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Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

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Anonymous
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Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

Since I have gained so much encouragement and knowledge from others here, I thought I'd start my own thread to document my rebuilding/recovery as it happens, in hopes that it might encourage someone else in a similar situation. 

 

The situation thus far:

 

MID-NOVEMBER, 2018:

* One 90-Day late, at this point 1-2 months old (depending on which credit bureau you ask).

* Settlement on a hefty credit card bill on ONE card, just settled but not reported. (Settled with the bank, no charge-offs, no collection agency involved.) The other cards with the same bank (BofA) are at low-90% utilization but are up to date. These cards have now been closed and I'm keeping up with the payments.

* No current reported open lines of credit. I just had a store card closed (they got wind of my troubles) but I also just opened a nice little secured card (Green Dot, who didn't do a hard pull) that has not reported to the bureaus yet.

* No other documented baddies on my report. Average age of accounts is about 10 years. Several (all now closed) lines of credit, CCs and a car loan.

* FICO scores in mid 500s. See my sig for starting FICOs.

 

NOVEMBER 30, 2018:

Experian now has my BofA settlement reported. My score with Experian shot up 70 points to 609! I was under the impression that a settlement being reported could damage my score (and I'm sure that's true) but I'm guessing that the dramatic lowering of my overall debt offset that? Plus, my utilization, while still way too high, is not quite as high as it was before. 

 

That's it for now. A few days ago I checked to see if I prequalified for any cards (aiming for secured) and they were all like HELL NO. I'm sure that's still the case because my 90-day late is still so fresh. 

 

DECEMBER 1, 2018: Experian says my credit score went up 6 more points, to 615. On a whim, I checked Discover's Preapproval for a secured card. Miracle of miracles, I was approved! Just two weeks ago I was rejected. I'm not taking the offer right now, but how cool is that?

 

DECEMBER 27, 2018: I'm getting my remaining credit card payments set up in a payment system, drastically lowering the interest and making each monthly payment smaller (thus allowing me to build up a savings sooner). The bank was very understanding and set something up that is pretty good. They get paid, I get lower interest, it's all good.

 

JANUARY 6, 2019: My scores inched up a little bit for the New Year.

 

* I finally got TU to accept my lowered debt/settlement. My TU is now on par with EQ and EX. (All in lowish 600s.) EQ is the highest, at 629 (which I find amazing!).

 

* About a week or so ago I "wasted" a hard pull with EQ to apply to Overstock and got the dreaded 7-10 message. Oh well, I thought. It turned out the letter was just to verify my identity. I now have $250 credit with Overstock!

 

When a little over a month ago you were an absolute credit leper, being approved for an unsecured card is pretty amazing! So I guess the lesson here is, don't give up hope, things WILL get better!

 

JANUARY 15, 2019: Something inside told me I had a shot at it... so I pulled the trigger on the Walmart store card! With a 618 TU Fico 8 score, I got a $200 limit! Woo hoo! I wanted this card so bad because I go to Walmart frequently. I can get rewards and charge things that I'd be buying anyway (instead of "looking" for something to buy, like I have to do with Overstock)!

 

FEBRUARY 1, 2019: My Experian score shot up from 616 to 636! I tried the Discover prequalification page and was approved for an unsecured card! (Up until now, all I could get approval for was secured. I'm going to wait until later to get a Discover card, though.) I'm not sure what triggered the score increase; perhaps a combo of new accounts, my baddies turning 3 months old, or a gradual reduction in debt.

 

FEBRUARY 11, 2019: I changed my mind about the Discover It (Cash Back) and applied. Got a $800 credit limit which is (I think) phenomenal considering my low income and recent baddies! In a moment of foolishness, I also applied for the Platinum Visa with my credit union, Unify, but was shot down. I had a nice conversation with the person who called me to tell me about the rejection: She said basically they want to see more credit history with my new cards (at least 6 months) and my debt should be a lot lower. My low income was a problem too, but I think (though she didn't explicitly say this) that if my debt is gone, then the income becomes less of an issue. 

 

LATE MAY 2019: After faithfully gardening my Disco card (using it for everything, sending in payments every few days) I got a CLI so now it's up to $1500! Woo hoo!

