topic Re: 2012 - Year in Review in Credit Cards

2012 - Year in Review

SwiftTone — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:29:32 GMT

2012 – Year in Review

As the end of the year is approaching, I thought I would make a thread on what accomplishment in our credit journey that we have achieved in 2012 and also what we are hoping to accomplish in 2013. It’s always good to reflect on ourselves and set some goals that we can be held accountable for. This is a way that we can grow and mature as a community, and help ourselves and each other.

So I will start.

Before February 2012, I didn’t really have much of an idea on how credit works. My world of credit at the time was 3 open credit cards. Two from Capital One with CL of $1000 and $1250, and a Chase Slate at $300. I also had some previous card dating back to 2005 that was closed by creditor due to over limit or missed payments. Along with that, in 2009 I had a total of 9 30 & 60 day lates on an auto loan. I thought at the time I was doing well as I didn’t go over the limit and paid at least minimum on time. To give you an idea of how clueless I was, my Capital One card with $1000 had a balance of $900+ for close to a year. I can only now estimate that my FICO score was somewhere around 610-630. Anyways, since then my knowledge of credit has taken a quantum leap.

In February, I applied for CSP. I was instantly denied. I did some research and found this board. I reconned 3 times and still was not able to get approved. After some more searching I realized that I needed to work my credit limits up higher so I’ll eventually be able to get a CL of $5000. I called Chase for a SP CLI but ended up being a HP. I only went to $500CL. Found out that it ended up being a HP so called the executive office to complain and got a CLI to $750 and got the HP recoded as a SP. I then was added as an AU on my friends $9500CL Capital One and paid my balance to <5%. In April I applied for Discover More and was instantly approved for $3500. I called Chase again about my Slate and got yet another SP CLI from $750 to $4000 all before my Discover started reporting.

With my new shiny Discover I entered into garden mode. At the time I was gardening for CSP only but with 6 months of gardening on my hands I just soaked up as much knowledge as I can from myFICO. Through the months I learned about credit and about different types of credit cards. Eventually I added BCE to my 2 card app spree plan scheduled for October.

When October 11th came around, I was reporting <2% utilization and my EQ FICO was 729. I pulled the app trigger on CSP first. Instant approval for $5000. Couple minutes later I pulled the trigger for BCE. Got the 7-10 message. Checked the app status 2 minutes later and got an approval for $5400. Okay, gonna consider this an instant approval. Feels damn good! I started with $3500 on my Discover More which is now $4750. After this was all said and done I no longer needed to be an AU on my friend’s Capital One so I had my friend remove me. In November I PCed my Slate to Freedom on the 1 year anniversary. I’m glad I did as I was grandfather into the 10 & 10 program. I went from $2,550 in credit at the beginning of the year to $21,400 right now.

I’ve racked up around $500 in cash back rewards and $550 in sign up bonuses which is still sitting my account. Going to save it for vacation or something.

For 2013 I want my FICO to be all above 760 by the end of the year, and my utilization to be kept at <5% at all times. I’m planning another round of app spree of 2-3 more cards in April. But before that I’m going to request a CLI for my BCE. Today is actually my 60th day but I will wait until mid January to request my CLI. I probably won’t request the full 3x as I’d be happy to get anything over $10,000, preferably $11,000. After the new limit has reported, I will app. I’ll be gunning for Chase Priority Club mainly for the points and the free night annually. Also I’m looking to app for Citi Dividend which ultimately I want the World Elite MasterCard version. This card would diversify my card portfolio with my banks and also I just really want the benefits of World Elite MasterCard. I have not been able to find out if I can directly apply for the World Elite version. If I do get this card, I’ll be changing my CSP from World MasterCard to a Visa Signature. I haven’t decided on my 3rd card yet but it’ll be either be an AMEX for back dating purposes or whatever card that has an outrageous reward or signup bonus.

Also by the end of 2013, I want my FICO to be all above 760 and my utilization to be at <5% at all times.

WHEW! That was a long story. I'm glad I found this forum and the members that have helped me along the way.

I’m hoping others will share their story and plans.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

Involus — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:51:16 GMT

Congrats on your success this year and hopefully you accomplish your goals for next year.

