Removing paid collection accounts & improving credit

[Anonymous]

I am trying to get my credit cleaned up to refinance a home loan in 1 1/2 years.  My current scores are EQ 584, EX 564, TU ??  I have several accounts from 2000-2002 that have been paid and are still showing on my credit report.  I also noticed that one collection account shows up twice & another shows up three times.  I have disputed the duplicate accounts with EX, however I have gotten no resolution.  Would I be wrong to write a letter to the collection agencies and request them to remove them? 

Also, what else could I do with credit scores as low as mine to begin rebuilding my credit.  I do not have any credit cards, and am nervous to try to apply & get denied and have a bad hit on my credit report.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

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kmm72471 wrote:

I am trying to get my credit cleaned up to refinance a home loan in 1 1/2 years.  My current scores are EQ 584, EX 564, TU ??  I have several accounts from 2000-2002 that have been paid and are still showing on my credit report.  I also noticed that one collection account shows up twice & another shows up three times.  I have disputed the duplicate accounts with EX, however I have gotten no resolution.  Would I be wrong to write a letter to the collection agencies and request them to remove them? 

Also, what else could I do with credit scores as low as mine to begin rebuilding my credit.  I do not have any credit cards, and am nervous to try to apply & get denied and have a bad hit on my credit report.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

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dispute with all CRAs  & see what drops. all baddies stay on CR for 7-7.5 yrs.  Paid collections drop 7-7.5 yrs from DOFD...it doesn't matter if paid or unpaid  date doesn't change.

CRAs have 30 - 45 days to complete disputes.

when did you file?

[Anonymous]

I know this might be an ignorant question, but what is DOFD? 

 I filed the dispute in February, and EQ took off a couple of duplicates & noted some items paid, which increased my score maybe 10-20 points.  But EX said they were mine and couldn't take them off.   I understand if the time is not up to take them all off, but I thought they would remove the duplicates, especially since they have the same account #, dollar amount, etc. listed more than once.

Since they are paid, I thought I might write a letter the the creditor & ask them if they could remove the duplicates with the credit bureau.

Do you think that would work?

[Mongrol]

Date of first delinquency

[Anonymous]

I improved my credit alot by taking out several secured loans at my bank.  All loans were secured with a CD.

[Anonymous]

How long did you do them for? I did one for a year because I heard thats the minimum amount of time required for it to be considered.

[Anonymous]

Do you mean a CD, as in an IRA type CD? That would be something I could do! Message Edited by kmm72471 on 08-30-2007 05:26 PM

Message Edited by kmm72471 on 08-30-2007 05:26 PM