No SW alert after multiple paydowns...

[atlastontheroad]

Frustration.

April 27th - last SW alert.

Since then:

Paid down three of four CC's to zero

Paid down UTI to <20%

Before I burn another $12 in frustration - am I just too impatient? 

From what I read here, I thought I'd see a pretty marked increase in scores based on these two factors.  What did I miss?

atlast.....jonesing for credit Zen AND a membership in the 700 club!

[smallfry]

I canceled SW and will only pull EQ before I apply for a mortgage. Its just too frustrating watching it go nowhere and being $13 lighter for my troubles.

[marty56]

May I reccomend Score Watch combined with True Credit.  Both will cost under $20 and TC will allow daily pulls.  Ignore the FAKO TU score but when you see they change on want on the TC repot then buy a real FICO score here.  Others in the Forum do this too.

[smallfry]

You can pull an EQ FICO every other month for the same price as SW. If you decide you do not need a pull pocket the money. After watching this for a bit more than a year I can say your scores will not move much if at all once you get your card balances (utilization) in order. Save your money unless you are in the midst of applying for something important.

[atlastontheroad]

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marty56 wrote:

May I reccomend Score Watch combined with True Credit.  Both will cost under $20 and TC will allow daily pulls.  Ignore the FAKO TU score but when you see they change on want on the TC repot then buy a real FICO score here.  Others in the Forum do this too.

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Marty,

This is exactly what I have: SW and TC 3-in-1.  I pull daily.

I see the balance reductions having hit in the past 5-10 days.  Secured card went from $250 to  $500.  I saw the INQ for my new auto loan hit.  I saw the 8/7/07 INQ drop off early.  All the lovely $0 balances are fun to look at and I ignore the FAKOS. 

HOWEVER

The only score change I've seen since April 27th was to TU.  NO score change either FAKO or FICO to EQ (my lowest at 651) or EX (674).  TU is 678 (682 FAKO - lost 3 points on the INQ, got them back when the old INQ dropped).

New installment loan will report 6/20.

Remaining baddies:  On EQ and EX: Cap1 CO that was paid >4 years ago.  It should fall off sometime between Aug and Oct of this year.  I'm leaving it be.  One EQ and EX: lates, most of which are 30 day from 2002-2003.

TU is squeaky clean. 

I know SW is having "issues" and my patience is clearly wearing thin.  Since starting repair/cleanup in February, score changes have been almost predictable.  Any ideas as to what is stalling it now? 

atlast...

[haulingthescoreup]

Mine finally lurched back into life, but they had to cancel it and re-start it. I haven't grasped why; I'm just grateful that it worked.

As much as I sneer about not using FAKO changes as indicators of FICO score movement, that's interesting that your FAKO EQ hasn't moved either.

I can see that canceling SW and paying for EQ's every other month makes $$$ sense. I'm trying to imagine how long it will be before I can be content with only pulling EQ every other month...

[atlastontheroad]

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haulingthescoreup wrote:
Mine finally lurched back into life, but they had to cancel it and re-start it. I haven't grasped why; I'm just grateful that it worked.

As much as I sneer about not using FAKO changes as indicators of FICO score movement, that's interesting that your FAKO EQ hasn't moved either.

I can see that canceling SW and paying for EQ's every other month makes $$$ sense. I'm trying to imagine how long it will be before I can be content with only pulling EQ every other month...

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Thanks HTSU.  I'm confused (clearly) by it as well.

Since I'm not seeing TC score increases on EQ either, I don't know that it would do the trick. 

I think that what is really puzzling is not seeing score increases when crossing the "magic" 20 pct UTI threshhold.  Next month,  just with the addition of a 5k CC (the secured card becomes unsecured and 5k) UTI goes to 11.4 pct.  With my payment to it, it should be well below 9 pct by next month.

Having paid for a year of SW, does cancelling and restarting make sense for me?  I would hate to loose the visual of the rises since 2/20, but could live with it...

atlast.....

[atlastontheroad]

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smallfry wrote:
You can pull an EQ FICO every other month for the same price as SW. If you decide you do not need a pull pocket the money. After watching this for a bit more than a year I can say your scores will not move much if at all once you get your card balances (utilization) in order. Save your money unless you are in the midst of applying for something important.

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smallfry,

I've been considering just that: pulling more like quarterly as very old baddies (and the last ever lates) age off into the sunset.  Since I don't really plan on any big apps until after March, 2009, this might make the most sense.

Nonetheless, I'm sometimes an instant gratification gal.  Having been rebucketed after losing my last collection last month, I think I may have assumed that I would rise more quickly out of the bucket.

I need a new obsession for the next 9 months or so (grin)...

atlast....

Message Edited by atlastontheroad on 05-31-2008 03:40 PM

[marty56]

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haulingthescoreup wrote:
Mine finally lurched back into life, but they had to cancel it and re-start it. I haven't grasped why; I'm just grateful that it worked.

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Yikes, that seems pretty bad that they would have to do that.  SW missed a 10 point increase and it hasnt said anything to me since May 12 when it reported a 4 poiint decrease.  I am waiting for my only CC with a balance to report a change in utill from 11% to 5% and I hope I see an alert for the score change (if it does infact change).  We will also see if my new auto (TBD as to when) will trigger a report as well.

If I dont get an alert this time I may go down the same road as you did.

[atlastontheroad]

I have something on the order of 20k available credit right now where in February I was holding my breath about making a $200 airfare charge.  Now, I just pay it in cash and if it's not "in the budget" I don't even consider making the purchase.

As I sit here reading, it occurs to me that the huge improvement in financial condition is far more telling than a FICO number.  Having dug out of a financial abyss over the past four years I think I am just going to have to wait for the great healer to do its work.

So, gardening and geneaology will have to suffice.  And I'll see if I can maybe pull 3-in-1 scores say, what?  Twice a week?

(Right.  The next time I can pull is tomorrow 2:03PM + 1 minute)

Still new to "the game," yanno? 

atlast....waiting for the rain to subside before going out and talking to the gardens