My Credit Repair Journey

[UNCForest]

Hi guys,

I thought i'd start this thread for future viewers so they can see a credit repair journey happen from start to finish (well..."finish" is the best term I can think of here). I plan to update it with every bit of new information and change I get. Mods, if this needs to be moved, or whatever, go ahead and do what you gotta do!

I started my credit repair journey just a couple weeks ago, on April 6th, 2007. My starting credit situation:

FACOs:

TU: 516

EX:500

EQ:521

FICO: 4/06/2007

EQ: 467

EX: ?

TU: ?

BAD:

I have 6 COs, one of which paid. Crap 1, WAMu, DP of Ed (old school bill that got charged off and I later paid), applied card bnk.

16 Collection Accounts. Probably 4 agencies total. All medical.

GOOD:

2 student loans starting in '04, all paid as agreed.

Just got an orchard card, just started reporting, 300 CL.

Just got a crown jewelers account, made purchase. Hasnt reported yet, prob wont for a month or two.

WHAT I HAVE DONE THUS FAR:

Online disputes on 4/06/07 for all COs, and most of the collections, except for one company, which had the most recent stuff on it. I may dispute later, but I think i will try to go right for a PFD. All disputes have been online. No responses yet (4/19/07).

I know that right now I'd love to see, in one place, an outline of someone's repair journey. I don't see any that I can find...so Im making one for others in the future.

After my initial round of first disputes, all done online, whatever is left I will use CMRRR DV's and disputes, and re-dispute with CMRRR's to the CRAs, after I get the green cards back from the CAs and OCs.

Wish me luck.

[MadinKS]

Best of luck to ya! Hope the journey's an easy one.

[redbank]

Good luck!! You can do it!!

[MissaFraQ]

Good Luck to ya!! And your right, it would be nice to see a time line from start to end (or whatever hehe)

[acenstace]

Good luck- keep us posted- we learn from one another here!

[UNCForest]

April 27th. One week left on my initial disputes (done online). Havent heard anything back yet.

A minor update...

Though no change in credit reports, I tried to get a chevron card. Found out AFTER i applied that they don't have their credit builder program. deeeeniiieeed. Oh well, I figured that would happen, but I had to try. No more inquiries for me untill i get some deletes. At least I got a free updated equifax report.

[SugarNspice]

Good luck! I hope you get good results!

[malcolmkms]

If you don't mind UNCForest, I'm going to piggyback on this and document my journey as well. I guess I kinda of started this journey 2 1/2 months ago, but I would say I officially started when I found this sight Thursday April 20, 2007. One of the biggest things that is hurting me is Utilization.

FAKO's

EQ: 619

EX: 619

TU: 603

FICO

EQ: 604

EX: ?

TU: ?

BAD:

1 unpaid CO

1 unpaid Collection

1 30 day late as recent as Sept 06, Oct 06

2 or 3 Accounts that we're 30 days late in June 04

2 Accounts that we're 60 90 days late in August 01

4 Accounts we're the utilization is 80-95%

Good

22 Good Accounts

In the last 2 months we've paid off 7 accounts (Dell, Crap One, Casual Corner Group, Dilliards, Lowes, Macy's and Mens Wearhouse) I've also brought another Crap One card down too about 35% of it's credit limit. In total over $7000 for these.

Another account from American General Finance, (a motorcycle I had to have high interest) I've paid down that debt $4000 since Oct 06(doubled up on the payments and put a bonus on it in March) it will be paid off at the end of June.

I've sent out disputes to the CRA's for the baddies (charge off and collection) and sent out goodwill letters for the older slow pays as I haven't been late in a couple of years. I will not good will the recent late payment account until later.

[UNCForest]

It's may 7th. A couple updates...

Well, im a dirty liar...in my last small update, I said I wouldnt apply for another tradeline untill some results started happening. Well, I HAD to try for a target redcard. Found out in the mail today... no-go. Now THAt was my last one, promise. Oh well, it'll be all the more sweet when I finally get them.

Still no results yet from the big3 CRAs. Since it was based on a FACTA, Im assuming all 3 are gonna take 45 days instead of 30. That sucks. Marathon, not a sprint, UNCforest!

