797 to 382 in less than 3 years

[southernblueeyes]

Worked so hard to improve my credit. FICO almost 800. Then my boss quit paying me. Had to live off of credit cards because I didn't know when I would get paid or if my check would bounce. Finally got a new job with a pay cut. But I'm getting paid every week. Currently my faco scores are all over the place. But they have all gone up considerably. Ranging from 463 per Experian to 501 and 576 via credit karma. Waiting on discharge. Expect my car will be picked up any day since the automatic stay has been lifted. I surrendered the interest as the balance is about $65,000 on an $80,000 loan. Bought a $1,000 car to hopefully last me til at least the end of the year. Gonna save money for a significant down payment. Never had a secured card before but I'm thinking about applying for Opensky with at least $2000 to secure it.

[Shooting-For-800]

Hang in there.

Credit is fixable with time and effort.

Welcome.

[GApeachy]

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@southernblueeyes wrote:

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All can be much improved; hopefully you're already finding a lot of comfort reading of others successes here.  Take care of yourself first. Time along with following some really good advice plus a big wad of patience will direct you through the turbulence.  Glad you shared, sometimes just getting things off your chest, no matter how large or small they seem to you can work wonders for "re-charging" your spirit.  

Maybe if you go to the credit card forum and post your situation the amazingly helpful ppl here will be able to guide you through the cards best suited for your needs and approval odds.  Gl!

[FireMedic1]

Well no one wants to file BK. But life throws us curves and we have to straighten out the situation at hand. But laws were made for times like this. Financial freedom is so much better than the load on the shoulders and the health risks that goes along with debt stress. It can only get better for here. Good Luck!

[Azuieldrago]

I have to ask, did you ever get paid for your labor? Or did you wash your hands from it?

[Anonymous]

I hear ya and can definitely empathize. When I left my (now) ex-wife 2-1/2 years ago I had a credit score of 813 and could punch my ticket anywhere. Pretty much everything bad that could happen to me has happened since then. I believe my scores are high 500s right now, but I'm starting to miss payments now as I finish saving to hire an attorney for hopeful ch7 filing in March. By then, who knows, maybe I'll be in the 400s. Just crazy.

Take heart though. As has been stated here, credit is always in motion and you are the driver of that vehicle. When I moved here to the US 15 years ago, I had no established credit. I also didn't have the wealth of info on this forum as we have now. And yet over time, largely through the procurement/usage of one Amex card and just paying my bills on time I got to that 813 before.

Now I go to the back of the line again. I'm nervous about heading into ch7 and all that entails but I'm optimistic that I can grow my credit to a respectable score again, and be better for it. It was nice having so much credit extended to me but I have no interest in being indebted again. I have learned my lesson. Saving will be a high priority going forward to cushion against the blows of unexpected life events.

One more thing.... don't let anyone make you feel like a failure because of this. My own parents have ostracised me over my divorce. They don't believe in it apparently. I can only imagine what they would say if they found out I am now going bankrupt. Here's the thing... they never taught me how to manage money when I was young. And my ex-wife just took 95% of my paycheck while I was married. Then a whole bunch of things out of my control happened. Absolutely I could've handled some financial decisions better too and I readily admit that. Probably many would say the same about their own situations around here.

I don't see myself as a failure though. I see this all as a personal growth experience. Sometimes you've got to personally go through these things and you end up being so much better for it. You/we all hopefully will be able to share our wisdom from experiences like this with others (helping them in the process) down the line......

[Anonymous]

Hang in there!! It will get better. I'm on a similar trajectory in the past 2-1/2 years going from 813 to the toilet. Credit is always in motion though and you are the driver of that vehicle! Don't see it as a personal failure either.... it's a learning experience.