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December 2021 Check In Thread

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Kenny
Moderator Emeritus

December 2021 Check In Thread

December-640x360

 

I know you are all hard at work with your credit goals.  Have you progressed as far as you hoped?  Were there any unforeseen expenses that cropped up and may have thrown you off schedule?

 

As a reminder, participation in these monthly check-ins is optional but encouraged. The goal is to help keep you on track, so feel free to post your progress updates here. This is a no-judgment zone; feel free to say what's keeping you up at night or give yourself a Kudo for having it all together.

 

Did you hit any potholes or speedbumps? Achieve some milestones, either small or mighty? Change your goals or add new ones?

 

Let us know how you're doing!

What have been your biggest accomplishments and obstacles so far in the myFICO Fitness Challenge this year?

 

Message 1 of 20
19 REPLIES 19
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

The last month of the year 2021!

Time to plan our strategies rolling into the New Year 2022.

Paying down balances, seeking a balance transfer and ever managing the Holiday spend ... lots to think about.

Feel free to share with us as we look to the next new Year Smiley Happy
Message 2 of 20
Junejer
Moderator Emeritus

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

In November, I apped, and was approved, for two cards. The two EX inquiries dropped my score from 825 to 820. The one TU inq didn't change my score there.

 

I changed the payment date on my Disco to bring it in line with all my other cards. The result: the online system still showed the old due date on there. Thinking my request hadn't taken yet, I paid on the old due date, then used $190 a week or so later and to my surprise had that amount report on the CBs. EQ was really sensitive to that $190 and dropped my score by 5 points to 798.

 

My monthly spend on my SWPC was higher than the previous month by a couple thousand. I always PIF the statement balance and allow the current month's spend to report (I will be changing that philosophy starting this month, as I retool the usage of the cards in my wallet). Couple that with the fact that Citi is still reporting a small balance. At month's end 3 of 6 cards show a balance. I lost 7 points on both EX and EQ. New scores are 813 and 791. The two new cards are not yet reporting. Don't know how this has affected TU. I can't pull that FICO for free until another two weeks or so. My other sources (credit cards) for obtaining TU FICO only update monthly and not very reliably.

 

I have one last baddie (120) on TU due to fall off in short order. I have been loosely tracking and have discovered that they have been falling off somewhere between the 4th and 7th of each month. If this holds true, it will fall off in the next few days. If they don't do that, then it will fall of in January through natural selection. I got +59 from EQ a few months ago when the last one was removed and am hoping for a similar result from TU.







Starting Score: 469
Current Score: 849
Goal Score: 850

Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
Message 3 of 20
Mizqtpye
Valued Member

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

I haven’t checked in in a couple of months…but as I started the year off with this wonderful group of My Fico Fitness Challengers - I am committed to sharing what the year has brought me.  

 

I did not meet my goal of 690 in the FICO scoring, but I am satisfied with where I am (updated scores below) considering I was discharged from BK only a year and a half ago.  I have my main five cards now which I will allow to age and do not anticipate applying for anything else for a while.  I have faithfully practiced AZEO and kept my credit card debt low to nonexistent.  In the months that I was away from updating you all, I was approved for a car loan for my Tesla through Navy (my MBFS lease was paid off and returned), I received a $4K CLI on my Navy Cash Rewards (and it was upgraded to signature whatever that means) and just yesterday I was approved for an Apple Card (4500 limit).  

 

Going into this next year I will focus on growing the limits to my Navy CashRewards and PenFed PCR cards and letting my BK and other baddies age a little more (hopefully time will heal those financial wounds lol).  Unfortunately my Discover card still has not graduated so perhaps I can look forward to that in 2022 and who knows perhaps even get an increase on my Target card.  Financially, I am also going back into repayment on my student loans so I know I will need to maintain discipline with my finances.  I am starting my seasonal job now and will be able to replenish my savings that I had to dip into to move out of an unhealthy living situation.  I am renting now due to the need to leave my prior situation suddenly, so going into the next year I will also try to make up my mind on if I want to purchase a home or keep renting. 

 

All and all, I am happy with where I am and look forward to continuing my financial journey with you all into the next year.  Happy Holidays and early Happy New Years! 



Starting FICO 8: 6/2020: EX 546 - TU 507 - EQ 596
Current FICO 8: 11/2022: EX 695 - TU 676 - EQ 680
2021 Goal Score: EX 690 - TU 690 - EQ 690


Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
Message 4 of 20
Junejer
Moderator Emeritus

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread


@Mizqtpye wrote:

I haven’t checked in in a couple of months…but as I started the year off with this wonderful group of My Fico Fitness Challengers - I am committed to sharing what the year has brought me.  

