July Check in Thread

[Stanic413]

Checking in. Halfway through the year and doing better than I expected.  Previous goals were getting 3X CLI w/ Amex, limiting spending/paying balances and staying in the garden.  I've been gardening for a month and enjoying it!  I did get my 3X CLI from Amex, which was exciting.  I'm not doing so well on limiting spending/paying balances.  I've made progress but an unanticipated trip popped up and my balances are climbing.  I'm paying more towards CCs than usual, and hoping to continue to do so to help me with the great CC payoff challenge.    By the end of the year, I hope to have gotten CLIs with a few cards, pay down balances significantly and only have a balance on one card to get to my goal of 750. 

[bdhu2001]

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@09Lexie wrote:

Summer is here and the fall will be here quicker than we think.   I know you are all hard at work  with your credit goals.  Have we progressed as far as we hoped?  Were there any unforseen 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. 

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 for 2014?

July check in.  Joined challenge ‎04-24-2014 08:41 AM

As a reminder my goals for 2014 were:

1. I want to improve my FICO score to the 760-850 range. TU bankcard 792; EX bankcard 818; EQ 794
2. I want to buy a new house near my children (keeping my current home as rental property). Have offer out, but contract that returned didn’t show finance contingency.  Waiting for corrected language.
3. The FICO score I want to improve by 9/2014.  I want to be preapproved for a home loan by 11/2014. Pre-approved & offering on homes. 

July updated goals: I’ve met goal # 1 & # 3.  I’m moving forward on goal #2 and will include it; but since that is beyond my control, I’ve set new goals effective July 2014.

1. I want to buy a new house near my children (keeping my current home as rental property). 
2. Save a 2K-3K per month until find new home or rent new place (paying down student loan or debt, will also count toward meeting this goal).  I may rent a place up north so that searching for a new home is easier.  Right now it takes over 15 hours of driving to search for home up North. Also renting may allow us to wait out the summer buying frenzy.
3. Ongoing goal: Maintain a FICO score between 760-850.

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[parkbuilder]

Finally joining the Challenge! Scores were all low 600's beginning of this year then suffered a huge drop due to HIGH utilization.(78% overall). I just paid all accounts down to 30% or less yesterday. Hoping to notice an increase once new reports update!

[ethan17debttackler]

@parkbuilder - Congrats on joining the challenge. I'm sure you'll see a bump in your CS! Keep us updated.

[ethan17debttackler]

Checking in for July...

Reached some much awaited milestones this month! Several baddies I've been working to get off my CR finally came off, brought my utilization back down, and my Barclay MC Rewards gave me an auto CLI. This has allowed me to finally join the 700 club!!

Still working to get the rest of the baddies off as well as to garden current CCs. Patient endurance definitely pays off!!

[Anonymous]

I've been lurking since May. I've finally joined and now this is my first post. I want to say how fantastic these forums are! Using the information from all of you, my credit score has gone from 620 to 717 (TU). I've disputed inaccurate information on my bureaus  and  applied for and received new credit . Because of this site, I finally understand how to use credit to maximize my score. I'm telling my whole family, lol! Anyway, my goal is to get rid of one last medical collection and for my scores to reach at least 750. Thank you all!

[DD60]

The slow erosion os my FICO score continues.  I think I may have found the reason, though.  It was still stuck on 813 in March, where it had been since January 2011.  Then, in March, I made the final payments on all three of my auto loans.  That left me with no installment loans and all my credit cards with no carry-over balances.  The result was a drop to 800 in June and now to 789 in July.  Apparently, being debt free is not good for one's credit rating. 

[aquastell]

I am so JAZZED.

My first (and so far only) CC I opened a secured $49/$200 card from CAP ONE.  I am not enrolled in credit steps because they told me that is by invitation only.  I upped my limit with a $25 deposit at the third month and again last week at the 6th month.  In my 5th month I changed my due date, as I had read elsewhere that this triggers an account review.  So my CL should be $250.  Well imagine my surprise when I logged in today and see

Credit Line: $525

WOOT!  

(Still gardening this one.  But YAY!)

[bdhu2001]

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@aquastell wrote:

I am so JAZZED.

My first (and so far only) CC I opened a secured $49/$200 card from CAP ONE.  I am not enrolled in credit steps because they told me that is by invitation only.  I upped my limit with a $25 deposit at the third month and again last week at the 6th month.  In my 5th month I changed my due date, as I had read elsewhere that this triggers an account review.  So my CL should be $250.  Well imagine my surprise when I logged in today and see

Credit Line: $525

WOOT!  

(Still gardening this one.  But YAY!)

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Congrats

[carrepovictim]

Checking in for July. This is my first checking. My goal for August is to attempt to contact all inquirers on my credit report by writing to them and requesting to remove duplicate inquiries or multiple inquiries from the same agency. I dont know what difference this is going to make but will test and report. 

As goal plus, I am hoping that I can share my letter sample with the community and share the response that I receive from the other party. Is this a good goal ?