. It is sincerely appreciated. Can't wait until I can pay it forward someday!