My Orchard card is now reporting on all 3 CRAs. Also, Crown Jewelers is reporting on EQ and EX, so far. Cool stuff. Baby steps...

Sucky stuff...two more medical collections were added (I checked with my hospital and these are the last ones, period). So, I knew they were coming. I now have like 7 or so from that one company, and 18 total. I didnt dispute any of this CA's TLs because ... well, im not sure, other than this CA seems to have a bunch of slightly more recent ones. I plan to try to PFD them.

[GonnaChangeMyEvilWays]

I'm enjoying watching the credit repair journey as it happens and am getting a lot of information and inspiration from this thread.

I would even love to see a section on this board called something like, "CREDIT REPAIR JOURNEY" and each person could start their own thread..such as "GONNACHANGEMYEVILWAYS' TIMELINE."

Would be a great way to monitor successes and failures and gain insight into how to deal with individual creditors, JDBs and situations. Just a thought.

[UNCForest]

Sigh...

Just got my results back from my initial, partial and online disputes with Experian. What Imean by all that was that it was my first set of disputes. I only disputed like 7 things. And it was all done online. The first day I startedlearning about credit repair.

All were kept. Some "updated" (yippee ) but all kept. Thats okay...i had a feeling experian would be the toughest. Now that I know more and have read more from you guys and elsewhere, Im really determined. This doesnt sway me at all....im going to go at it after EX even tougher.

Next step with them...well, im open to suggestions. But my plan is to DV all the collection agencies (only 4 or so...10 accounts total). You may ask why Im not DVing all 18 collection accounts. 8 of them, for a local company, i still plan on PFDing. They have very new stuff on me and I dont care to go to court on it. What do you guys think? Would they take me to court? About 8 medical accounts (all my CAs are medical), totaling about 1,000 smackers, ranging in DOFDs from like 2002 to right at dec 2006.

Anyway, the plan is to DV all but that company. Then redispute with experian all those CAs, again, except for that one company, and also re-dispute the COs like crap 1, wamu/providian, etc. I will use a different reason.

[momof5]

OK, the most recent CAs are doing the most damage score-wise. Try to PFD those first. Your best tact is to call the OC, say "honest mistake, overwhelmed by medical bills and missed this one...thought you paid it...etc." Ask them to pull it back from CA so that you can pay them directly.

I have had some success with this method.

Start with the newest CA accounts and work your way backwards.

Keep us posted!

[UNCForest]

Okay...its May 12. As I previously stated, Experian didnt delete anything from my small, initial and online disputes. You know, I really thought I disputed more than just 8 or 9 things. But I didnt.

Anyway, TU just sent me an email telling me that out of the 9 I disputed, 2 were deleted! SMALL steps but I am SO pumped. These are my FIRST results. WOOHOO

Keep in mind, I have roughly 20-23 (or so) baddies on each report. Now Ihave two less for TU. Oh, they were two CAs. Both were about to be gone in sept of this year.

Of my baddies, I have 18 collection accounts (16 on TU, now). For some reason, I only disputed 4 of them. And 2 were deleted. So, with the knowledge ive gained since these initial disputes, i am determined to finish the others off.

Still waiting on equifax.

[UNCForest]

Oh, and Im getting a First Premier Bank card. $39 up front, they'll tack on $150 in fees on a 200 CL card. I dont care, though. I need more good tradelines. I'll let you guys know when it shows up.

And again, moderators, I hope its okay that I am posting these every now and again.

[defpro]

Good going, this will be an inspiration for everyone! I started in April and mirror your results, although I'm not applying for any revoling credit until my FICO is better (520) last time I checked.

Keep at it, take charge.

[GonnaChangeMyEvilWays]

Congratulations UNCforest!

I'm enjoying each one of your posts, especially the successes! I've just started on my own credit repair journey (and one for my DH) and you are a real inspiration.

I just think what you're doing by keeping track of your successes and failures here will be so helpful to all us newbies (present and future). If I get the time, I may start my own credit repair journey thread, inspired by UNCforest.

[UNCForest]

changeevilways, thank you! My goal is to have such good success over the next while that they sticky this thread. :OP

[UNCForest]

Okay, found out in the mail today that EQ is finished with my disputes. Looks as though I didnt "blanket dispute" everything...just about 7 or 8. Only one deleted, an old bank chargeoff that was going to fall off this year. Still good, but of course id like to see better. But, like I said before, no problem, just inspires me to bring out the big guns. ::BigGun::

Sent out the First Premier $39 saturday.

