March Check In Thread

[09Lexie]

The month of March means we are one-third into the new year.  How are your plans for being financially prepared coming?

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-judge 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!

[Anonymous]

My first time participating in this, really excited to see if it helps. Recently medically seperated from the military and while I was in I took some terrible loans out that I could not afford and had them fall into collections, but just the other day got ahold of Experian and found out a few other peoples credit was being reported onto mine as well. I am also disputing a couple of the things. The good news is, that in just 3 days my score went from a 430, to a 486 (still terrible I know) Just opened a secured credit card as well, so heres hoping to being able to get on the right track. Thanks!

[Reighn9]

I didn't understand before how these scoring systems worked,and that I've watched closely for a month I am really confused. As I said when I started this challenge, last summer my scores werein the mid 700s and I had extra expenses from a severe hail storm that dropped them. Anyway I've been paying down balances and my scores go up and down all month.  I make a small charge of $200 and payments totally $1300 but my score drops instead of going up because my balance decreased.  My overall bankcard balances are substantially lower this month than when reported at the beginning of this challenge,yet my scores are about the same. I haven't got a clue how this system works.

[Dreamer13]

This month's goal is to payoff another Navient loan.  I'm down to two left which total approximately $3000 and Im attacking the one whose balance is $1085.Hopefull in April's check in I will be down to the last one.

I lost 3 points on Equifax - going in wrong direction. It was due to inquiry from car loan on Saturday so expected. While I want a higher score right now, I know that my short term goal is to pay off Navient which frees up cash to paydown credit cards which will (eventually) reduce utilization and increase scores. So in the meantime I'll keep swimming and swimming.

[Anonymous]

Goal still remains to stay 2015 in the garden. Do not need any new credit. Need to get the DTI lowered and utilization down (made progress in the last thirty days). Further, looking to get the inquiry count lowered (that has happened too - some dropped off). Decided to stay the course for this month and not close any credit cards even though two lenders have been watching my accounts due to the opening of a Barclays card last May 2014.

[clumsymoon]

Yesterday I noticed my car making a funny noise and it felt like it was slipping between gears. I hope that I do not have to replace the transmission or anything else too costly. I have an appointment for Friday to see what's wrong. I want to stay on track paying down my debt so I am hoping that I do not have to add to it.

[Anonymous]

So this is new for me and I am taking a chance and trying something new because I have heard great things about this site and also read alot of success stories  and I want that. 

I recently got married, started a new job and now of course my husband  and I want to buy a home. I made very poor financial decisions in my college years, which is now still effecting me. I have started to take to take steps in the right direction, just need more help. 

Current: EX 602, TU 618, EX 614 

Goal: 750+

[coffeegal]

So January was a great month for me, February -- not so much scorewise.  I was able to see the results of having tax liens and old collections removed from my credit reports.  The timing was great, as I needed to replace my old car.  February was a month of change.  I paid off my old auto loan, opened a new one, closed my stupid FP MC, and my J Crew card finally saw a CLI, going from $740 to $4940 (yay!).  My scores literally change daily with new items reporting, and other items going away.  In January, I opened an AMEX BCE and a Green card, as well as a Visa from my CU (preapproved/offered to me from the same HP as my new auto loan).  All of the ups and downs in my scores were within 1-5pts -- no big deal, however yesterday my old auto loan reported as paid on EX and caused my score to drop 25 points!  I am very bummed to say the least.  I am now waiting to see another anticipated drop in score when my new auto loan reports later this week or next (I just made my first payment yesterday).  

So -- all that said, while I am sad to see my scores drop after they've seen some big jumps up, I have to remind myself that I am in a much better place financially and though my scores are not where I want them to be, I believe they will be in time.  So, at this time, I am gardening, gardening, gardening.   

[missindependent]

Found out I went up 5 points today  

[MarineVietVet]

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@coffeegal wrote:

So January was a great month for me, February -- not so much scorewise.  I was able to see the results of having tax liens and old collections removed from my credit reports.  The timing was great, as I needed to replace my old car.  February was a month of change.  I paid off my old auto loan, opened a new one, closed my stupid FP MC, and my J Crew card finally saw a CLI, going from $740 to $4940 (yay!).  My scores literally change daily with new items reporting, and other items going away.  In January, I opened an AMEX BCE and a Green card, as well as a Visa from my CU (preapproved/offered to me from the same HP as my new auto loan).  All of the ups and downs in my scores were within 1-5pts -- no big deal, however yesterday my old auto loan reported as paid on EX and caused my score to drop 25 points!  I am very bummed to say the least.  I am now waiting to see another anticipated drop in score when my new auto loan reports later this week or next (I just made my first payment yesterday).  

So -- all that said, while I am sad to see my scores drop after they've seen some big jumps up, I have to remind myself that I am in a much better place financially and though my scores are not where I want them to be, I believe they will be in time.  So, at this time, I am gardening, gardening, gardening.   

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Wise words indeed!