Lack of ANY Score: Help! (UPDATED)

[Anonymous]

Hey folks, I posted the other day in the stickied introduction thread, but had a specific question that I'd like help for here.

Bottom Line Up Front: Is there any way to get on-time payment history onto your credit report that isn't showing up?

A little history: I'm 27, and I've never had a credit card. I was raised by extremely fiscally conservative parents, and was taught to pay cash for everything. So the only thing I have on my credit report is my student loan, with a few 30 days late on them over the years. Two I believe.

So, end of 2006 I was notified that I was going to Iraq in the beginning of 2007. I got out of my apt lease, cancelled all my utilities and paid (what I thought) the final bills. I asked every customer service rep "Is this my final bill? I'm going to war, and won't be reachable by any means. Will I owe you another cent as long as I live?" to which they each said "You are paid in full and you won't owe us anything more."

So, six months later I decided I probably needed a credit card, and applied for one. Denied. So, I thought this was strange and pulled a credit report. On there were two collection notices, from two of the utilities I cancelled before mobilizing for Iraq. Needless to say, I was pretty upset. After many months of late night (for me) phone calls, letters unanswered and no email contact (no one in debt collection uses email apparently), I finally got to the bottom of the problem and things are starting to clear up. This forum had a lot to do with how successful I was in clearing this up.

One bill was completely fraudulent, and the company admitted as much, cancelled the debt collection and deleted the bad mark on my credit report.

The second bill was the unpaid final bill that I never recieved because I was in Iraq. Once a human being at their company heard my story, the agreed to delete after PIF. So, I paid, they notified the debt collector, and both companies sent notices to the CRA's that they all needed to delete the bad mark from my credit report.

So far, Experian has deleted it, but I just sent snail mail dispute letters to Equifax and TU to complete the deletion. This should be sorted out in a few weeks, God willing.


Now I have a different problem. When I check my Experian score now, I don't have one! All that shows up on my credit report is my student loan, and a couple inquiries. That's it. Apparently not enough information to create a score.

So, my question is: How can I get some good stuff on there? I've never had a credit card, so I can't put that on there, although I'm talking with my parents to see if they can make me a joint user (not an AU) on one or two of their credit cards so I can put that on my report for awhile.

Can I contact current and previous utility companies to see if they can put my payment history on there? The good stuff? Or are revolving credit accounts the only ones that show up monthly? Do utility bills only show up when they go to collection or are late? I can't seem to find the answers to these questions on the forum, guess my problem isn't too common. Any help you could throw my way would be great.

Right now I'm talking with my bank (USAA) to see if they can get me a credit card, asking them to take into consideration all my mitigating factors. Going to call them right now, actually. We'll see how that goes. Sorry for the long post, just felt like you needed to hear my background before you could answer my questions.

Thanks!

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UPDATE 7 FEB:

My dad threw me on his Discover account last week. Checked my credit report today from Experian.

New score: 775!

I almost fell out of my seat. I feel like I did something wrong, a 200 point jump in a couple months? That's insane.

Don't really know what to say, but thanks to everyone on here that helped me figure out how to dispute the collections on my account. Just waiting for the EQ and TU disputes to finish up, should have a similar score with them after the dust settles.

Still seems too high, I was expecting low 700's.

Guess I shouldn't complain too loudly.

Message Edited by armyguy80 on 02-07-2008 03:12 AM

[braznyc]

I would suggest trying for a secured card, and yes going to the bank you are with and speaking with a person there on what credit cards you might qualify for. You have to start somewhere and they only way to get that score is to start building your credit. There is a BOFA card that many talk about on here that you pay $99 for a $500 credit limit I believe, not sure if it's still around but I've read about on here. Then there is Capital one and Orchard that I see come-up a lot. Just don't go with one that has these insane fees etc, that's my suggestion. There are tons of topics on here check-out the search portion of the forum. As far as asking other creditors to report, I have no experience with this, but I would definitely go for a credit card right now.

I have a similar situation as you, and currently in rebuilding stage. Oddly enough it's a BADDIE on my EXP report that's keeping me a score, the other CR have no scores, because all the bads dropped off. I know you mention student loans, are you a student again? You might be able to get cards that way if you are, but it won't be much or it still may be secured. For example I have paid tax liens showing on my TW and EQ reports and not enough credit for a score, well at the campus bookstore some citibank guy was there, I applied just for the heck of it. I got a call from them last week stating they wanted the proof that liens were actually paid because it's just showing that, anyways they are sending me a card. VERY WEIRD, but I know they would've turned me down had I not been a student. The credit limit isn't much but hey it's something to start with. Oh and sorry for my book in your topic

Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

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@braznyc wrote:
I would suggest trying for a secured card...

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No, no...books are good! I need books to read on this stuff. So convoluted sometimes (actually, all the time).

