800 fico, approved for Citi with huge charge off in 08/09...garden time!

[Physh1]

Approved today for Citi AAdvantage Platinum WEMC for $9500. My scores were in the 790's but Citi pulled an 800. A year ago I was at 580...I've been putting in so much work this was unexpected icing on the cake.

I was totally floored as I just applied to see if I was still blacklisted. In my younger days circa 2008/2009 I ran into trouble & burned a few banks...including Citi for $41k. I never thought I'd be back in with Citi.

Either way, this puts me in the garden...a year ago I had $1k credit on a Cap1 secured...now I'm at $75k over a few cards. Thank you myfico...been a huge help in getting me here...

AAoA is 8.9 years, no baddies, %3 utilization, all clearn but had 8 inq this year on EX which Citi pulled....

[Anonymous]

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@Physh1 wrote:

Approved today for Citi AAdvantage Platinum WEMC for $9500. My scores were in the 790's but Citi pulled an 800. A year ago I was at 580...I've been putting in so much work this was unexpected icing on the cake.

I was totally floored as I just applied to see if I was still blacklisted. In my younger days circa 2008/2009 I ran into trouble & burned a few banks...including Citi for $41k. I never thought I'd be back in with Citi.

Either way, this puts me in the garden...a year ago I had $1k credit on a Cap1 secured...now I'm at $75k over a few cards. Thank you myfico...been a huge help in getting me here...

AAoA is 8.9 years, no baddies, %3 utilization, all clearn but had 8 inq this year on EX which Citi pulled....

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Can you give a brief run down on what you have done in that year to get to where you're at score wise now?  Congrats are in order too well done!

[Anonymous]

Physh1- really gd job ...I got back in to ...really gr8 feeling... I know,yet strange at the same time😐 but any hoo!



😁😃<____!!!!!!!!NOIIICE!!!!!!!_____>😃😁

[grillandwinemaster]

Congrats! Excellent work!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing. Gives me hope. 7 years or more for chargeoffs, 7 months for BK. I learned life backwards it seems. Three more new bankruptcy brag threads this AM.

[schsa210]

Wow!  In one years time, you were able to go from a 580 score to an 800 score?  That is amazing.  How did you do this?

[Physh1]

In 08/09 I lost my job & couldn't keep up to cover all my bills. I burned Chase (2 cards), Citibank (2 cards), & MBNA (1 card). I had 2 cards from AMEX which they closed in good standing, 2 cards from Cap1 that I closed in good standing, 2 gas cards & one card from Merrick that I also closed in good standing. I had a time share morgage that I managed to keep up to date throughout everything.

I seriously considered bankrupcy but had other pressing issues I needed to handle & by the time things were sorted I felt I was too far behind for bk to work so I ignored it. I lived credit free intil June of 2015.

I started with a Cap1 secured card in June of last year. Started at $300 and got it up to $1000 pretty quickly. Not everything had fallen off my report & my score was 580. Between my continued good payment history on my time share morgage along with good payment history on my Cap1 card my score went up to 640 by March of this year. I applied and was approved for a Amazon Prime store card. This card started at $800 and I built it up in 4 months to a $10k limit.

Overall, leavving my bills alone & ignorning them was the wrong way to handle this & left me with crazy stress but hanging onto my timeshare along with my good standing with AMEX left the door open for rebuilding. Since March of this year my score has been jumping about 20 points per month on average.

Spent everything I needed to on cards, PIF, or pay off most before closing, cycled leaving a balance on different cards, & did what I could to keep overal utilization under %10.

My portfolio now looks like this...

Amex Plat - npsl

Amex PRG - npsl

Amex EDP - $24,000

Amex BCP - $8000

Amazon Prme - $10,000

Blispay - $6,500

DSW Visa - $7,000

Citi AA - $9,500

Target - $1,000

Barclay - $1,000

Cap1 QS - $3500

PenFed - $1,000

Disc IT - $1,500

I'm in the garden...nothing else I want. It's a lot of cards but I have use for each bonus program. If I close anything it will likely cancel the Barclay card...otherwise I will garden and grow a few cards.

[happypill]

Congrats on your rebuild and your approval!  It's amazing that Citi let you back in after burning them for $41k.  I'm assuming that means you didn't pay it off or settle with them so that's great news for anyone who's been on their BL.  I doubt all lenders would be so forgiving, even after the derogs dropped off the report; for example I don't think I've seen any reports of Chase or Amex willing to forgive & forget that amount.

I have a remarkably similar story to yours.  Burned Chase, Citi and BofA (with an account transferred from MBNA) after losing my job in 2009.  I actually struggled along for a while and finally in 2010 couldn't keep up with my accounts any more and had to let them go, so I've still got about 6 months before everything clears off my report.  I also started my rebuild with Capital One and they grew very quickly.  Just last week Citi let me back in (I burned them for about $5k, settled for about half and the item will drop off in March next year I think).

Again, thanks for sharing your story!  I hope my scores can shoot up to the 790-800 range like yours when my derogs all fall off (low 700s now).

[ScoreOrBeScored]

Great story and awesome come back !!!! Love the portfolio.... congrats on your recent approval(s) $ not giving up....

[iheartwings]

Physh1 -

Congratulations on your awesome approval and incredible rebuild!!!!

I think the market has relaxed with regard to risk tolerance in administering credit over the last couple years, which we're starting to benefit. I, too, burned Citi (as well as Chase, BoA, MBNA, and HSBC) in 2007 when I filed BK7. Last year, they let me back in with the DC card and a $9500 SL (now $30k after HP CLI). I still can't get SP CLI (because my CR has a BK on it, gone in a few months), but Citi has treated me quite well whenever I call in for anything.

And, welcome to the garden.