Well, since the start of this year I have pulled 9 credit reports, run endless disputes, read FICO and FAKO scores, talked to CCC people, talked to mortgage people, talked to auto sales people and read the board.
I have learned that to keep my scores up I must NOT get a cell phone, and that I must pay my CCs twice a month to keep utilization low but not zero and still avoid finance charges. I have also learned that the FICO simulator is just a tad optimistic and that a lot of people are now where I was a few years ago.
I am now going to sit back and wait for all the disputes to be resolved, go visit Detroit and San Diego and Florida and St Louis and Ghent and Joburg and London, and not worry about exactly what is happening to my scores or those of my wife. Depending what the CRAs say, sometime in the dog days of summer I might bestir myself to enquire about a few scores and see what is happening, but other than that, no more checking until 6 weeks after a certain derrogatory is due to drop off (March 1st)
However, I can still hang around here and complain about Cingular and see if there are any new nuggests of wisdom that appear. 
You don't get rid of me that easily, this place is too much fun to visit.
You don't get rid of me that easily, this place is too much fun to visit.
Hmm. I am being misunderstood (the story of my life )
)I have done everything that can logically be done at this point in time to improve my scores. It will take a month for all the re-re-disputes to be resolved, then 4-6 weeks for them to be reflected in my CRs. and/or those of my wife. So I wait for that. I know the exact dates the current negs drop off each report if the disputes fail, so I don't need to check that. I know the dates that all the enquiries drop off each report, so I don't need to check that (fall off in September, December and January). The only new credit I might need is If I have to move house, and I am in the best bracket for my mortgage company, and that will not change. I have changed statement dates on my CCs so I can keep revolving balances very low by paying early yet still get reported as active with a low balance, then pay again to avoid finance charges. My EQ score is the middle one, and that is being monitored.
The one thing I cannot alter is time. In the worst case scenario all 3 of my CRs become neg free in September of next year. In the best case scenario I will be down to one neg (EX) by August of this year. By February of next year I will have no enquiries on my report, and can apply for a couple of CL increases on cards that will have 1-3 years history (although I may wait untill the fall when I am neg free.) I have even requested that one of my store cards start reporting to Wxperian just to help me!
I have a car loan available and clleared if my car falls to pieces before the date I hope to buy one (with my bonus). I pay my last rent for my daughter's college apartment in 41 days
So I will hang around here and chat and learn more. But mainly, it is the passage of time that will be my assistant. There is little I can do to change anything else, other than keep up my good habits and get 15 months older!