 

MID-JUNE 2019: I realized I qualified to join Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU), because my father (now passed away) served in the military. (I think a lot more people can qualify for NFCU than realize it! All this time I thought I couldn't get in.) After having the checking/savings account for a few weeks, I was convinced by a customer service rep to try for one of Navy's credit cards. Was approved for a cashRewards card for $1000! Woo hoo! My FICO scores are in the 650-660 range at this point.

 

SEPTEMBER 2019: My scores have gone up and down but still are in the 650-660 range. My utilization has gone down (a little) and my income has gone up (a little). On a whim, I applied for a Shell fuel rewards card (hoping to get the Mastercard). Got the store card version instead, with a limit of $800.  I applied for another credit card with Navy Fed. Was approved for $17,000 starting limit on their More Rewards AMEX! WOW!

 

LATE SEPTEMBER 2019: Asked for CLIs on both my Walmart and Overstock store cards. Synchrony increased Walmart to $500, Comenity increased Overstock to $2,250!

 

LATE DECEMBER 2019: My scores are gradually increasing. Experian FICO is at 675, Equifax 681, and TransUnion is 669. I asked for CLIs in December: Got $1000 added to my cashRewards Navy Fed MC, $400 added to Discover IT, and $2000 more added to Comenity's Overstock card. Some of the score increases are probably due to increased credit limits causing my high utilization to be a little less high. (And my debt is steadily getting lower each month too.)

 

MID-NOVEMBER 2020: So much has happened in 2020. When the plague started (Covid-19) I decided that now or never, and apped for some cards for their sign-up bonuses. (I never was worried that I wouldn't be able to maintain the cards.) In early 2020 I was approved for these cards: Amex Cash Magnet (approved before the plague was a thing), Citizens 1.8% Mastercard, Capital One Quicksilver, FNBO Visa. Then I gardened for seven months.

 

In the Fall I received an inheritance (that I knew was coming eventually) and paid off all my debts. My FICO 8 scores are now: EX 690, TU 697, EQ 700. (700!) And yesterday I got approved for my second AMEX card (Blue Cash Preferred). My 90-day-late turned two years old at the beginning of this month and that seemed to open some doors and bumped up my score somewhat. 

 

So, while I'm still not "there" yet, things have improved drastically. Even with a low income and a 90-day late!

13 REPLIES 13
spiritcraft1
Valued Contributor

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)


 

That's it for now. A few days ago I checked to see if I prequalified for any cards (aiming for secured) and they were all like HELL NO. I'm sure that's still the case because my 90-day late is still so fresh. 

 

 


I saw your post in the secured card stats thread.  Have you tried a local credit union?  There are some with low requirements for a secured and you can call and ask.  Beware, some are just as stringent as banks though.  Any family in the military by chance?   Sibling, parent etc.?

 

There are a bunch of CU EX pullers out there. 
 

 


 


Biz |
Current F08 -
Current 2,4,5 -
Current F09 -
No PG Biz Credit in Order of Approval - Uline, Quill, Grainger, SupplyWorks, MSC, Amsterdam, Citi Tractor Supply Rev .8k, NewEgg Net 30 10k, Richelieu 2k, Wurth Supply 2k, Global Ind 2k, Sam's Club Store 11.k, Shell Fleet 19.5k, Citi Exxon 2.5k, Dell Biz Revolving $15k, B&H Photo, $5k

Message 2 of 14
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

Thanks, spiritcraft! I have definitely looked into credit unions. I'm thinking of trying one that is available nation-wide (like SDFCU?) because I may be (hopefully) be moving out of state in a couple of years. Unfortunately, I have no family member who has been in the military (at least no one who is currently living).

 

I was able to look at the actual report on Experian for that specific credit card account. It says:

Payment Status
Legally paid in full for less than the full balance

 

Under comments, it says:

Comments
Election of remedy - reported by subscriber

 

I hope that the score result (70+!!!) is the final consequence of this baddie and there will be no more? I don't know what may be coming up, but the info is all out there now. Also, the credit card payment calendar says that the payments were 90 days late and it's "N" (for negative). 

 

All I can do now is wait for time to pass and for the score to keep on going up?