2012 has had it's ups and downs for me. For my the year I struggled to get my util% under control because in Dec of 2011 I was moving from Florida to Ohio for work and overnight we stopped at a hotel and upon waking in the morning my girlfriend and I found that our Uhaul truck, trailer and car upon the trailer - along with all of our worldly possessions were stolen. So we basically had to rebuy all of our clothes and other basic necessities and at the time I hadn't started my new job yet so we had to depend heavily on our credit. Between Jan and July I remained in garden paying util down. Around August I finally got my util back around 10% and decided to app for Discover and Amex but was denied for both as my reports hadn't updated yet to show the lowered util%. In November we thought our Macbook died so we went to BestBuy and I applied for their store card and was instantly approved for $1500 but it turned out only the charger died so I didn't really need the card anymore but oh well. But that instant approval got me thinking so when I got home I checked my Walmart TU and it was a 753. So I decided to re-app for Amex and was instantly approved for a Green charge card and about a week later apped for the Blue Cash Everyday and was instant approved for $2,000 so all-in-all not a bad year for me, excited to be a member of the Amex family - although I wish I woulda apped for PRG instead of the Green but oh well.

For 2013 I'm hoping to start out in February with my 61 day 3x CLI from Amex and remain in garden until my 21st birthday in May. Upon the arrival of my 21st I plan to do some drapping because I really want a Discover IT to replace my Cap One with so I can eternally SD it. I also want to grow my current trade lines - mostly Chase which I think I can do provided the 61 day 3x goes well. I also plan to request a CLI from GE/Walmart in May to around a 5k limit - I feel Best Buy and Cap One are lost causes since they are both Cap One products. I don't really have a desire for any other cards at this point other than the Discover IT in May I plan to enter garden until I decide to buy a car or a house. Before my Amex AF hits I'll probably cancel my green charge and maybe get the PRG and see how I like it depending on the sign up bonus at the time. Basically my main goal for 2013 is increase current TLs, garden to get rid of the massive amount of inqs I have, keep better control over my util and get as close to - if not into the 800 club. Only time will tell.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

flowfaster — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:12:34 GMT

How about a recap of major events in the CC industry as a whole. Here are some major ones: US Bank introduces one of the best cards out right now the CASH+. Amex caps the BCP at $6k. Amex discontinues the Zync card. Chase discontinues the Freedom 10/10 bonus.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

SwiftTone — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:16:41 GMT

@CotySinz wrote:
Congrats on your success this year and hopefully you accomplish your goals for next year.

2012 has had it's ups and downs for me. For my the year I struggled to get my util% under control because in Dec of 2011 I was moving from Florida to Ohio for work and overnight we stopped at a hotel and upon waking in the morning my girlfriend and I found that our Uhaul truck, trailer and car upon the trailer - along with all of our worldly possessions were stolen. So we basically had to rebuy all of our clothes and other basic necessities and at the time I hadn't started my new job yet so we had to depend heavily on our credit. Between Jan and July I remained in garden paying util down. Around August I finally got my util back around 10% and decided to app for Discover and Amex but was denied for both as my reports hadn't updated yet to show the lowered util%. In November we thought our Macbook died so we went to BestBuy and I applied for their store card and was instantly approved for $1500 but it turned out only the charger died so I didn't really need the card anymore but oh well. But that instant approval got me thinking so when I got home I checked my Walmart TU and it was a 753. So I decided to re-app for Amex and was instantly approved for a Green charge card and about a week later apped for the Blue Cash Everyday and was instant approved for $2,000 so all-in-all not a bad year for me, excited to be a member of the Amex family - although I wish I woulda apped for PRG instead of the Green but oh well.

For 2013 I'm hoping to start out in February with my 61 day 3x CLI from Amex and remain in garden until my 21st birthday in May. Upon the arrival of my 21st I plan to do some drapping because I really want a Discover IT to replace my Cap One with so I can eternally SD it. I also want to grow my current trade lines - mostly Chase which I think I can do provided the 61 day 3x goes well. I also plan to request a CLI from GE/Walmart in May to around a 5k limit - I feel Best Buy and Cap One are lost causes since they are both Cap One products. I don't really have a desire for any other cards at this point other than the Discover IT in May I plan to enter garden until I decide to buy a car or a house. Before my Amex AF hits I'll probably cancel my green charge and maybe get the PRG and see how I like it depending on the sign up bonus at the time. Basically my main goal for 2013 is increase current TLs, garden to get rid of the massive amount of inqs I have, keep better control over my util and get as close to - if not into the 800 club. Only time will tell.

