April 2020 Check In Thread

[Hut1]

Got a $6K SP CLI upon request for my NFCU MR. Then, decided to app for the AOD FCU VISA Siggy for the 3% CB on all purchases. Approved for $20K @9.99%. 

I did manage to garden from 10/19 - 4/20. I'm in the garden for the foreseeable future since this last card covers what was on my want list. 😊 I'd love to make it until 2022 when all these late payments fall off.  

[EverForward]

Today, I pulled my latest FICO 8 scores through Experian. I'm very pleased to report I'm finally out of the "500's" across the board. NFCU finally reported April 8th, yeah! I'm a year+ post Ch7 discharge, two full months into my 2 revolvers and 3 months into my Self loan. It's like watching paint dry waiting for my scores to increase.

I'm inclined to wait 4 more months before I app for my 2nd NFCU card, and hope my scores improve by then. On the otherhand, given the current conditions, and these scores, is it worth calling NFCU after 91/3 to see if I qualify for a 2nd card or just wait?

Will my score continue to increase, simply by making timely payments? I'm following AZEO and striving to maintain my Util below 2.9%.

Edit:  On second glance that didnt look quite right, , my Util is much higher than 2.9% during the month, to support future CLI. I PIF each charge during the month to show activity, but I am only reporting <2.9% on my Cap1, and $0 on my NFCU nRewards for AZEO, and statement cut purposes.

[Dmessina666]

First post ever. I've been rebuilding since 5/19. In 2016, every account I had went into CO due to my children's Mother passing unexpectedly. In May 2019, I PIF every CA on my report. I had one open installment for my car, which is now closed but has 18 LATES!!! As of today, I have 11 revolving, and one installment. AAoA is showing just under 3 years bc I'm an AU on a very sent Discover. I opened a couple crap cards, Indigo, Credit one, and Cap1 secures at first. I "Gardened" for 6 months, and went nuts one night getting 3 approvals. PayPal Cashback with $2K SL, Barclays Apple Finance with $2K SL, and a Zales store card for $1K. Now, I'm done. I'm currently writing 609 dispute letters doing anything I can to get the CO's taken away, or I wait 3 years for them to fall off on their own. What's killing me is the 18 lates on my PIF closed installment car Loan. I wrote the Prez of the credit union, and they offered to adjust the 3 most recent lates to on time. I guess it's better than nothing, so I'll take what I can get. I'm so glad I signed up for Fico and found this forum. So much good info. Thanks guys, and see ya around. Good luck!!!

PS - May 2019 Fico 493

4/18/2020 - 666, 665, 642

[Hut1]

---

@Dmessina666 wrote:

First post ever. I've been rebuilding since 5/19. In 2016, every account I had went into CO due to my children's Mother passing unexpectedly. In May 2019, I PIF every CA on my report. I had one open installment for my car, which is now closed but has 18 LATES!!! As of today, I have 11 revolving, and one installment. AAoA is showing just under 3 years bc I'm an AU on a very sent Discover. I opened a couple crap cards, Indigo, Credit one, and Cap1 secures at first. I "Gardened" for 6 months, and went nuts one night getting 3 approvals. PayPal Cashback with $2K SL, Barclays Apple Finance with $2K SL, and a Zales store card for $1K. Now, I'm done. I'm currently writing 609 dispute letters doing anything I can to get the CO's taken away, or I wait 3 years for them to fall off on their own. What's killing me is the 18 lates on my PIF closed installment car Loan. I wrote the Prez of the credit union, and they offered to adjust the 3 most recent lates to on time. I guess it's better than nothing, so I'll take what I can get. I'm so glad I signed up for Fico and found this forum. So much good info. Thanks guys, and see ya around. Good luck!!!

PS - May 2019 Fico 493

4/18/2020 - 666, 665, 642

---

[GApeachy]

---

@Hut1 wroteMy Equifax is bullet-proof. Doesn't go down.. doesn't go up. 🤨

---

Lol, did you transpose your eq numbers?  (9 pt increase?)

[Hut1]

---

@GApeachy wrote:

---

@Hut1 wroteMy Equifax is bullet-proof. Doesn't go down.. doesn't go up. 🤨

---

Lol, did you transpose your eq numbers?  (9 pt increase?)

---

It fluctuates between those two numbers, but it's unphased by new accounts or inquiries. On the contrary, both TU & EX will take a nose dive to either event.  😑

[Trudy]

---

@Hut1 wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

What is equifax doing to mess things up?

---

Welcome to the world of Equifax!

---

My Equifax is bullet-proof. Doesn't go down.. doesn't go up. 🤨

---

EQ for me is also bullet proof and more inclined to pull me up.  TU, FICKLE as hell and EX is just lazy.  Doesn't do much.

[M_Smart007]

---

@Trudy wrote:

---

@Hut1 wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

What is equifax doing to mess things up?

---

Welcome to the world of Equifax!

---

My Equifax is bullet-proof. Doesn't go down.. doesn't go up. 🤨

---

EQ for me is also bullet proof and more inclined to pull me up.  TU, FICKLE as hell and EX is just lazy.  Doesn't do much.

---

Gotta just Love those pictures!!! ... about sum's it up for me

[Curious_George2]

In April, I acheived all of the monthly goals I set out for myself. 

Kept myself and my family safe from the pandemic. I'm also grateful to live in a community that is doing a good job of controling the spread of Coronavirus. Most people around me are following the advice of public health officials in most ways, and the results have been relatively good.

Increased my cash reserves a bit, as planned. In truth, this happened automatically because DW and I are fortunate enough to have kept our jobs and our income intact (so far) and the stay-at-home order has greatly curtailed our spending.

Joined two new credit unions. One, NFCU, is legendary around here and needs no explanation. I also wanted to diversify a bit, so I conducted an exhaustive search for a second new CU. The one I chose is Dow Chemical Employees' CU, out of Midland, Michigan. It's small and apparently somewhat conservative, but I like that they seem to take seriously their stewardship of their members' money. As a bonus, I wrapped up my new-to-MF app spree by picking up DCECU's Low Rate Visa which is my first card ever with a fixed interest rate. I know "fixed" doesn't mean "forever," but I like adding this card to my collection. I'm pretty happy with my current portfolio of three CU memberships.

As a bonus, I also made progress on the goals I had set for myself before the pandemic. Thanks in part to the steady income and decreased spending mentioned above, and in part to the amazing BT features of my brand new NFCU Platinum card, I paid less CC interest this month than I have in many years: $85 across all cards DW and I hold. I know that seems high to some people here, but it's about 1/4 of what we paid in December 2019 and less than 1/10th of what we paid at our peak, a year before that. I know it was stupid to dig ourselves into such a big hole, but I'm feeling pretty good about the progress we have made recently. Reducing CC interest expenditures by 90% in a year and a half is a major accomplishment and a big step towards financial fitness.

Goals for the month ahead: Stay healthy, stay employed, stay in the garden and pay less than $40 in CC interest. 

[Anonymous]

My scores went up about a average of 50 points. My goal is to be a member of the 700 club by the end of the year. I am now in the high 500's I paid off four bills.. two collections and two credit cards and will do a pfd on a collection next month  and working on getting the collections removed fromy reports.