That's a great idea on the student credit card. Hadn't thought of that. Yes, I'm finishing up my Master's this year, took a couple courses while I was in Iraq.

And I'll look into the secured card. I was hoping to avoid that, I hate dropping money on something like that.

Thanks.

[braznyc]

Can I just say a big old THANK YOU for protecting our country!! I can't say that enough, despite anything I believe I have always and will always support our troops and they should just give you guys credit lol!

Okay so back to business, YES try the student cards as long as you are in school you're a student, and if you're in your masters program they will be just as willing to give as they are with freshman undergrads. Once you get things back on track, the secured part will drop, but it will be easier for you with no credit aka no score to get them than it would be for someone not in school and having no credit/score etc.

[Anonymous]

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armyguy80 wrote:
Now I have a different problem. When I check my Experian score now, I don't have one! All that shows up on my credit report is my student loan, and a couple inquiries. That's it. Apparently not enough information to create a score.

So, my question is: How can I get some good stuff on there?

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Do you have a Transunion or Equifax score?  If so, what is it?  Assuming you have a score with one of them, you can apply for a card that checks them and does not check Experian.

Also, if your parents are willing then have them add you as an AU asap.  It's not too late for TU or EX to reflect this, and it could potentially post to your report within a month.

[Anonymous]

TU = 647
EQ = 638

That's with the collection that should come off within the next month.

Does anyone know how long before the AU's don't count on those two scores?

I just applied to USAA for an unsecured master card. Got denied, so I called underwriting. They said that with the collection still on there, they couldn't offer me a card. If the collection is removed, they said they'd offer me a card with a $500 CL.

In the meantime, just trying to figure out the best way to get some kind of good account on my credit reports. My parents are willing to put me on their accounts as a joint user, but it's kind of hard for them to figure out how to do that, the CSR's aren't really explaining things well, and my dad uses most of his cards for his business (he's a farmer).

[haulingthescoreup]

Hi, armyguy, glad you're with USAA. I didn't realize that they have a secured card option; that's good to know! As soon as the last collection is gone, I would jump on that. Did they say anything about how they "graduate" you to an unsecured card? --length of time, score level, etc.

So far, the AU cards still count. FICO 08 seems to be delayed almost indefinitely, although I suppose we could all be reading in another 3 hours that it has started. It's a lot easier to go the AU route than the joint, and it's easier to drop back out of it as well. Whichever way you go, the best way to handle it for your parents' sake and for yours is to not get an actual card sent to you, and to never use the account at all. Just pick up the length of history and the clean payment record, and let that float your scores up enough to where you can get another card on your own.

I would still get the secured card from USAA, though. You definitely want to get your foot in the door with them!

Thanks for all you're doing! good luck

[Dawn]

armyguy80 wrote:...

...cancelled all my utilities and paid (what I thought) the final bills. I asked every customer service rep "Is this my final bill? I'm going to war, and won't be reachable by any means. Will I owe you another cent as long as I live?" to which they each said "You are paid in full and you won't owe us anything more."

Just another thing to modify as I instruct my kids in how to pro-actively protect themselves. 

Instead of just calling the service providers, my recommendation to them for the future is to also send a CMRRR letter to them requesting written notification that the final bill has been paid and the obligation is totally fulfilled.  May not ever get a reply, but if it comes back to haunt them later, they will at least have a record that they requested that information and never received it.  

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
TU = 647
EQ = 638

That's with the collection that should come off within the next month.

Does anyone know how long before the AU's don't count on those two scores?

I just applied to USAA for an unsecured master card. Got denied, so I called underwriting. They said that with the collection still on there, they couldn't offer me a card. If the collection is removed, they said they'd offer me a card with a $500 CL.

In the meantime, just trying to figure out the best way to get some kind of good account on my credit reports. My parents are willing to put me on their accounts as a joint user, but it's kind of hard for them to figure out how to do that, the CSR's aren't really explaining things well, and my dad uses most of his cards for his business (he's a farmer).

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I'd recommend asking them to add you as an AU. Then on March 1st, pull your scores again. You should have the AU accounts reporting and the collection off of your account. At that point, your TU/EQ should be higher and you should probably have an EX score. With scores over 650, you'll have several options (Hooters, Carnival, etc) in addition to the USAA card.

[Anonymous]

Sorry for the confusion: No, USAA does not offer a secured card. I was referring to Wells Fargo.

My parents are putting my on a couple of their cards, not sure if its going to be AU or Joint user. You're exactly right, I'm not going to even have the cards or know the card numbers. Just need that as a springboard to get my own cards.

Still in Iraq for another month, so I can wait for all this to get sorted out before I jump into a new card, secured or unsecured.

Thanks for your help. Should have some news in the next few weeks.