Wow thats so unfornate that all you belongings got stolen!! I've never heard of such a thing but I bet it happens more often than not. Did insurance cover any of it? I have been living in this country by myself for the last 12 years so if there was a fire at my apartment, it would be a similar situation as yours. I really should get some renter's insurance.

I'm glad that you're able to get back on your feet and congrats on AMEX! AMEXis a great stepping stone to higher limits from what I've read. Also Discover has treated me well aside from not getting me over the $5000 CL mark as I had hoped for on CLI. I also have 2 Capital Ones left but was able to get the fees waived. I will be contacting the executive office to see if they can PC my accounts and give me a CLI.

Good luck on your endeavor!

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

CreditChampion — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:17:07 GMT

How are you getting soft cli from Chase???

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

CreditWorld2013 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:25:24 GMT

Before January 2012 I only had 2 student loans from September 2011. So only about 4 months of a loan and no revolving accounts. In January I decided I should start building some credit card history. So...I applied for a Capital One Journey card and got approved for $300 (+credit step enrollment), applied for a Discover More and was approved for $500. I also applied for a Citi Forward card sometime in late January or early February and was approved for $500. I decided it was time to garden the 3 cards I had. After the 5th or 6th statement my Capital One card got a $200 increase via the Credit Steps program.

I stayed gardening until last month (November). I decided to ask for a CLI on my Citi Forward and Discover More. They were both increased by $500 for a total CL of $1,000 on each. A few days after I started thinking if my Capital One would ever move after seeing so many stories about them never giving increases. I decided to try my luck and called the executive office. A few days later I was approved for a CLI of $500 as well. So that brought my 3 cards up to $1,000 each. I've been after a Chase Freedom card for a bit so this past Saturday I decided to apply. I was approved for $500 (I didn't think about letting my Capital One and Discover report the increases ) Anyways...I decided yesterday to apply for the Citi Dividend and was approved for $2,500. So my portfolio lookes like this:

1) Discover More - $1,000

2) Capital One - $1,000

3) Citi Forward - $1,000

4) Citi Dividend - $2,500

5) Chase Freedom - $500

I'm very pleased with the results this past year. After having practically no credit I've gone up to 5 cards within 9-10 months. I can't really say I want any other cards for now. For 2013 I will stay gardening and request increases on the accounts I have.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

Involus — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:35:40 GMT

@SwiftTone - After doing some investigating I discovered it is actually a pretty common thing - thieves will actually wait just off the highways or will actually follow you on the highway and when you pull off and stop they know they have an opportunity. As for insurance covering it - they covered nothing they were only worried about the Uhaul truck and trailer - not our belongings and vehicle. We are sorta back on our feet, albeit we don't have big screen TVs and stuff like that anymore but we are working toward getting back to that been a hard year but we have all the necessities - the luxuries will come in time. And thanks.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

SwiftTone — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:37:56 GMT

@CreditChampion wrote:
How are you getting soft cli from Chase???

I'm not sure they do it anymore. I called the executive office for a SP CLI in April. She told me that all CLI from the executive office are SP. In November I called the same rep back to PC my Slate to Freedom and also asked for a SP CLI from $4000-$5000 so I can get a Visa Signature. I was told that she cannot do SP CLI, only HP.

Care to share your story?

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

Jutz — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:46:09 GMT

2012: 525 to 650, CAP1, GE

2013: 700, AMEX.

Short and sweet.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

SwiftTone — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:04:09 GMT

@Jutz wrote:
2012: 525 to 650, CAP1, GE
2013: 700, AMEX.

Short and sweet.

Wow, would hate for you to tell a bedtime story to my neice lol.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

Swapmeet — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:32:39 GMT

Nice jobs guys, thanks for sharing.