Friday, I sent a letter to EX about old addresses. Asking them to delete the obviously incorrect ones, and to delete the old ones as I am worried about identify theft. I hear EX is the hardest for deleting old addresses. And of course, while I am certainly afraid of ID theft, I am asking them to delete so that it will be less piece of info for them to verify against. I am disputing old addresses with TU and EQ online.

When all 3 of these disputes are done, I will continue with phase two. DV all CAs (but that select group I mentioned earlier) and dispute the CAs with the CRAs, as the Primer tells us to do. At the same time, redispute all COs, but with a different reason then the first. For one, Crap One doesnt even have a date opened on its CO.

[sambabchip1]

i started to get my credit back, at that time i had a BK, J'ment. and 20 baddies.

Today, bk is fell off in 1/07. same for j'ment.

i started with small cl. 200, 300 500, i remenber get my first cc, cost me 200 with a 100 left after fees. but i was worth it. just pay on time, and dont even go close to cl, overlimit and lates will set you back

thx

sam

[matthewscott]

UNCForest, hope you get some good results soon. I know what you mean about the Target card. I used my debit card over there the other day. The cashier asked me if I wanted to apply. I don't know if it was a pre-approval or she just wanted me to apply. I didn't jump on it. I'll have to see how it goes. I might try for that one down the road. I'm trying to just improve what I already have for now and not open anything else. That one was tempting though.

I appreciate you checking in on my other thread. I think it is neat that we can keep up with each other. I really like looking back and tracking my progress. It was really easy to pull out who I need to send the next letters to.

Have you thought about getting a secured card? It might give you a boost. I wanted one from a local bank. I just hope you find something good that works for you. I'm happy with mine. Like I said I really don't need to open anything else for a while.

[UNCForest]

Removed ALL previous addresses for TU and EQ, online. Waiting on EQ to get my address dispute letter. Sending out my first batch of disputes tomorrow.

[UNCForest]

5/18...

Just sent off 4 DVs to 10 of my 18 collection accounts. (The other 8 I plan to PFD, all from one agency).

I also sent one semi-nutcase letter to cap one.

All of them CMRRR. 26 bucks.

[matthewscott]

5/18...

Just sent off 4 DVs to 10 of my 18 collection accounts. (The other 8 I plan to PFD, all from one agency).

I also sent one semi-nutcase letter to cap one.

All of them CMRRR. 26 bucks.

I don't guess you have heard anything yet at it is still a little early. Do you have any other news to share? Just checking in.

[UNCForest]

6/01...

Okay, a few days ago, I got a response to one of my DVs to a collection agency that has like 4 or so of my medical collection accounts. It was a response from the HOSPITAL, the OC, not the CA, and did not mention the CA. No letter...just old bills. I started another thread about this, but didnt really get anywhere.

Today, I got another response from another medical CA...they wrote me a letter, which accompanied what appeared to be possibly a faxed print out of my visit and the bill. In the letter, the CA told me when i was seen, what I was seen for (didnt know they could get that info)...etc. Not sure what to make of it. It wasnt a nasty letter, though, or anything.

Well, some GOOD news... today I checked truecredit...and BAM -- 4 CAs have come off of EQ! All from simply DVing. I hadnt even disputed them.

Speaking of disputes...

Today, I just sent in the 2nd punch of the 1-2 punch (first being the DVs)....sent written disputes to all 3 CRAs, CMRRR. Disputing ALL collection accounts (except that 8 that I am not disputing currently). 15 bucks or so.

I have not yet received a green card from either crap 1 address I sent my semi-nutcase to (sent to 2 diff addresses).

After this, my first round of real, total, CMRRR disputes on my collections, I will tackle the COs.

Matthew, hopefully I willjoin your ranks soon.

[matthewscott]

Matthew, hopefully I will join your ranks soon.

Hey, I'm still a newbie at this.

It looks like you've gotten some good results from you latest efforts. Hopefully, the good news will keep coming your way.

Hang in there. We're in this together. I enjoy checking in on your work. It's fun with our 'tag team' threads.

Keep it up!