So, ended up getting extremely lucky and got to do a chapter 7 instead of a chapter 13. Bankruptcy discharged today, trying to get rebuilding started right away.
I'm trying to fix my whole life- going back to school starting April 1st to finally finish my degree. Qualifed for Pell grant, should only have to borrow about $2000 to finish. I'm so frustrated with myself, should have dealt with all of this years ago. Still haven't fully recovered from the last recession and now worried I won't be ready for the next one.
My income is crappy, $26k a year. Spouse makes more. We did get lucky and bought our house very close to the low. We both have newer cars, we are slightly underwater on my car- but only a couple grand. We kept both cars and the house in the bankruptcy.
In other words, rebuilding isn't a huge rush because my car is only 9 months old and we have no plans to move- but, you know how life is. Never know when you will need credit immediately.
I burned all the typical starter cards, not for very much, but, still burned them. Burned Cap 1 for about $5k, Merrick for a measly $500, Barclay for about $1200. Carecredit for about $800. American Express for $500, FNBO for about $750. I wouldn't have filed, but, my husband needed to and since we were already paying an attorney I filed too. I was on several of his accounts, so, it would have been messy with just him filing.
I checked prequalifications on Cap One and of course didn't have one. I had an Overstock store card with a $2200 dollar limit that I didn't owe anything on, but, it closed for nonuse a couple months before bankruptcy. I tried requesting a credit line increase because I could still access the account, but, that didn't work.
I had a ton of Comenity cards with $0 balance.
I checked out Credit Karma and they had recommended the Secured Discover (declined) and Lendup Arrow (approved, $750) CreditOne (approved $500, with $36 or $39 annual fee, can't remember exact, but, it was $30-something.) I do have a student loan that I owe right around $1000 on, hopefully that will start reporting again. I'm also hopeful my reaffirmed car loan will start to report again.
Obviously, I don't want to do a bunch of pointless apps. Any thoughts for other prequalification sites? I thought you were supposed to have three credit cards for optimum scores, but, I don't want to pay hundreds in annual fees.
I don't know my real FICO scores. The equifax score from DCU was 591 this month.
