Broke 600 what next?

[Anonymous]

Hey guys,

My credit reporting updated today and I had to look twice, all 3 of my scores are now over 600! I feel pretty good about what I've accomplished so far but still have a ways to go. Here's all i've been doing so far. 

I've been persistantly rebuilding since June of this year, 2018 scores started at 

experian 516
tu 574
equifax 596

now they are 

experian 605
tu 602
equifax 623

The main thing was opening secured credit cards. I got a Cap1 and a DiscoverIT and have made sure to make all my payments on time. Utilization started off rough around just under 30% but the last two months I've dialed in how to make sure they report under 8-10%

I'm currently employing the AZEO techinique but this is the first month of that since I got the Discover card so I've yet to see any postive effects. I also got my self a membership at NavyFCU and am planning on getting their secured rewards card to be my 3rd revolving card and a pledge secured loan for $1500 in November. I'll then have 2 cards that'll automatically graduate (discover, nfcu) with responsible credit card use.

As for baddies I haven't touched them yet but I'm starting to turn my attention over to paying them and working on removing them from my report. This is the list of accounts

IQ Data International $5,647 - opened Nov 2, 2015; this one is my apartment eviction.

Portfolio Recovery  $441 (capitalone cc) - opened March 21, 2017; this one is not reporting correctly, I went deliquient in 2015.

Credence Resource Management $379 (ATT Mobility) Opened Oct 24, 2017. I'm not sure about this one, I had ATT back in 2015. 

Ad Astra Recovery(Speedy Cash) $358 Opened  Jan 19, 2016 - this one I went deliquent in 2015 as well. 

Anybody have any advise on how to start working on those baddies? I have no clue what the apartment is even charging me for. If I call the collection agency and request verification will it include what they charged me for minus my security deposit? I'm not gonna pay or start a payment plan until I know exactly what it's for. 

The only account that I've gotten any collection calls about is a cap1 credit card I had in 2015 the total amount is $340. They called me last week and I asked them to mail me verification of the debt. I know it's mine but I wanted some time to get me to my next pay check. 

When it comes to negotiating pay for delete or settlement offers, I'm completely clueless. When I call them back is it ok not to pay them on that phone call? Not because I don't have the money to square it up but because I wanna keep trying to get them to delete it if I pay.

Should I employ a similar strategy with the other collection accounts? Would a better strategy be to pay them or settle and then start sending GW letters to try and remove them? Do I reach out first or wait for them to contact me? If so, do I initiate contact by mail or phone call? 

Like I said, I'm pretty happy I got my scores over 600, I don't think they have ever been in the 600s in my life. I now want to hit the 700s. Onwards and Upwards. 

[Anonymous]

Hey,

Congrats on your progress. I would continue doing just what you’ve don’t which is be consistent and attentive. Utilization matters from what I hear and under 10% is even better.

As for baddies, I would take my time with deleting them. First you want creditors to prove that they own the debt and have you responsible. For example you had an att account but that business was between you and att; not you and the Collection agency. I would wait for reply’s follow up every thirty days. Of course send by mail then follow up with the 3 major credit report agencies

[Anonymous]

Congrats on your progress, I'm in a similar boat, I'm @ 598, 618, and 626, I don't have patience, or tolerance for what I consider "games", or nonsense, so I just paid off 12 of 13 collection accounts (11 were medical, one was a leftover verizon), the last outstanding is medical.  My scores started in the mid 500's.  With that said 9 of the medicals collections simply deleted when paid, 2 of them I didn't pay enough attention to what they told me, and I paid (settled) for less than owed, a whopping 100ish bucks less than the total which was 1300ish, I paid 1200ish, and they report "paid for less than full", the verizon collection acount reports paid in full (refusing to delete, as "they cannot report inaccurate info", which is utter B.S., b/c like yours, they reaged the account, my last payment to Verizon was april 2014, they report it as opened in 2016).

Frankly with only a 50ish point bump, I probably should have just waited and let them fall off, since it cost me over 7G's.  So think long and hard about what your goals are, if you don't NEED your score in the 700's, eh, I wouldn't pay them if they are past being able to sue you, UNLESS they absolutely will PFD.

Good luck and continued success!