I'm new and in need of a little advice

[Chickenpotpie]

Hi I'm new.

Pulled my credit today and so far so good.  I had a bankrupcy in 2010, a utility charge off in 2004 but nothing since.

So far credit score is 

TransUnion

672

Equifax

668

I have no current collections on my report, I've been very careful to pay all my bills on time.  I don't have any revolving debt at this time.  Its something I will consider in the future but considering I'm currently unemployed right now I may not be able to get a card  anyway.  The only thing I show on my report now is my current car note and student loan.  Both are current and no lates.

I'm now finding that many jobs I apply for want to run a credit check.  I'm worried that mine may not be good enough which is why i'm trying to get it clean.

The one thing I'm finding that I don't know what to do with is I apparently have a tax lien and its showing on my report as  release of tax lein.  I know it had to do with a car I used to own (person property tax) which was paid well before I left the state that I used to live in.  I can't remember exactly when but I do believe it was 2002 or so.  They have dates of 2004 and I didn't even live in the state at that time.

Also on one credit report, the same lien is showing twice.

I'm not sure where to even start to have this either removed or to show its been satisifed.  Anyone know where I need to turn for this?  Should I go back to the state and ask for copies?

Thanks much.

-CP

[guiness56]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

A tax lien will stay on your report 7 years from the date paid.  Is it a federal or state lien? 

Released means it has been paid so that is a good thing.

If it was paid in 2002 it should be gone already.  If it was paid in 2004 it will be gone in 2011.  You can contact whoever got the lien and ask if they will remove it.  They do not have to but since it is paid you have a better chance.

Is it showing twice as a lien or once as a judgment and once as a lien?

[Chickenpotpie]

Its a state lien.  Its showing up twice as if it were released twice? The judgement is only showing once.  There was a lot of crazy stuff that happened when I filed the BK.

I'll certainly ask  to see if it will get dropped (would this help my score any?)  but according to their dates, it won't drop until next year sometime. 

Amazing how life works, today I got an email that the company I had interviewed with for a month offered me a position which is contingent on background/credit/drug test...ugh!  I'm a little freaked out that I won't be able to get this stuff off in time.

My next step after that would be to figure out the whole credit card situation as the job will require some travel (though not right off the bat).

Being I have nothing in collections and my accounts up to date, would old information like this freak out a possible employer?  The  amount  was quite small.

thanks

cp

[guiness56]

If the lien is showing up twice it is a duplicate.  This is one of the few times I will say to dispute one of them as a duplicate.  It can only be on there once.

If that judgment and lien are the only negatives on your report (and they are scored separately) then when they are removed you should see a marked improvement in your score.

With the lien being paid and so old you should have no problems with employment.  Just be truthful if they ask.    You should have no problems with a CC either.

[Chickenpotpie]

That sounds great, and relieving.  So I would have to dispute with all three.  Any idea when they would give me an answer (or do they just fall off?)  If asked I certainly will tell them what it is for sure. 

The other thing that worries me just a little is the job will be issuing me a credit card.    I know some cards won't run a credit check against employees credit but some can...  And this company uses  Amex which is out of the scope of my experience.  Hopefully I won't have anything to worry about but in my searches I've yet to see anything one way or another.

-cp

[guiness56]

If the account is reporting as a duplicate on all 3 reports, yes, you need to dispute with all three.  They can take up to 45 days to complete a dispute investigation.  If they cannot verify, the items will come off your reports and the CRA will send you a letter telling you the status of each item disputed.

We are issued CC at my place of employment.  We use Chase.  We are given the option of allowing them to check our credit or not.  If we decline, there is a set amount of CL you get.  If you do not decline, they base it on your score and contents of your CR.  I am not saying that is how it is done everywhere.

[RobertEG]

You have a good credit score now.  670 is not bad.  And from what you have said, I see two factors that may lead to significant gains that may soon place you in the 700 club.

You have good advice on dealing with the lien, so I wont add to that.

You mentioned a charge off in 2004.  I would first go back and take a look at that, for it is a remaining major derog.

