Brief history of what got me to the forum...
Filed for BK7 7/2013. Discharged 10/6/2013.
I had a few lates on my reports (30, 60, more than 120 months) dated in 2010 mostly.
I paid off my auto loan prior to BK, but burned CapOne, HSBC, Chase CC's. I have one student loan with no lates and a history to 2008, continuing to pay on time. Other student loans in deferral, and will payoff with 10-year Public Service Credit, and set-up with payments based on income. Deferrment will end 06/2014, so they show paying on time.
11/2013 opened a secured Visa at Fifth/Third Bank, $300 CL. Have utilized to 30%.
Open savings account at local CU 12/2013, and when I went to open Checking they did a HP w/Experian, and asked if I wanted to open a CC at the same time. I figured the HP was already pulled so did aapp, as well as auto loan app (I need a car BAD. Working full-time, but also teach at a college 90 miles one-way once a week). I figured if I might as well ue the HP to my advantage. CU approved $16K auto loan at 13.75%. Not great, but...She did tell me that with 8-10 months of on-time payments on everything, they should be able to re-finance to around 5%. Not sure yet if CU CC will be secured or not.
So, I don't figure I'm a credit wreck, just bad off.
Two weeks ago I got all three credit reports. EQ was showing most old CC accounts as charge-offs, not "BK discharge", so I disputed. They also show a collection for a student loan, which I disputed. It should be in deferral, but who knows?
01/20/2014
EQ 547
TU 603
EXP 564 (according to CU HP)
Goal 750 in two years
Starting Score 12/2013: 547 EQ; 529 EX; 540 TUCredit Union approved 1K unsecured CC. She said card would be mailed once my first Direct Deposit shows up (1/31/14). I'll use sparingly and pay off to 5-9% util on both cards monthly for awhile. No need for any other CC, that I can see for 3-6 months.
Writing GW letters today. Hoping Dept. of Ed will drop lates (2010/2011) given loans have been consolidated since then and paid on time.
Also GW to Franklin Cap to ask for drop 1 30 day late on paid in full account.
Mailed off GW letters to Franklin Capital and US Dept. of ED today. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Equifax mailed me results of reinvestigation: They changed 6 accounts from "charged off" to IIB, And "historical account information was deleted" from two of the accounts. One account was removed as a bad account with a few 30 day lates. So that account is removed all together, that should help. However, 4 accounts still show "charge off" even though I emailed them the information and discharge info. Not sure if now I have to go back to the original card holders (HSBC and Chase). It's a start.
As of 2/3/2014
EQ 627
TU 638
Looked at cars over the weekend. Couldn't get dealers to budge enough on prices, so instead I'm going to put $650 into current car to keep it going awhile. Talked to loan officer at CU about options and interest tiers. She says once I hit 600 (on EX unfortunately) my auto loan rate would drop to 8.9% (instead of 13.758% if I hold off buying until that point. Patience is not a virtue of mine, but I'm holding off until at least spring.
Still waiting on answers back from TU and EX on corrections. EQ according to SW is now 627. TU on creditKarmna is 638, which I'm taking with a grain of salt. I'm not looking at my reports at least until I hear back about disputes.
Current TL's: Direct Student Loan: pays on time (working on getting lates from 2010 and '11 removed via GW.
Private student loan: Pays on time from 2004...NEVER late.
53 bank Secured CC :$300, 10% util.
CU unsecured Visa with 6.9% intro, $1K, opened last week. No usage.
CU line of credit attached to checking account: $500, no usage. I'm not even exactly sure how this works. At first I thought it was overdraft protection, but it's reporting on CR as TL. So it appears to simply be a line of credit based on my direct deposits.
With 2 CC, a line of credit, and 2 student loans reporting on time...I think I'm good. I keep thinking I should try for another CC, but going to hold off until 6 mos post discharge, hoping to improve disputes and scores. Waiing on these disputes is tough...patience is not one of my virtues.
I'll have to pull trigger on a different car soon. Hoping to get by until spring...but 160K on mustang is looking sad.
Thank you for the response. Yes, most of my disputes regarded changing from "bad Debt/collection" to IIB. Equifax chnaged all but 4 accounts which were CO in 2009 and 2010. They were included in discharge so I've written the creditors to have changed. However, being their age I'll probably leave them alone if I get no response. The major dispute was a collection on a student loan that was incorrect, and EQ deleted the account.
Admittedly, I got a late start on clearing up CR's. I found this site in January, was discharged in Oct/2013.
Last night I did get one store card, Blair, through the shopping cart trick (SP). I wanted three CC's reporting. I'm done looking until 6 mos post discharge. Current inquiries are a little high but I don't think terrible. I have 5 inq on TU, 4 of which will be 1-yr old in July. Experian has most inq, with 7 and a few dropping off in a month or two. No more apps for awhile. Although I'll need an auto loan spring or summer.
Received results of dispute from TU...all accounts are reporting correct now, and TU deleted all four student loans that showed lates.
TU has now deleted all accounts that showed lates. Dept. of Ed. omsbudsman got back to me to report that student loans that had lates showing all had been with ACS. CRA's should be deleting from reports. TU and EQ have done so. Also TU deleted auto loan that showed lates. Not sure if this is due to GW letter to Franklin Capital or not, but I think so. I now have no dings showing on TU at all. Experian is another issue all together. I've disputed accounts and have heard nothing in over 30 days, and have the CCR receipts to show they received the disputes.