 

Also, I got three letters today (from my three recent inquiries) from banks with explanations for their rejections: Recent baddies (late, delinquent, etc) but what they all seemed to emphasize was that my debt was too high. (Or that my income was too low for my debt.) Well, that now has been at least partially remedied! Cat Happy

 

Message 3 of 14
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

Woop woop woopWoop woop woop

My score went up another 6 points! This is so cool! I know that sometimes FICOs go up and down, up and down... but as long as I don't have any more baddies (and I definitely don't intend to!) then this is good news! Also (as I put in my first post) I tried Discover's Preapproval again on a whim (since they use Experian) and they approved me for a secured card! (I'm going to wait until later to take it, though...) They rejected me only two weeks ago.
Message 4 of 14
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

Another update. Some really good news (as I outlined in my original post). I was able to qualify for some sort of program with the bank where I pay off my remaining debt within 5 years at drastically lowered interest, lower monthly payments that will really help. I hope I can pay off this debt in full this upcoming year sometime, but until then, so much was going to pay interest... it was really dragging me down. 

Message 5 of 14
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

Yet another update. I was approved for an Overstock credit card (limit $250). It is because Comenity bank pulls Equifax (or Experian) and both those are my better scores. I'm beyond amazed that I got approved, though! Cat Happy

 

Transunion finally got "corrected" (I had to give them a nudge) so it reports my one CC account as paid up (settled for less than full balance). Before, my TU score was in the mid-500s because it insisted on listing the CC as late and the debt as still there, even though I'd paid it off and both EQ and EX reported it already.

 

Unfortunately, TU is still saying that the CC is still 90 days late. How can it be all paid up with $0 owed but simultaneously 90 days late? It was 90 days late (and that baddie is reported on both EQ and EX too), but it can't currently be 90 days late on a $0 balance. UGH. More work to be done to try to fix this.

Message 6 of 14
RehabbingANDBlabbing
Established Contributor

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)


@Anonymous wrote:

Yet another update. I was approved for an Overstock credit card (limit $250). It is because Comenity bank pulls Equifax (or Experian) and both those are my better scores. I'm beyond amazed that I got approved, though! Cat Happy

 

Transunion finally got "corrected" (I had to give them a nudge) so it reports my one CC account as paid up (settled for less than full balance). Before, my TU score was in the mid-500s because it insisted on listing the CC as late and the debt as still there, even though I'd paid it off and both EQ and EX reported it already.

 

Unfortunately, TU is still saying that the CC is still 90 days late. How can it be all paid up with $0 owed but simultaneously 90 days late? It was 90 days late (and that baddie is reported on both EQ and EX too), but it can't currently be 90 days late on a $0 balance. UGH. More work to be done to try to fix this.


To me, it sounds like TransUnion is actively maintaining an egregious accuracy on your credit report. If you settle it, it must update to a current/paid status. If not, and you have a paid in full letter, I would send it in with a new dispute. You have two options: you can ask them to correct it or you can ask them to delete it because they previously "verified" incorrect information. Since the account is pretty negative, I would go the deletion route if I were you. Remember, the FCRA requires them to be reporting it 100% accurately, and if not, they are violating it. If the account is still reporting errors on the other bureas, it's worth disputing with them and asking for the same thing. There are something like 50 fields of information that can be disputed for each credit item, so don't hesitate to dispute any and every single one of them, especially if you are being unfairly piunished with inaccurate negative reporting.

Message 7 of 14
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)


@RehabbingANDBlabbing wrote:

There are something like 50 fields of information that can be disputed for each credit item, so don't hesitate to dispute any and every single one of them, especially if you are being unfairly piunished with inaccurate negative reporting.

Thanks, RehabbingANDBlabbing! I asked for more clarification on this a while back and one of our knowledgeable guys (I think his name is Robert?) said the wording was legit on my TU report. I'm going to leave it be. I was approved for Walmart with that TU score, and it's not lower than EQ or EX, so whatever! I really am so grateful for everyone here and the expert advice you offer!

 

I thought I'd elaborate on my recent updates:

 

My score went up 20 points at the beginning of February AND in direct relation to that, I was approved for an unsecured Discover It card for $800!

 

This is AMAZING to me. Not even three months into rebuilding and I already have a pretty good unsecured card with good rewards and (in my opinion) a great limit! I know $800 isn't a lot, but it's pretty generous considering my recent baddies and low income. (I won't say no to CLIs, though!)

