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April 2017 Check-In Thread

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Kenny
Moderator Emeritus

April 2017 Check-In Thread

 

I know you are all hard at work with your credit goals.  Have you progressed as far as you hoped?  Were there any unforseen expenses that cropped up and may have thrown you off schedule?

 

As a reminder, participation in these monthly checkins is optional, but encouraged. The goal is to help keep you on track, so feel free to post your progress updates here. This is a no-judge zone; feel free to say what's keeping you up at night or give yourself a kudo for having it all together.

 

Did you hit any potholes or speedbumps? Achieve some milestones, either small or mighty? Change your goals or add new ones?

 

Let us know how you're doing! 

Message 1 of 21
20 REPLIES 20
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread

Another month down, still ticking off months.

 

Actually had one inquiry fall out of scoring range on Experian which I'd somehow missed (wayward Amex SCP offer which I couldn't refuse).  My April 30D from 2010 disappeared last month for some reason off all bureaus, so now down to a 30/60 and my tax lien and some smattering of inquiries.

 

Nothing really happens in April since everything landed in March for some reason; continuing to pay down my HELOC, newly eligible to contribute to my gig's 401K plan so maxing that for all that's worth (even if the investment choices all sorta suck but oh well).  

 

In May I start shedding some more inquiries from last year's mortgage refi flier and subsequent HELOC, and incidently that's my last scoreable inquiry on Transunion.  Equifax has a couple more in June then will be down to the last one from Februrary as I needed the Schwab checking account to support my foreign adventures... finally Experian not so rosy will still have 3 on there after June, rest are at the back end of the year / early next year.

 

July/August I get my last 30/60D lates off respectively, and sometime around December my tax lien should be off EX and EQ if I can't get early exclusion earlier, TU kinda sorta sucks in their handling of it, looks like stuck until 10/2018 there which doesn't make me happy but nothing I can do about that now.

 

Maybe this NCAP thing will do something for me but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Not a real happy checkin just realizing haha, been waiting going on six years for this, it's really starting to get to me these days.




        
Message 2 of 21
Cindy_FICO
Administrator Emeritus

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread

Hey guys - just disrupting your thread a little to say that you can vote for a name for this challenge! Vote to keep the current name or to go with a new one. Thanks!

Message 3 of 21
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread

Checking in like a rehab meeting... or confession booth?... I haven't hit the Garden Club yet as I was awaiting a Nord card while I signed up for this challenge.  

 

So far... I have changes in regards to a direct dispute I had going on with EQ... there is a Cabela's card lurking there that I did not open... did not charge on... my role in it says terminated (was AU apparently?).  I have been able to have it removed at TU because ... well... it's not mine dang it!!! ... The dispute results from EQ came in and I was denied removal.  I threw another dispute at them and I am waiting results.  Meanwhile... score update.. EQ dropped 29 points!!!!!! 29!!!!... What the ...? Smiley Mad Nothing has changed other than a) nord card b) dispute *resolve*... Tu score went up 7 points... not sure what gives. 

 

So that is my update as of April 3...Smiley Indifferent

 

Guess I better put my hiney in the Garden Club... btw... why is my siggy not showing??? What have I done wrong?  How could I possibly mess it up Smiley Sad

Message 4 of 21
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread


@Cindy_FICO wrote:

Hey guys - just disrupting your thread a little to say that you can vote for a name for this challenge! Vote to keep the current name or to go with a new one. Thanks!


Not the idea guy as mentioned numerous times before when it comes to marketing, but perhaps instead of Fitness (which is sort of bland) make it simply what the thread is really about "myFICO challenge" or "myFICO credit challenge" as a smallish tweak to advertise it slightly differently?




        
Message 5 of 21
Subexistence
Established Contributor

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread

I got my first FICO scores. Ex 732,Tu 717,Eq 713. Hoping to get BCE this month








Starting Score: Ex08-732,Eq08-713,Tu08-717
Current Score:Ex08-795,Eq08-807,Tu08-787,EX98-761,Eq04-742
Goal Score: Ex98-760,Eq04-760


Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge

History of my credit
Message 6 of 21
llpooj
Member

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread

April 21st I will complete 16 years with my employer.  However this past week I got the boot in re-org. I have to stay 3 months to train my replacement before I can get severance.  I kind of feel like I am held prisoner,  You stay, you get 3 months of benefits.  You leave you get nothing. The reminder in the termination letter stating they still can let me go at anytime if they want to without any severance since they don't need a reason.  Knowing this I am kind of freaking out I have gone overboard and told the family no spending money of any kind unless it is emergency/necessity.   What if I go back into debt again and cant pay it off.  Friends said take some time off enjoy the summer, I am like are you kidding me...  I have bills to pay and food to put on the table.  What if I wait too long and can't find one later.  I could end up losing my home, ruining my credit, losing my car.  For now I am trying to get through this week, attending my fathers funeral and learning how to use linkedin to help find a job and write a resume.  Thanks for reading.

Starting Score: 634 EX - TU 633 - EQ 631 (01/06/17) Fako
Current Score: 770 EX - TU 778 - EQ 761 MyFico (3/9/17)
Goal Score: 800+


Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge


Message 7 of 21
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread


@Cindy_FICO wrote:

Hey guys - just disrupting your thread a little to say that you can vote for a name for this challenge! Vote to keep the current name or to go with a new one. Thanks!


Personally, I like the circle and verbage that goes with it. Says a lot to me. Note, not much on marketing saavy however, so ... if others see it different as long as we have the option for a circle or whatever setting out there I am "cool" with it Smiley Happy

Message 8 of 21
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread

Hi Everyone, for April, I am adding to my previous updates:

 

EQ +4    684 to 688 Steady at 688 689

TU +2    650 to 652 +4 652 to 656 658

EX +26  653 to 679 -2 679 to 677 683

 

2017 Goals Review:

 

1). To garden the cards I got last year post-BK, letting those tradelines age and grow. without opening any new tradelines. Gardening date reset as of 2/15/17. In an impulsive moment, I apped for Chase Amazon Visa Signature and was approved for a $500 SL after recon. This move was worth it to me, since I got my foot in the door with Chase just 15 months post-BK, and they were IIB. Doing well, will hit 2 months in garden on 4/15.

2). To continue to manage utilization and reported balances. Going okay. Still bringing down balances from Christmas and car repairs. This is a good reminder that high utilization takes time to get back down. Note: For me, my peak overall utilization in February of 20.77% is considered high. The brunt of it is the car repairs on my QS which has a 0% intro APR until September.

3). To watch my inquiries drop from EQ 6, TU 5, EX 8 down to EQ 3, TU4, EX 4 by June. 1 EX inquiry should be off as of end of January, but is still there as of the last time I checked. EX inquiry fell off, but I added the new one from Chase. I have an EQ and an EX falling off at the end of March and again in April, then an old Cap1 triple pull falling off in May.

4). To pay an extra $100/month on my highest balance and highest interest student loan, which is upside down due to interest accruing while in deferment (I know I should have paid it as I went, but the BK and events leading up to didn't allow for that). Still working on implementing this. I did get "ahead" on my monthly payments, though, in the sense that before I was paying the prior month's statement minimum payment two weeks later when I got my paycheck. Now I've gotten ahead so I will pay my next statement's minimum payment the day it cuts out of last month's paycheck. Just made an extra $130 payment and will again in two weeks as my April payment was made last month. 

5). To continue saving about 10% of my gross income each month. This is on track, and I will increase it after I send in my tax balance next month. Increasing monthly direct deposit to Savings from 9.3% to 12.02% starting with upcoming April paycheck.

6). To hopefully see my three FICO 8 scores hit 700's across the board Work in progress, but I really need to stay in the garden for this to happen.

 

 

Message 9 of 21
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: April 2017 Check-In Thread

Ahahaha, funnyish credit story that is sort of releveant here in terms of credit journey.

 

So I get my first Pre-approval email for anything I might actually care about: an auto loan from DCU.

 

Admittedly not right now, but it felt like a nifty milestone since I'm likely buying a car 2018 sometime and it's something I don't have that much experience with for all that I've been doing this for going on 6 years now.

 

Then a few hours later, an "Oh sorry, that email was a mistake!"

 

So much for that feeling of "Hey I sorta made it!".  Hah!




        
Message 10 of 21
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