Mine is going to be short and sweet because I found this site in early November, when my Scores were all around 524. I got myself into a big financial hole after losing everything I had due to a near fatal motorcycle accident. A short sale of my house from my hospital bed during my second month in the hospital, my business and the mobile home park that it owned...etc. I had many bills that I just never paid and 3 checking accounts that were over-drawn and closed by the bank. I used to get 10 calls+ per day from bill collectors, which I made go directly to voice mail. I had 6, count 'em six student loans in default status. I decided that I wanted to go back to school and I needed financial aid to do this so I borrowed the money to rehabilitate the student loans, which was 50 bucks per month for 11 months. Once I got them rehabbed I was able to start getting financial aid again. The problem was, I was in chex systems, which made it practically impossible to get a bank account. Being the research fanatic I am, I found out that USAA didn't use chex systems so I could probably apply there. Bam! I'm in business with a checking account. I found out that USAA offers credit reports and scores from all three CRA, and I knew that my credit was FUBAR, so I joined. At this point disability finally kicked in, so I was getting a small check each month. At that point my credit score was the 524 that I mentioned earlier. I knew that it was time to rebuild my credit, so I got two secured credit cards a first premiere for 350 and an applied bank for 250. When I got my financial aid check (a pell grant and student loan totaling about 4K), I paid almost everything off my credit report. My credit was mostly clear, excepting one collection on EQ and a 151,000 medical collection on TU and my util was at 95%. That is when I found this site. I wish I would have found it before I paid the items off my CR because I had no idea what PFD and GW were. It was the beginning of Nov (last month), and as I mentioned earlier, I am a research fanatic, so I began reading here.

I learned about uti, and paid off my cc and my credit alerts went crazy, 98 point increase. I continued to read the boards, enrolled in SW here, and saw that a bunch of people with scores around mine (630's-650's) were getting approved at wal mart. Then, a dispute was accepted and my score jumped to 678. I pulled the trigger on Wal mart and was approved with a 700 limit -- I was blown away. I hadn't ever had unsecured credit that was that high (sad, I know). The next day I was reading about all the people that got approved at USAA, which I have been a member at for some time now, so again I pulled the trigger. If I was blown away by a 700 dollar unsecured LOC from wal mart, imagine my elation when USAA gave me a CL of 4,000 bucks. I couldn't believe it (it is still hard to believe). My credit score took a hit down to 661 from the HPs and the new account (Wal Mart reported before I even got the card in the mail), and USAA has not even reported yet. Yesterday I got another Score Alert and I was bummed a little, because I was like "now what?" My score jumped back up to 678 because one of my student loans was still being reported in default and I faxed in a dispute a week or two ago, and it was adjusted to "pays as agreed" "never late".

So on to my plans for 2013: I am planning on gardening what I have now until may (the 6 month mark of my USAA card) and asking for a cli of 2x. I will call the backdoor wal mart number as soon as usaa reports my card and ask for a cli, as I was denied for one on the same day that I got the card because I asked for 4k and I had nothing even close to that high of a limit, but now I do. In 2013 I would like to get 3 prime cards as I will be closing my two secured cards after they hit the 1 year mark. I want a discover card, the CSP and the BCE in 2013, and be in the 700 club (before I apply for these cards, of course). Well, that's the short and sweet version...lol sorry.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

CreditChampion — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:22:43 GMT

So it all began this February ...after walking into a branch at Wells Fargo. I was offered to apply for a card. I was approved for $800 my first card.

Intrigued about credit I decided to go for BOA another bank that I bank with and was denied after applying in branch. I then decide to look at my report and see medical collections. I call the Collection agency and they agreed to get it off my reports if I paid. Back then I knew nothing about collections agency's or Hippa so I lucked out and they deleted after I disputed and paid. So I start reading and I see more than 1 card is good so I apply for Capital one and was originally denied but I reconned for approval. 2 months later I try for BOA student card and was approved after recon because of my banking relationship. I then tried for Discover and Citi and was denied for lack of history. I was immature back in the day and even called the Citi president house phone in an attempt to recon the denial. I was heavily scolded on this forum..feel free to see my old posts. So I continue to read about credit and learned so much. I decided to help my father fix his credit. I sent tons of letters and disputes and got his Equifax clean(had 20 negatives)and made great strides on the others. So I got him a Zync,Dividend,Freedom,WF cash card, and Cap One. All of which took several Recons or executive office contact. A month later around June I had my first fico...and applied in July for More,Freedom, and Forward instantly approved.(I had added myself to my moms 5yr old cap one and my pops 1 year old secured card. 6 months later I'm still in the guarden, and just recently(yesterday)got my farther a 10K CSP and currently a BCP pending(I spoke with someone in the executive office and pleaded for a manual review based on his Zync usage and among other things like salary). Sorry for any typos in advance typing this on my iPhone. I am still learning something new about credit everyday. I have learned so much about credit repair and building since February and have come along way.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

Jutz — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:52:00 GMT

@SwiftTone wrote:
@Jutz wrote:
2012: 525 to 650, CAP1, GE
2013: 700, AMEX.