 

I did not meet my goal of 690 in the FICO scoring, but I am satisfied with where I am (updated scores below) considering I was discharged from BK only a year and a half ago.  I have my main five cards now which I will allow to age and do not anticipate applying for anything else for a while.  I have faithfully practiced AZEO and kept my credit card debt low to nonexistent.  In the months that I was away from updating you all, I was approved for a car loan for my Tesla through Navy (my MBFS lease was paid off and returned), I received a $4K CLI on my Navy Cash Rewards (and it was upgraded to signature whatever that means) and just yesterday I was approved for an Apple Card (4500 limit).  

 

Going into this next year I will focus on growing the limits to my Navy CashRewards and PenFed PCR cards and letting my BK and other baddies age a little more (hopefully time will heal those financial wounds lol).  Unfortunately my Discover card still has not graduated so perhaps I can look forward to that in 2022 and who knows perhaps even get an increase on my Target card.  Financially, I am also going back into repayment on my student loans so I know I will need to maintain discipline with my finances.  I am starting my seasonal job now and will be able to replenish my savings that I had to dip into to move out of an unhealthy living situation.  I am renting now due to the need to leave my prior situation suddenly, so going into the next year I will also try to make up my mind on if I want to purchase a home or keep renting. 

 

All and all, I am happy with where I am and look forward to continuing my financial journey with you all into the next year.  Happy Holidays and early Happy New Years! 


Congrats on all of your hard work. Your scores have come a long way and you got really close to your goal. Glad you put a stretch out there and went for something that would not be easy to attain. The year is not over yet, so who knows. Smiley Wink

 

Best wishes to you.







Starting Score: 469
Current Score: 849
Goal Score: 850

Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
Message 5 of 20
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

From last month the only thing that changed was I had $0 balance reported in Nov compared to 25% in Oct (I get a free FICO score update on the 10th). FICO dropped one point. The CBs are not the protagonist in the credit game. Plan is to have 1% reported tomorrow (my one and only card reports on the 11th) and see what that does.

Lesson learned: appear to be a little less responsible.

Message 6 of 20
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

Just starting on this site. Have been working on reducing all CL balances and all but 3 cards are at $0. Paying down on 2 collections and paying close attention to my mortgage fico score from experian as the is who the company I am planning on using checks. They have been helpful with suggestion on the game plan.

Message 7 of 20
RA26
New Contributor

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

I honestly haven't been as dedicated to paying off things and not using credit as I had been the first 7 months of the year and so. Although someway and somehow we were able to get a Heloc so we were able to replace our roof. Being able to get a heloc was a blessing. We also used it to pay off one of our larger credit cards. Freeing up a rather large chunck of money. Which is going towards both heloc payments and the other debt. We are debating on whether or not to use some more of the money to consolidate some more CC debt. 

 

Even though I haven't been as dedicated the balances are around the same as they were a couple months ago. So that's a plus, right? Plus the husband ended up getting a raise, and has been dealing with a lot of overtime. We were able to wipe out 4 small credit cards. Then another credit card has been bumped from this month to Feb payoff but that will be nice. We also have another two credit cards that will be paid off in this month. They were ones I had paid down and then put 40-60 on them knowing I had the money set aside to pay them off this next paycheck.

 

Between me and my husband some of our cards have been getting CLIs, also. So YAY! Today alone went from 2800 to 4200 and I didn't even ask they just gave it to me. Smiley Happy

 

However, I have 1 kid that started orthodontic work and another kiddo that needs to start but we are holding off for another 3 months. Those payments aren't cheap and will most likely stretch the budget and take up our snowball amounts leaving us not much for extra debt payments.

Starting Score: 633
Current Score: 638
Goal Score: 700


Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
Message 8 of 20
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

@Junejer How do you set up those score and inquiry boxes in your sig line? I know how to do the credit card pics but cant yet due to having the "new" in front of my name at the moment.

 

Message 9 of 20
Junejer
Moderator Emeritus

Re: December 2021 Check In Thread

There’s a thread somewhere. I forget the name. I can find it when I’m back in front of my laptop tomorrow, if you haven’t found it already. You can also right click on one of the boxes and check out the properties.






Starting Score: 469
Current Score: 849
Goal Score: 850

Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
Message 10 of 20
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