Where did you start out?

[NikJ4]

Just wondering....when you all first started, what were your scores. I just pulled mine today for both me and hubby( he isnt dear so that just doesnt work). Him(592);Me(427). Just want to know if anyone felt as bad as I did since my score is

Thanks also for all the encouragement.  I really appreciate it all. I love my FICO Family!

[WhirledPeasPlease]

In my sig...

[fused]

By the time I joined myFICO, my scores had recovered and I was building credit rather than repairing it. I can say at my low point my scores must have been in the low 500s back in 97'-99'. I'm not sure what is worse, the arduous process of credit repair or going into hiding, having bad credit and suffering for more than 7 years. Keep your chin up, credit repair is draining but it's about momentum. As on baddie vanishes and one new positive account hit your reports, you become more confident and motivated, and most importantly you learn to handle credit and shore-up your finances.

[LouMinotti]

Long boring story....skip to the end for answer


This is a good question because I'm not even sure myself...I subscribed to Creditinform quarterly monitoring ith Cap1 8 years ago. I watched my score drift between 612 and 668 during those eight years. Then turns out that Juniper was offering free TU scores however they never updated despite keeping current and active my score according to them was 617 as of June 06. Since I haven't sought credit in over 2 years, I didn't make it priority to really care and I'd like to go back to that place to tell you the truth. However, my son needs a student loan and this April I found myself suddenly caring big time. So I got my free credit reports from the big 3 and joined True credit and so in mid-April my scores(which I later learned are Fako) were TU:640 EX:633 and EQ:615. Application date for PLUS loan is July 1st. I have a little time. . .

OK, I have a bit of work to do. So I sock drawer my cards and start paying down, got a derog removed from all three and watched my fakoscore go up to: TU 643 EX: 647 and EQ:619

But THEN I was paying my Juniper bill online in June and the score--which was static for 2 years--now shows me at 564! What the monkey??? Right into panic mode. What was my real score???? Someone's lying to me. Someone's gonna get hurt!

And that is when I googled "Truecredit accurate?" and of course, I learned, sadly, regrettably, NO. at least not the score, but the credit report updates ARE accurate. And that is when I read dozens of blogs and yahoo answers that directed me here.

I was positively shaking when I paid myfico for my three reports and scores. However, I was pleasnatly surprised to see my actual fico scores were, as of June21,: TU:681 EX:670 and EQ:631

Phew! But.....within the last week, literally 6 days ago, Experian decides to drop my BK three months before it was supposed to (the 10 year mark is Oct.08).....but not TU or EQ. So my EX score goes from 673 to 658. Welcome to the new bucket! Hi! my name is Danielle....All this time I am wondering which report will the Dept. of Edu. pull?

Which one do I WANT them to pull. Obviously the one with the best score no? A person here said a clean report trumps a report with a BK even if it is about to drop.OK, I pray they pull EX.

Well this is where I am now: DoE pulled my report yesterday--on my Birthday--and the one they pulled was Equifax. Figures. And as an aside, Truecredit and Myfico gave me NO alert. My first credit app. in over two years and no one picks up on this, not even credit inform! What am I paying for if I can't get a heads up from credit monitoring??9 bucks a month with TC, and 9 bucks a month with CI and how much is it here? $9? But I am in the free month zone. Which is he hook BTW. I have spent over $100 pulling my scores from myfico. Cripes.

And so, my score on EQ went from 631 to 629 if anyone is interested in the cost of a hard inq. 2 points is ok, but no word yet from DoE on approval.

I now wait. I am finding myself past the point of obsession over this credit monitoring business but I'm pretty sure once I square away my sons future in higher education, I am going back to obsessing over things that don't cost me $12-$15 dollars every time I'm overly curious.Like politics and global economics and peak oil. that's free -- an excercise in futility, I admit, but FREE.

I will keep the good financial habits that I have crash coursed in since joining myfico and I plan to get all my debt paid by next spring in time for the new payments I will be making for DS's college. Assuming that the markets don't crash altogether and the nation is suddenly in depression -- which is a very real scenario as of today.

I think monitoring one's creditscore more than monthly is what myfico depends on, though. They're profiting and we're stressing.


June21:TU/681 EX/670 EQ/631
July 11 TU/683 EX/658 EQ/629

1 derog removed from all three, 1 BK removed from EX and 1 INQ on EQ. Balances all went down on all three within that time frame as well.

[guiness56]

My EQ was 490 several months ago and I am betting it has not gotten much better.  I do not stress over my scores.  I can not get any thing but subprime CC, which does not really bother me cause I do not need one.

I have done what I can do to repair my credit.  All of the negative items over 7 years old have been disputed and removed.  I am current on all of my bills.  My last late was over a year ago, I have no new collections (and do not plan to), there are 3 collections that will age off within the next 6 months.

I have 3 CO but can not afford a PFD and 5 collections, 1 is paid.

I guess my point is, my score is extremely bad and will not get much better in the near future.  I do not let it run or ruin my life.  Even though I would love to pay for deletes, I know that is not possible.  The way I see it is for now I have to live with it but,  the information I have learned from this forum is the most valuable thing I could ask for.  When my credit eventually gets better with age, I now know how to keep it that way and to deal with the events that could be a problem. 

So do not let it get you down.  And know that it will get better.

[Client9]

February 14

TU 577

EX 607

EQ 609

July 1

TU 615 (+38)

EQ 642  (+35)

EX 621 (+12)

I wasnt in as bad shape as many of the people who come here with zillions of doctors bills or late Comcast bills. 

I have not made huge jumps.  My improvements are most likely due to paying on time, aging.  I got Honda to remove some lates on EQ, but they havent reported from TU or EX.  I had one huge serious error that was fixed on TU, but hasnt happened on EQ & EX.  Once that error is fixed, I will be in a much better place.  Then I can tackle the judgements.  I am hoping for a nice 10-30 point bump from the Crown Jewelers account as well.

My goals that I had actuall written down to be by this time back in February was to be at:

TU 667

EQ 681

EX 676

Maybe I bit off more than I could chew? But I am going to be plugging away.  I am aiming for the 700 club by the end of the year

[Anonymous]

I also never really checked til I started coming here.

When i was in college (early 90s) and just maxing my first cards all the time I went in to buy a car and was told it was 711. No idea which.

By the time I bought my 3rd car (2000) it was 511, which horrified me. I almost couldn't get financed.

I've only been actively working on it recently. See my sig. No baddies at the moment,  a couple old lates. Just rebuilding after a period of not having or using much credit.

[Anonymous]

My FAKO's back in July of last year were in the mid 400's. I didn't even want to pull my fico's.

Now I am across the board within 6-7 points of 700. SOOOOOOOO close, it makes me crazy!!

[marty56]

I have only been FICO aware for about a year but that dosen't count.  I started cleaning up my credit in April of 2003 and at that time my scores were probably in the mid to high 500's.

[Anonymous]

I had a 5XX something score due to some lates and CO in error and not knowing about credit I ended up paying an extra $1,500 in interest on a auto loan before I could refinance. After I fixed it I went up to middle 600s. Now my goal is 850.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 07-12-2008 09:23 AM