Worst Credit Score. Is there any hope?

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone! Though I have been lurking off and on this is my first post. My credit scores are just terrible. I was late a few (6) months on my car payment (it is now current) and have a bunch of negative marks on my report. Some of which are old medical bills but for some reason they just showed up on my report the last year and what was already poor is now horrific. I don't know what some of the marks are. They very well might be mine but I'm not sure why insurance wouldn't have paid it or what the visit was even for. I'm not sure where to go from here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Listed below are my collections accounts. I'm not sure if I should work to pay them off and if so in what order. Will any of these agencies remove it from my report when paid?

Credit Coll in Norwood, MA (Progressive) - Last reported 01/2016 - 218

EOS CCA  in Boston, MA (ATT) - Last reported 5/23/14 from 8/13/2012 - 427

EOS CCA in Boston, MA (ATT) - Last reported 5/23/2014 from 8/13/2012 - 681 - Not sure why this is on her twice for 2 different amounts. I only had 1 account

Helvey and Associates in Warsaw, IN (Endeavor Communications) - Last reported 1/7/2016 from 11/11/2015 - 1558 - I haven't had Endeavor in years

IMC Credit in Indianapolis, IN (dr bill) - Last reported 8/21/2011 from 5/25/2011 - 335

IMC Credit in Indianapolis, IN (dr bill) - Last reported 10/19/2014 from 7/21/2014 - 194

Professional Account Service in Terre Haute, IN (dr bill) - Last reported 6/12/2014 for 4/7/2014 - 117

Statewide Credit in Indianapolis, IN - Last reported 10/312015 for 6/3/2015 - 1501

Statewide Credit in Indianapolis, IN - Last reported 11/28/2015 for 9/17/2015 - 981

GLA Collection - Last reported 10/15/2015 for 7/23/2015 - 138 - This one I know what it is

I also have a car payment that I've had for a little less than 2 years. Purchased the car new and have had 6 late payments. It is current now and has been current or paid early for the last 6 months. And I have what shows as (5) student loans - oldest one being from 6/2012 - each one shows current with (2) late payments on each. Both late payments show as 30 days. One in 2015 and one in 2016.

Apologies for all this info... I want to start repairing this and I just don't know where to start. If it was as easy as just paying things off I would start there but from reading through things it doesn't sound like that even helps.

Any advice is much appreciated.

[AzaleaB]

I am no expert but I can make a couple of comments and hopefully the experts will chime in. There is always hope, if nothing else the passage of time will help. You mention "old' accounts. The key date is the date of first delinquency -DOFD. That determines when a collection account will/should be deleted from your report. A collection does not fall off your account if paid, it is simply marked paid. Search the forum to find about pay-for-deletes (PFDs). BTW, you can also a debt validation letter for the medical bills you are unsure of to make sure they are yours. Search the board for examples. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info. So the date it falls off is 7 years after the DOFD? I don't think I saw that date on my report. I was under the impression it falls off 7 years from the last report date.

[AzaleaB]

Yes, it's the DOFD that counts. Collection agencies may provide updates but they are required to report the DOFD. The collections should fall off 7 years after the DOFD. Sometimes the credit bureaus will do early deletion - 6 1/2 years or something like that

[Anonymous]

Credit Control will do a paid for delete. My husband also had a Progressive account with them and they agreed to delete after payment.  Where did you get your scores from?  If those are Credit Karma scores they are Vantage Scores and not FICO scores.  

[Anonymous]

Ies it is Credit Karma scores. Is there a difference in the two. I am so lost. Thanks for the info on Credit Control. I will try that.

[Anonymous]

Most lenders do not use Vantage Scores.  You can do a trial at Credit Check Total and get your 3 Fico 8 scores for $1.  If you are looking for a monitoring service if you call and cancel within the 7 day period you can get their service for 50% off.  

[Anonymous]

For DoFD (Equifax) or estimated fall off date (Transunion and Experian) you'll need to get a copy of your actual reports, not what a monitoring service shows. If you haven't gotten your free reports in the last 12 months go to annualcreditreport.com and get them. If you have you can buy them from here.

[Anonymous]

Credit Karma scores are not true Fico scores ... for example, mine are inflated by 20-30 points. CK is great for monitoring day to day, but CCT provides true scores and it's reasonable. 

MY suggestion is this, start a spreadsheet, list all of your baddies that you posted above. 

Original Creditor, collection agency, amount, which reports it appears on, DoFD and amount ... and begin to formulate a plan for paying them off, ideally with PFDs 

[Anonymous]

Credit Collections Services (CCS) sent me a collections notice in 2014 but never showed up on my reports for $51 from AllState Insurance. I just stumbled upon it again in my junk mail pile at home 2 days ago (mid 2016). From my understanding, I don't owe Allstate a dime however I am going to call Allstate myself to see if this is a legitimate debt. I did a little bit of research on Credit Collections & I've come up with not much besides this place is a scam. 

.... or maybe not so much a "scam" I'm sure they have to handle some legitimate debts, however, I've read that they are also a junk buyer & many people have done/sent successful DV letters & these were removed from their reports. As soon as I get on break from work I am going to call Allstate for more info because the letter (little note slip) this place sent me had an odd website such as   " warningnotice.com " as well as it did not have the legal collections disclosures listed on this little note slip they sent.