Short and sweet.
Wow, would hate for you to tell a bedtime story to my neice lol.

I'll keep my full year end review for the rebuilding forum

Though my credit was so scary it might not be an appropriate story for a child, haha.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

SwiftTone — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:16:51 GMT

@CreditChampion wrote:
So it all began this February ...after walking into a branch at Wells Fargo. I was offered to apply for a card. I was approved for $800 my first card.
Intrigued about credit I decided to go for BOA another bank that I bank with and was denied after applying in branch. I then decide to look at my report and see medical collections. I call the Collection agency and they agreed to get it off my reports if I paid. Back then I knew nothing about collections agency's or Hippa so I lucked out and they deleted after I disputed and paid. So I start reading and I see more than 1 card is good so I apply for Capital one and was originally denied but I reconned for approval. 2 months later I try for BOA student card and was approved after recon because of my banking relationship. I then tried for Discover and Citi and was denied for lack of history. I was immature back in the day and even called the Citi president house phone in an attempt to recon the denial. I was heavily scolded on this forum..feel free to see my old posts. So I continue to read about credit and learned so much. I decided to help my father fix his credit. I sent tons of letters and disputes and got his Equifax clean(had 20 negatives)and made great strides on the others. So I got him a Zync,Dividend,Freedom,WF cash card, and Cap One. All of which took several Recons or executive office contact. A month later around June I had my first fico...and applied in July for More,Freedom, and Forward instantly approved.(I had added myself to my moms 5yr old cap one and my pops 1 year old secured card. 6 months later I'm still in the guarden, and just recently(yesterday)got my farther a 10K CSP and currently a BCP pending(I spoke with someone in the executive office and pleaded for a manual review based on his Zync usage and among other things like salary). Sorry for any typos in advance typing this on my iPhone. I am still learning something new about credit everyday. I have learned so much about credit repair and building since February and have come along way.

Holy crap, you called the Citi presidents house??!! How did that conversation go?

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

CreditChampion — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:53:54 GMT

His wife(I think) took my name and contact info but I never got a call back. I was desperate and stubborn to say the least. I took recon to a whole new level.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

bluesnowman — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:07:17 GMT

At first, I avoided credit cards like the plague because I simply did not want any debt nor the responsibility of carrying the debt, and also I had no clue how it worked. So one day in April, I went down to my local BOFA branch to open myself a savings account (no I didnt open one earlier, I just spent carefully, but thought I might as well just open one now.) And at the same time my personal banker asked me if I wanted to open up a credit card since I already had been banking with them for 1 1/2 to nearly 2 years. So I filled out the form, submitted my paperwork and income info and wallah, I got approved for my first card with a 700$ limit. I have used it a lot over the course of the last 8 months, and I used it carefully, alwaysd paid before the statement cut. Finally 6 months had elapsed, and I tried for cards that I reasonably thought that I had a chance after checking my credit scores (idk what Experian was until I asked citi when I was approved) And it came back as 731 on EQ and TU at 742. So I pulled the trigger and I didnt expect to be approved but I got an email 30 minutes later saying I got approved for the cards. I applied on October 27th and did not find out discover until the next monday morning. Approved for both with limits at 1.5k (I was going to ask for more, but I didnt want to open my mouth and was thankful they approved me.) Then in November, I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about getting an Amex card and I thought, why wait until December? If I did not get approved I would have been fine with it. So they got rid of the zync and I didnt like the rewards of the Green, so I applied for the Gold. I was instantly approved and instead of the regular I asked customer service if I can receive the PRG. She asked if I was okay with the slightly higher annual fee and I said yes. I got the card expedited to me (I did not ask them, they simply said that they would send it ASAP.) again it was on a Saturday night on November 24th. I was going to apply for the Gold Delta, but I decided against it in case they turn around and deny me. So then, I tried for the Chase Freedom, and they wound up denying me. When I called in to recon, she said that my history and my reports looked good and my score was very good with someone with that short of history, but she said that right now, only the BOFA account was showing. I told her what other creditors I had gotten approved for and she said that I was doing a great job, but they want to see more history with cards. I said okay and thanked her for explaining to me what to do next. And that is where I am right now, and staying in the garden for now until May. So all in all, it has been a decent year credit wise for me.

