I am trying to boost my credit score and build my credit. I am 28 years old, newly married, and not very intelligent as it comes to this whole credit area. I don't have insurance and in high school so I ended up going to the ER and didn't pay anything (was in high school) and it ended up going to collections, along with some other things.
My score was in the 480's I think, but I got it boosted by paying off a credit card that was being reported as late and about to go to collections. I paid it down to $500 and been paying it on time since Dec. My credit score is now 503-ish.
My questions are:
1) Some of the debts I can pay (one is like $38, one is like $70, etc.). I want to make sure they are legit number one. How do I find out they are legit and I'm not just paying money? Can i call the original creditor, would they have that info?
2) If I paid it in full with a debit or credit card through the telephone, how long would it take for them to take it off my credit so it would boost my score?
3) I purchased a 3-1 credit report from truecredit.com and didn't see a Sprint bill, but i think via myfico report, I thought I saw a Sprint collection. Confused if it's on there or not?
Starting Score: EQ: 477---Trans: 437