The date of charge-off is not controlling for purposes of continued inclusion in your CR.  It is the date that you first went delinquent on the account witht the original credtior that controls how long it remains in your CR.  What is the DOFD on that account with the OC?  Once 7 1/2 years expires from that DOFD, the CO goes away.

Also, in order to move into the 700 club, you will have to establsish some revolving credit.  Without that, your credit file will remain "thin."

Do you have an account with a credit union?  A good frist source of revolving credit.....

[Chickenpotpie]

robert and guiness

Thanks so much for this info.  I've had to fill out so much paperwork in the last 2 days that its unreal.  I did find out that the employer will indeed run a credit report.  ugh!  However I'm glad to hear that I'm decent shape at least.

Robert, the date is March 2004 which is unfortunately correct.  I had quite the disagreement with Verizon and it was hell to get them to actually turn the phone off. However they did send it to collection very quickly tereafter. (guess I pissed somebody off?)

Guiness, I'm talking to the court house currently and trying to see if they can even locate these particular records (they're having a hard time doing that...why I don't even know) 

I was told I would have an answer by Friday.  If not I'll just go ahead and file the dispute then. 

Oh and something else kinda weird.  I got a call from my old gas company saying I still owed them money and that the account was in collections.  I told them that the account in question was included in the bankrupcy in 2003 and they quickly hung up.    Should I call them back and find out whats going on with that?  now is not the time I need anything crazy going on with my CR.

-cp

[guiness56]

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@Chickenpotpie wrote:

robert and guiness

Thanks so much for this info.  I've had to fill out so much paperwork in the last 2 days that its unreal.  I did find out that the employer will indeed run a credit report.  ugh!  However I'm glad to hear that I'm decent shape at least.

Robert, the date is March 2004 which is unfortunately correct.  I had quite the disagreement with Verizon and it was hell to get them to actually turn the phone off. However they did send it to collection very quickly tereafter. (guess I pissed somebody off?)

Guiness, I'm talking to the court house currently and trying to see if they can even locate these particular records (they're having a hard time doing that...why I don't even know) 

I was told I would have an answer by Friday.  If not I'll just go ahead and file the dispute then. 

Oh and something else kinda weird.  I got a call from my old gas company saying I still owed them money and that the account was in collections.  I told them that the account in question was included in the bankrupcy in 2003 and they quickly hung up.    Should I call them back and find out whats going on with that?  now is not the time I need anything crazy going on with my CR.

-cp

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If it is included in a BK it is illegal for them to try to get you to pay.  You probably scared the devil out of them when you told them that.

[Chickenpotpie]

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@guiness56 wrote:

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@Chickenpotpie wrote:

robert and guiness

Thanks so much for this info.  I've had to fill out so much paperwork in the last 2 days that its unreal.  I did find out that the employer will indeed run a credit report.  ugh!  However I'm glad to hear that I'm decent shape at least.

Robert, the date is March 2004 which is unfortunately correct.  I had quite the disagreement with Verizon and it was hell to get them to actually turn the phone off. However they did send it to collection very quickly tereafter. (guess I pissed somebody off?)

Guiness, I'm talking to the court house currently and trying to see if they can even locate these particular records (they're having a hard time doing that...why I don't even know) 

I was told I would have an answer by Friday.  If not I'll just go ahead and file the dispute then. 

Oh and something else kinda weird.  I got a call from my old gas company saying I still owed them money and that the account was in collections.  I told them that the account in question was included in the bankrupcy in 2003 and they quickly hung up.    Should I call them back and find out whats going on with that?  now is not the time I need anything crazy going on with my CR.

-cp

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If it is included in a BK it is illegal for them to try to get you to pay.  You probably scared the devil out of them when you told them that.

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ooo wow, didn't know that!  I guess I'll just leave it alone then! 

Also I noticed in my OP I put a boo-boo about the BK;  the BK was discharged in 2003, but I have 2010 on my mind...lol

I'll be taking a look at some cards to see what I would qualify for.  Even though I haven't officially started my new job I hope that I would be fine to go ahead and start applying.

-cp