I agree with your take on retirees have no children with no debt really there’s no need for life insurance. Lately I’ve been told that life insurance can be use like a saving acct where in case of emergency or medical needs and nursing home care you can withdraw from your policy . I’ve have never heard of this before , is this some sort of a scam? Thank you
Thank you for the share. Very nice journey. Sounds like because you are able to generate income plus be responsible, you were able to keep credit score at a good rate. Encouraging! I’m still slightly confused about the travel hack thing, revolving credit cards, and thought you weren’t suppose to carry more than 5-7 at a time, and not let any close because it drops your points significantly (all of course only methods for those not spending above their means). Of course if life throws a huge curveball, then that’s a different matter which can adversely effect credit score, along with other more serious issues. Granted you are able to make payments in time, not pay interest, is it still important, even if financially well off to not have more than the 7 cards. Also, yes heard the mixed credit is important. What if you cannot yet afford a mortgage, then it’s not posisble to get that mixed/diversified line of credit to help with credit score?
I have a couple of credit cards with fees. One of them is $100 a year! The charges are broken down to a monthly fee. It has a zero balance ($1450 limit) and paying that fee is honestly a pain. Can I cancel that card?
Thank you for the great advice. I am in escrow and don’t want to apply for any new credit at this time. I have 18 inquiries on my credit report (all 3) more than once or twice, I am challenging them through letters obtained through Lexington Law Firm.
Thanks for sharing this fantastic list of websites for saving money. I will definitely try these tips to spare some money. I would suggest you to add Dealsshutter website as well as it helped me alot in saving alot of money on online shopping. