topic Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread in Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge!

April 2018 Check-In Thread

Kenny — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 18:58:48 GMT

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

As a reminder, participation in these monthly check-ins 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!

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 02:54:41 GMT

Still suffering the backlash of my overspend for christmas, keeping me from progressing upward, its sorta sideways until that last 3k is paid off, but whatever. June/July should be back under 10 percent

I got a lot done this March, consolidated my capital one cards, got me some sweet upgrade/CLI love here and there, and chopped off the comenity branch of my bonsai tree.

All is going according to plan.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 02:58:42 GMT

My goal this year is 670 across the board. TU recently went to 700+ and woke up this morning to find my EQ went from 640s to 670. Now, if only EX would do the same! I wasn't expecting any movement on EX or EQ until later this year, so I only complained for a minute Looking forward to what does happen when the same bad account is removed from them. Currently in the garden and requesting only SP CLIs.

ETA: Amex hasn't reported my new account yet, so those scores will come down some. I hope those points will return to reach my goal again!

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

19eighty5 — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 13:06:30 GMT

I'm new to the forums with a starting FICO EX score of 589 (I know, I know- work in progress). My goal is 700 across the board by end of year. I'm confident that's possible thanks to all of the amazing feedback in these forums! I have 1 active secured CC ($300) reporting to my file as of February 2018 and was recently approved for the Discover IT secured CC ($200) account. Once that begins reporting, i'm hoping to see another lift. I have one late payment from Jan 18 that i've corrected (now on autopay). The real work comes in with my overall credit profile: 23 late payments, 42% utilization (due to a charge off account with Capital One that I will pay off this month), AAoA at 7 years 8 mos, and roughly 15 negative student loan accounts reporting a $0 balance. I have started sending GW letters and hope to figure out how to leverage requesting an Early Exclusion request or two.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 19:42:05 GMT

April Check-in:

Goals and updates:

1a). Continue saving 12% of income. Check

1b). Look at depositing part of what I've already saved into a higher yield CD, maybe NFCU's Special 15-month at 2.25% Check

2a). ~~Continue paying that extra $100 per month on my highest student loan balance~~. Discontinued. Goal of loan being above water is accomplished

2b). ~~Pay off my lowest student loan balance, which is less than $350 now.~~ Stricken from plan.

3). No credit apps. ~~Looking to get a ruby spade in December 2018~~ Failed, tried apping for 3 cards in March. All denied.

4). Pay down utilization. Making good progress. All balances but one went down in March, and should again this month. All cards in sock drawer, and only a couple have recurring charges (Netflix, myFICO, etc).

Enjoy the Spring weather everyone!

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 20:14:59 GMT

19eighty5:

I am right there with you. My starting scores are EX 599 TU 602 EQ 609 and that is up from the high 500s from January. I have one Capital One platinum with 300cl, one capital one quicksilver with 300 cl, and one credit bank with 400cl. I am thinking of getting the secured Discover IT card as well to round out my cards for now while building. I have 7 accounts in collections, all but 3 are paid. The last three are being negotiated for a settlement. I have several closed paid collections from 2008-2012 when times got tough. I send out gw letters this week as well. I have three 90+ day reports on three student loan accounts from years back but all are current as of right now. Hoping to get the lates removed. I finally got my utilization down to 28% this month. Our siggys are pretty similar so heres to credit building buddies. CHeers!

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 20:34:25 GMT

My goals right now revolve around getting appoved for a mortgage. So here goes:

1) Get all unpaid collections paid by 5/1/18 On my way. I have paid off/settled on 5/8 of my unpaid collections

2) Get old paid collections removed with GW letters. There are three accounts I am focused on. I send out GW letters to student loan servicer to get late payments on three accounts removed. One letter to Get It Now to have a volentary repo removed. One to a paid creditor to remove collection account.

3) Get two accounts that are past SOL removed. I sent letters to both collection agencies. Waiting to hear back. Requested debt validation and proof the accounts were not past SOL. I know both are so waiting for them to make a decision to remove the accounts.

4) Maintain less than 10% utilization on Rev accounts. I am at 28% which is down from 53% last month. Hoping by next statement date Utilization will be >10%

5) Get mortgage scores up to 640. Work in progress

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Gratitude — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 22:17:57 GMT

Gardening continued - success
Inquiry removal - fail (haven't attempted)
Secured card CLI - fail ($ allocated to savings)
Savings - success
Frugality - success
FICO Score Goal of 750+ across the board hit early (..in February) !!
CLI surprise from Chase (on my only toy card $500-$2000)
Sent you all positive wishes for your positive intentions!

Spaced out on my March check-in...

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

19eighty5 — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 02:33:03 GMT

@buildingafuture Pretty darn identical indeeed! Wishing you all the sucess on your journey and looking forward to May's check-in. Let us know if you're successful in getting those student loan lates removed- that is one of my priorities.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 02:59:47 GMT

Just joined and starting.

I have a bunch of collections that are old, and some that are old that keep showing up as new debt that I need to fix somehow.

Trying to get to 750.

I have 4 credit accounts, all 0. And 2 small loans, never late. Stuck at low 600's.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 03:43:48 GMT

@19eighty5

I am looking forward to May check in too! Would love to see how we do. I will definitely update you once I get (or see) anything about my student loans. Good luck this month!