 

Also, in a moment of foolishness, I applied for an unsecured card with my credit union (Unify). Was rejected. I am upset that I wasted a perfectly good inquiry (with Experian) but the conversation I had with a Unify rep was very helpful. Basically, they want to see at least 6 months of credit usage (my "oldest" open card is a Green Dot secured with 2 months' payment history). My income is too low (under $20,000) but when I asked if anyone gets a credit card with them with an income that low, she balked at saying "no." I am reading between the lines and thinking that it's the debt I'm still paying off (closed credit cards being paid off with a very low interest rate) that's the main factor. When those debts are gone, I'm going to reapply, but I think I will call them up first to make sure that my low income is not so low as to cause another rejection. I don't want to waste another hard pull if there's no chance.

 

My conversation with the person at Unify was helpful and she seemed compassionate and kind. Before the call I was thinking, "Eh, Discover gave me a chance but Unify won't, the heck with them" but now I'm a little more favorably inclined.  

 

Everyone is different, so my experience won't be everyone else's, but I hope my story so far is encouraging. Keep on building up a good credit history, and fix what you can! You may not have to wait FOREVER to see positive results. Still, patience is the key and I definitely need to use more of it myself!

 

One thing I'm learning is, even with recent baddies there IS hope. 

Message 8 of 14
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

I've been really bad about updating this journal. I updated the original post with a summary of what's been going on. I'll elaborate more here.

 

I gardened my Disco card for four months. I WORKED that $800 limit, baby! I would charge everything on it, send in payments like every three days (literally), lather, rinse, repeat. I know I put over $1000 through that $800 card each month. 

 

I got an auto CLI to $1500 in late May. Then I asked for another CLI last week—it's now up to $2000. 

 

After months of asking for a CLI from my Walmart store card, Synchrony gave me a CLI so it's now $500. (Right before the card is switched over to Capital One! LOL!) I also loved the heck out of that card, used it often for gas and groceries and paid very promptly. (Edit: After I posted this, I asked for a CLI from Overstock. Got approved for 2K more—a total of $2,250 now!)

 

In June I realized I could join Navy Federal Credit Union (both my father and grandfather were in the military, and that qualifies me—even though they have both passed away). Was approved for a $1K cashRewards card. I loved the heck out of that card, made the necessary spend to get the sign-up bonus, always spending then sending in payments promptly. After three months (91 days and 3 statements), I applied for their AMEX card. My FICO scores had not really moved much (still in the mid-600s) so I was nervous that I wouldn't get approved. I got approved all right, for $17,000! Navy is incredible!

 

In September I pulled the trigger on Citi's Shell Fuel Rewards card (hoping for their Mastercard) but got approved for a store card instead. With an $800 limit, which seems pretty good to me (I'm still not used to getting higher limits yet!).

 

I plan on canceling my Green Dot secured Visa soon. It's coming up on a year and I don't want to pay the $40 fee for a card I don't use. It served me very well and got my foot in the door and I am very grateful. 

 

My baddies are hopefully behind me. All I can do now is continue to garden, pay everything on time, and let time do its thing. With the $17K Navy card, I could just garden indefinitely! But I still want to push my FICO score up and I still have some more goal cards I hope to get. 

 

To summarize:

 

As of September 2019:

 

FICO 8: 650-660

Utilization: 67% (will be down to 40-something when the Navy card reports)

Income: $25K (still low!)

Average age of accounts: 5-8 years, depending on the bureau. Oldest account over 20 years.

Baddies: 90-day-late is approx a year old (depending on bureau). Settlement (paid for less than full amount), almost a year old.

Inquiries in last 24 months: TU: 6, EQ: 3, EX: 5 (all these inquiries were generated in the last 12 months).

 

Open Trade Lines: 

Walmart store card: $500

Overstock: $2,250

Navy Fed cashRewards: $1000

Discover It Cash Back: $2000

Navy Fed More Rewards: $17,000

Shell Fuel Rewards store card: $800

 

The bottom line is that even with my low income and high utilization, things are looking up. A big factor (I believe) is that I am using my cards and paying them off promptly. My inquiries could be better, but several of them are going to be a year old in a few months. I hope to garden for at least 3 months (6 months would be better). 

 

Message 9 of 14
calyx
Super Contributor

Re: Settlement and 90-Day Late Recovery Journal (Progress reports etc)

Congrats on all of your progress!  I remember when you just had that greendot.

You've come a long way, baby Smiley Wink

Happy practitioner of AZE7or8or9or10 | Team Finances > FICO
Message 10 of 14
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