Hi everyone, first time poster here. I've been on myfico before, but never knew these forums existed. Thank goodness I found them! Have been reading for hours!
Anyway, some background info: Over the past few months, my income has dropped due to having to quit pt job and with all the high prices things started to get tight. Hindsight is 20/20. I have been late on a few cc payments the past few months and started to get serious about my financial situation. I just got a raise on my job that now covers what I made with both jobs and only have one car payment to make. However, it will take a few months to climb out of the hole and get back on track. I have recently started a better budget and a plan to get back current and start paying down my debt. My score in May was 690 and now it is 581. 
That was a real shocker, I had no idea my score had gotten so bad.What I did was order the 30-day free Score Watch trial to see my score and what was reporting. I doubt I will keep it past then, but I for sure will get something else to start monitoring my score.
I didn't know much about the letters you can send and will try to send in some for some of the old and new lates once things get back on track. I only have a total of 7, some of which are for a while ago, so that's the good news. Here's the thing that is bothering me (questions in bold because i'm wordy) and a bit more information about my situation. TIA for any advice, I will definitely be in the forums a lot more!
In 2005, I decided to get on a debt management program after I had an unexpected surgery that was very costly. I have been doing well on that program but still am making mistakes. One was not putting all my cards on the program, but that is a lesson learned. With the way our economy is, the best thing out of this whole situation is it is teaching Americans how not to live outside of their means, at least for me it is. But, I digress...
I had put my AmEx card on the program about a year after I started and paid it off in full. It is the only card I have paid off through the program, but it is reporting as a "bad debt/collection" on my report even though they accepted the terms of the program and I paid in full. Under the account this is what shows up: Paid charge off/account closed by grantor.
I guess what bothers me is this is the only serious delinquency on my account and to me, it doesn't feel like it accurately reflects that I paid this off in full through my DMP. What can I send in to dispute this or see if they can review it to change it to something else? I had already tried to get TU to correct this before, but it was denied. That was also back in May prior to finding these forums.
I can live with the lates because those were errors that I made. But, there is one late from a while back from a card I no longer even remember for whom it was for. How would I go about contacting them?
Just to show you how bad a few lates and high utilization can affect you in a short period of time, read my score up top, and this is what is showing now:
Best Buy: 30 days past due (I'm about to get caught up next week)
BOA: 4 lates in 2005 (this card is currently on my DMP; all lates were after they accepted the terms of my DMP in 5/2005 and have made all pmts on time since)
Cap One: 1 late in 11/2005 (currently over limit but will be caught up in the next mo)
AmEx: showing as bad debt/collection (see above)
Nextcard: 1 late in Nov 2002 (I don't even remember this card and don't know where to send GW letter)
Chase auto: 1 late in Jan 2006 (currently 1 mo late, but will be paid off next week - hallelujah!)
I'm sorry for posting such a long first post, but I wanted to fully put my situation out there to get the best advice and just to forewarn others that are going down this road. Now is the time to get serious! A few mistakes can put your credit in the toilet!
Thank you all again, and I look forward to hearing your responses.
ex-
My AmEx account was closed once it was put on the DMP program. Some of them closed my accounts and some just suspended charging privileges until I am done with the program. There are no late payments showing on the account.
The other card was paid in full and I closed it. It is listing through the OC. Sorry, I had to think about it, still trying to get used to all the abbreviations! 
On the report it says no contact information provided by Equifax. Would I be able to get the contact information from my report from annualcredit.com? (Hmm, I should probably just check that one now).
TIA!
Updates...wow today has been frustrating.
@Anonymous wrote:Best Buy: 30 days past due (I'm about to get caught up next week)
Called today to see if they would work with me to get caught up. All they will offer is a DMP program that takes 45 days to get enrolled in instead of just working with me for a few months. Don't know what else to do with them except try to get caught up. I can get my account out of past due status with a $126 pmt so I'm going to try and do that. There is a total of $215 due by 10/31, but I will shoot for the $126.
I talked to Customer Service, Collections, back to CS, back to Collections...I wanted to scream so loud. I told them, you sent a letter that you wanted to help, but instead give me the run around. WTH
AmEx: showing as bad debt/collection (see above)
Now this is where I want to smack somebody. After calling 5 different AmEx numbers (seriously), I finally got ahold of "credit reporting" and asked them why my account showed as a charge off if I PIF through my DMP. The rep was very rude and said, we do not show this was in a counseling program. They can accept it, but we don't have to and your account was derogatory. She basically CHALLENGED me to prove it and all she would do is give me some address to dispute it. Then she had the audacity to say, it's still going to show derogatory, so you're doing all this for nothing. I told her that may be true, but they were reporting something on my account that was not the manner in which it was resolved. I'd rather it say I was in a counseling program and PIF that "serious delinquency." Maybe I am splitting hairs...I don't know, I am just upset.
BOA: 4 lates in 2005
Cap One: 1 late in 11/2005
Nextcard: 1 late in Nov 2002
Chase auto: 1 late in Jan 2006
Hopefully this portion will work better. I am going to start working on GW letters and get them off later this week.
Payday is on Friday and I can't wait to get my car paid off! This will be the first car I own outright and I'm going to drive it until it falls apart. Hopefully not soon, because of course...my check engine light came on this morning. Gosh, does it ever end?
Any other advice would definitely be appreciated. TIA
ex-