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 04:30:04 GMT

I'm new here, and once I can add a signature, I'll place the Fico challenge block in it. I'm 3 days into gardening, and in one month went from 92% utilization to 2%. So I will stay on track, and not apply for anything for at least a year, which will probably be the Discover It Chrome card. Interesting that in a little over one month, and with paying off all credit cards (nearly), my TU score went from 574 to 648.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 04:58:52 GMT

Well, March handed me a mixed bag of outcomes: I was approved for a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but that hard pull cost me 8 points on my score, bringing it down to 713, and shortened my already short AAoA. That point drop, however, was short-lived, because as of today my EX score has bounced up to 727.

I was affraid I wouldn't spend enough in three months to get the CSP sign-up bonus, but I needn't have worried. Thanks to some upcoming travel for work, I surpassed the $4,000 requirement in a couple of weeks. Now to pay it off.

In March, and early april, my credit utilization went from 2% to 28%, but today I payed off half of the CSP balance, and the Macy's balance, so I'm currently at about 14%, and within the next two weeks I'll pay off the rest of the CSP, and all my other cards have a zero balance, so I should be in good shape again soon.

The only other card I want to add to my collection is the Amex BCE, and after being approved for the CSP, I no longer pre-qualified for it, but yesterday it popped up when I visited the Amex pre-qual tool, so I'll probably app for that within the next few days. Then it's to the garden for me.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 06:09:57 GMT

Checking in!
Started here with a 589, paid off collections and signed up for Lexington law to try to get 5+ Year “$0” credit balances removed (negative remarks). Hoping that $109/mo pays off. Current credit score is 621 (Experian & Transunion) Equifax has remained at 589 (/sigh). According to CreditKarma if I pay off the rest of my balances ($2565) my score may go up to 700 (which is the 2018 goal). My car loan is 20.34% APR and I’m really getting desperate on a refinance to get below 8%, Capital One rejected my pre-qualify app otherwise I’m close to drowning at $350/mo payments. But this month I got aproved for a Discover it secured and a Capital One platinum ($300) and being ULTRA responsible. First time in about 5 years I now have “prime” credits cards without **bleep**ty fees. I have 4 “sub-prime” (almost 30% APRs) Legacy, Firsf Savings, Credit One, Merrick Bank that are 2 yrs old and figuring out if I should just close them and let the prime cards grow. Decisions! But I’m happy where I’m at and hope to push 700 next 3-5mo.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

DollyLama — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 20:49:53 GMT

I'm happy to report that my beginning Feb 2017, I have finally met my goals as of April 2018. (14 months) I was on the cusp last month, shy 5 pts and 1 pt on 2 bureaus. Luckily, I had two credit cards that turned exactly a year old in April, and it bounced me right over my goal. 760 ATB, and met my 760 mortgage back in Feb. I will get a new spade the 15th of this month when my 2 inquiries become unscoreable. Just may get a few more points off those. All of this has been due strictly to the forums, some awesome individuals who are very knowledgeable, to the ones who are also encourgaging and rooting you on.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

19eighty5 — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 19:16:44 GMT

Congratulations!

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Oorah — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 23:36:16 GMT

Well April is the month I throw in the towel on my FICO score and take the who cares approach. I dont anticipate needing to borrow, and the uphill battle is too stressful. Another credit card has lowered my credit line by $5000, two days after I successfully got Equifax, the sole holdout, to remove the falsely reported mortgage, late payments and foreclosure.

I have watched my score drop from the mid 700s, to mid 500s, and its now in the mid to low 600s. All due to a company reporting false info. My utilization, due to credit cards either closing my cards with no balance, or decreasing credit lines based on the false info, has taken my utilization from 17% to 46%. I still have zero lates and no derrogitory info on my cards or my car showing on my report.

Why stress out when this is all out of my control. It is a shame the credit reporting agencies take the word of credit companies and make the consumer fight to prove them wrong. The worst part for me financially is that my car insurance rates have almost doubled. Its infuriating.

Good luck to everyone that wants to get your score as high as you can.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Caramelhunnyva — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 18:46:28 GMT

Since January and February I made a flurry of progress. Mid-March to current, a standstill. Just trying to stay encouraged that I'm still going in the right direction.

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 21:47:09 GMT

Hello Everyone,

It has been a while but Im back to report that Im getting very close to my goal but that darn EXPERIAN is a pain in the you know what ;-0 My Equifax is now a 707, my TransUnion is 678 and my Experian is a 601 (blah). Also Ive been trying to dispute my inquiries from all 3 reports because they are beyond high from car shopping. I am like in the 40s and 50s. However I am happy to report that Equifax has removed all 50 inquiries so now for the particular report I now have 0. So ill take that for now. Definitely cant complain. Things are certainly moving and looking up and im making great progress, maybe not as fast as id like but its ok. This is definitely a learning process. I encourage you all that being consistent, persistant, aggressive and all knowing when it comes to your credit will definitely keep you twirling in the right direction. Patience and perserverance people. God Bless!

Re: April 2018 Check-In Thread

beutiful5678 — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 07:03:39 GMT

Just joining the challenge!

My goals for April specifically are:

set up a budget and system for managing my personal finances ✅ (already done as of Monday but I'm going to put it down just so I can check it off);
set up payment plans for Citibank/Calvary and Verizon. Calvary currently has a judgment against me and Verizon is in collections but neither are reporting yet. I'm hoping to mitigate the chances of them doing so.