Late check-in! January went quite well. Got to see big jumps to all my scores after putting my bonus to CCs at the end of December.
Today, I mailed 8 GW letters to Citi to try to get 3 30 days dropped from my CR (my only lates!) and feeling pretty good about my letter. May need to add more addresses next month. Now to wait patiently and see how they go. They raised my CL from $6500 to $8500 in January without asking, so being optimistic! (Got two other cards to go up $500 each too!)
I took advantage of a Disco balance transfer last month which helped me get my Amex util down a bit and I've already paid half of the transfer off in about 3 weeks. 
They offered me another of the same BTs -- as soon as I finish paying off Jan's, I'll do the same routine again. I've also started using/PIF my Disco card in an effort to show activity and MAYBE convince them of a CLI, so I can transfer more in these BTs. I was denied a CLI last month based partially on inactive use of card.
I am diligently paying down my Amex (where most of my outstanding debt is) and plan to pay off some smaller balance cards this month to have more cards reporting $0. Working towards AZEO! Hoping to get there next month.
Scores dipped a tiny bit last week but not concerned. Job situation is currently in flux but feeling okay as I have emergency savings now 
and know I can weather some storm, should it come. At least I hit my health insurance deductible already so I can save some $ there at the moment? 
Work has been slow but we had a good few weeks and I've used those paychecks to further pay down my balances. Had one card I paid to zero but the danged trailing interest caught me by surprise so it reported a balance. Early next month I should be at AZE2 (All Zero Except Two). I didn't buy the car I was looking at. Someone else grabbed it a couple days before I was ready to pull the trigger. Mixed blessing because that freed up some money to further pay down debts, which will make my scores look good, but also means I'm too broke to make a down payment if the perfect car pops up next week, lol. Between slowly pounding down the balances and aggressively increasing my total CL over the past few months, my utilization is starting to look pretty good.
BAL CL UTL
Sep 5731/15370 37%
Oct 5225/15370 34%
Nov 4373/15370 28%
Dec 4466/17370 26%
Jan 4062/22850 18%
Feb should come in below 10%. Projected end-of-month after payments post and all cards report:
Feb 3046/33350 9%
Starting Score: EQ8 680, TU8 713, EX8 701
@mgood wrote:Work has been slow but we had a good few weeks and I've used those paychecks to further pay down my balances. Had one card I paid to zero but the danged trailing interest caught me by surprise so it reported a balance. Early next month I should be at AZE2 (All Zero Except Two). I didn't buy the car I was looking at. Someone else grabbed it a couple days before I was ready to pull the trigger. Mixed blessing because that freed up some money to further pay down debts, which will make my scores look good, but also means I'm too broke to make a down payment if the perfect car pops up next week, lol. Between slowly pounding down the balances and aggressively increasing my total CL over the past few months, my utilization is starting to look pretty good.
BAL CL UTL
Sep 5731/15370 37%
Oct 5225/15370 34%
Nov 4373/15370 28%
Dec 4466/17370 26%
Jan 4062/22850 18%
Feb should come in below 10%. Projected end-of-month after payments post and all cards report:
Feb 3046/33350 9%
You are making amazing headway. At your current rate you may even see some positive score movement
@Anonymous wrote:You are making amazing headway. At your current rate you may even see some positive score movement
I'm gonna take hits for too many inquiries and too many new accounts opened. But those are small slices of the pie compared to utilization, so I'm hoping to see some upward movement on those scores. I have one foot in the garden while still looking for the right car at the right price, lol.
Scores have essentially plateaued with a 1 point or 2 increase here and there. I've been maintaining util below 3% at statement cut, then PIF, across all 4 CC.
Last CC app was nearly 8 months ago, 2 of my initial inquiries, from Cap1 and NFCU, hit 12 month mark as of this month. TCL just over $7k. I am one 13 months into active rebuild resulting from my Ch7 filing Dec 2018 (discharge Mar 2019).
I plan to app for NFCU More Rewards CC in the next month or two, thereafter request CLI on my NFCU cashRewards (last CLI Aug 2020). Later this year, I plan to replace my expiring Self loan with a NFCU SSL loan.
