I know you are all hard at work with your credit goals. Have you progressed as far as you hoped? Were there any unforseen expenses that cropped up and may have thrown you off schedule?
As a reminder, participation in these monthly checkins 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!
Well Kenny it is good to see you are still with us ... 
As to the MyFico Challenge I am sitting in the garden letting my inquiries age and hopefully my activities of earlier in the year will lessen there hold on my scores. My focus on my scores is only to see if I could hit 850. In truth, I have been able to work things so I have stayed in the 800s for three years (not required for anything). My real goals are personal after spending ten years clawing my way back from a business that did not make it back in 2000.
@Anonymous wrote:Well Kenny it is good to see you are still with us ...
I would be happy if I could even get all 800's across. I think it's awesome that you've been able to keep your scores in the 800's for 3 years! Whoa.
I hope you reach your 850 trifecta sooner than later!
Hello Fico Challengers!
I wish there was some exciting news to report on my credit front, but so far...tumbleweeds.
Fico 8 scores are unchanged:
- EQ - holding at 760
- TU - holding at 770
- EX - holding at 809
Mortgage scores are also unchanged:
- EQ - holding at 727
- TU - holding at 754
- EX - holding at 789
2017 goals:
Reach Fico 8 700+ score across the board. DONE!Get Fico 8 740 or more across the board. DONE!Get Fico 8 760 across the board. DONE!Reach my first EVER Fico 8 800 score! DONE!Get middle mortgage score to atleast 740. DONE!Try to get the three 30-day lates off of my CRs via GW letter. Skipped. Will let fall off naturally from the CRs (Feb/Mar 2018).- Save atleast 5% down for mortgage. 0.5% saved.
Not much, I know, but it's a start. It's obvious to me now that I won't be able to meet this goal by EOY. The best I can do is 4.5% of lowest mortgage amount and 2.5% of maximum mortgage amount by EOY. As long as I have the moola by mortgage app time, I suppose that's all that really matters. Atleast that's what I'm telling myself. 
- Try to get the PIF State Tax lien removed from EQ/TU reports. Filed a complaint against EQ and TU with the CFPB. Still waiting on final results.
- Get all mortgage scores to atleast 760. I expect a small score boost when my newest ccs turn 1 yr (Nov/Dec).
- Get Fico 8 800 across the board. Possible if tax lien disappears on EQ/TU - otherwise, not likely.
- STAY in the garden until close on mortgage.
That's all folks.
Life happens. Adjust accordingly.
Hey, quickest check in thread ever! I love it!
Here are my updates for October:
1). To garden the cards I got last year post-BK, letting those tradelines age and grow. without opening any new tradelines. I had left the Garden for the millionth time last month. Happy to report I'm still in the Garden and I'm all in! My reports are all still on ice. No plans to step out/apply for anything.
2). To continue to manage utilization and reported balances. Doing okay, could be better. Right at 25% so went up a little, but I'm not micro-managing either.
3). To watch my inquiries drop from EQ 6, TU 5, EX 8 down to EQ 3, TU4, EX 4 by June. Still at EQ 5, TU 8, EX 11, all within the last two years. All inquiries remaining are now post-BK. Nothing will fall off until May '18.
4). To pay an extra $100/month on my highest balance and highest interest student loan, which is upside down due to interest accruing while in deferment (I know I should have paid it as I went, but the BK and events leading up to didn't allow for that). On my last two four bi-monthly payments, I've applied $50 extra to that larger balance to make the extra $100 per month. That made quick work of it, so I am happy to report that my highest balance loan is below the original amount! Plan to keep going strong with this plan. More is more!
5). To continue saving about 10% of my gross income each month.Still saving 12.7% of my gross income each month!
Would still like to see one or more of my scores hit 700 by the end of the year at least. We'll see if pure gardening some gardening sometimes serious, sustained gardening and paying down utilization and getting that loan above water will do the trick!
Scores ticked up 1-3 points each this last month:
EQ 680, TU 653, EX 685
Stay strong everyone! 
@Anonymous wrote:
12.7% savings rate is amazing, kudos! That emergency fund is going to reduce credit anxiety so much as the balance inches up. I hope you found a good high interest savings account for it!
Thanks!
Yes, indeed, currently 1.20 APY. As soon as I build it up, though, I'd like to put the max amount in NFCU's EasyStart CD that is 3.00 APY for 12 months. I know I'm not gonna get rich off of that, but my belief is to get what I can get with money that is sitting there.
@Anonymous wrote:I didn't have a chance to check in for September, because I was on a two week trip and was in and out of data range during that time. But, here goes what happened last month:
CC balances:
BofA-- 0/ 5800
Citi-- 0/ 09350
QS1-- 0/ 3000
QS-- 0/ 305
Milestone-- 0/ 300
Chase (closed) 6200/ 8500
AMEX platinum-- 0/NA
Installment loans--all paid on time
Car loan: 2800
Personal loan: 4800
Student loan: 200K
My scores have risen accordingly
EQ: 700 (finally broke into the 700 range!!)
TU: 685
EX: 670
Waiting for INQs and the baddies to age off. Gardening now.
Congrats on the 700!!! And on all those zeros for your card balances!!!