My goals for 2013 include getting my scores at least 730+, and keeping everything PIF during reporting time so I dont have much to worry about. In May or June of next year I am planning to apply for the Chase Freedom and the BCE and as well as Gold Delta in case I do not get approved for the BCE or the Blue Sky. After that, my credit card portfolio is essentially done, and when my income hopefully goes up I'm going to go for the U.S. Bank Cash+ and the CSP. And hopefully by then I will be able to have a car and mortgage and stuff.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

CreditChampion — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:10:35 GMT

Updateops got approved for BCP 5K just now. What a year! I will probably go for BCE in January and finish my pops collection by apping for PenFed plat rewards and US Bank+. Hope it's still being offered by then.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:13:16 GMT

Started year with $800 total credit limit on 2 cards

Got 1 unsecure loan for $1K (amount I needed)

Got 4 new cards and CLI

Total credit available at end year is $8.5k so I 10x my available credit and have a total of 6 cards now

this was all done from august-oct.

Goals for next year are to bump several TLs to $5K+ CL, 1-2 prime cards and to keep score above the 720s.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

frugalQ — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:57:51 GMT

Dove into the credit card game in April, 2012. Before then, I had only a Cap 1 card at $2,500 credit limit, but lived on a cash basis for years.

In April, was approved for Chase Freedom $3K, Discover $5k, and Amex Green. In August received an auto CLI on Discover that brought my limit to $6.5k. Refinanced my home in October, and plan to start building new home in April 2013.

2012 is the year that my financial journey rose to a whole new level. All of the learning about credit and finances finally paid off and the final pieces of my financial roadmap fell into place.

It's funny, when i first got my cards, i was so afraid that i would mismanage them. However, I've been so OCD about my finances until I'm scared to make any purchase above what i've allotted for in a month. I planned to float a balance on my 0% card for 3 months due to christmas, and it's stressing me out. I'm already trying to see what I can sacrifice pay the bill sooner.

Re: 2012 - Year in Review

maiden_girl — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:43:10 GMT

Really amazing stories everyone! Mine will be brief. Hopefully.

I dove into the credit game in 2010 when I landed my first decent paying job where I could afford to have credit all on my own. I applied for a CAP1 card with a CL of $500. I had some Exe Office success as well. CAP1 limit is now $1,500. It wasn't until a year later in 2011 that I applied for my second card--a store card with a limit of $100. Then in 2012 (another year later lol) I app'd again. In 2012 I think its where I made my credit leap since I opened a total of 6 cards this year bringing my account total to 8. Would have been 9 had I not combined my two Chase accounts into one. My account opening process goes in the order of my signature. Hehe. My AAoA is shot to hell but that's OK.

In September of this year, I experienced job loss. I was heavily into credit debt at this point--approximately 4k. My unemployment was slow and sometimes late and not nearly what I was making when I was working but I had to stick it out. I had bills to pay up to my neck. I kind of drifted away from the forum because to be totally honest, I felt ashamed. During my job lost, I app'd for even more credit which was subsequently approved just to keep going--then I went from being 4k into debt to nearly 6k into debt. I was in a car accident during this time which caused me to spend even more money to get back to that "good" place. I had to accept a cheesy seasonal store job to make ends meet until I could find full time employment. A note to the wise, if you are unemployed, don't accept any work less than full time b/c EDD is cheap and will deduct the crap out of your check for any reported income. I had to learn the hard way. I was one of the lucky ones however. I was only unemployed for about 3 months. I was able to find another full time job and I am happy to report that I am not in as much debt as I was previously. I did manage to save over $7k which helped me during this time as well.

I managed to knock out 2 credit card bills both $800 and $1,100 respectively. I still have two cards to go before I will be completely out of debt. One for $2300 and another for $1800. But none the less, I am proud of myself. And the shocker of the evening, I've never paid any APR. Ever. Lol. I think I'd cry if I ever had to pay any extra money out of pocket that was totally unnecessary.