Starting today - is this a good place?

[Anonymous]

I pulled my credit reports and scores today using Costco's Identity Guard.  Their website states that I can get three credit reports and three scores every month for a little less than $10 per month.  Does anyone have any experience with this company?

Here are my scores . . . yes, they are awful . . . but I have to start somewhere.

Equifax        550

Experian      526

Transunion  546   

My question is . . . I thought I would start with goodwill letter to my current credit card company (only JCPenney).  Then move on to DV and PFD letters.  Is this the path I should be on?  Here are the credit cards I have open right now:

GEMB JCPenney - opened in May 2004 - two late pays Feb 2005 and Mar 2005 - current since then.  Credit limit $200 - balance $152

TNB Target - opened in July 2007 - no late pays - current.  Credit limit $200 - balance $52

HSBC NV - opened in April 2007 - no late pays - current.  Credit limit $200 - balance $178

[Anonymous]

send GW to JC PENNY        pay down on below 9% on all cards  after paying down check scores & apply for more CC.  Becareful what you apply for  and do not overdue it. ings. will hurt.

Go to the credit card therad (on this site) see what others are getting will low scores. It could take a few months for scores to catch up with UTIL.

[Anonymous]

Thanks

[Anonymous]

You can do it. I was at 525 Dec 2005. I am 670's average. Didn 't even get serious about it till a couple of months ago.

[haulingthescoreup]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Here are my scores . . . yes, they are awful . . . but I have to start somewhere.

Equifax 550

Experian 526

Transunion 546

azsassycat, good luck on your journey! Are these FICO scores (pulled from a FICO site), or FAKO's (pulled from anywhere else, including from a credit bureau)? It's fine to have FAKO's, as long as you realize that a lender isn't going to look at them--just at the actual FICO scores. Seems like a lot of people have FAKO's lower than their FICO's, but my FAKO's run about 40-50 points higher than my real FICO's. (sigh)

When the time comes that you start applying for credit, you might want to cough up for the FICO scores, so that you don't get surprised (could be a good surprise, though!)

[Anonymous]

Those are not true FICO scores, I will probably pull them in a month or so after I have worked with a few of my creditors.  I am truly inspired by the stories I am reading on this board . . . keep them coming.

Cathleen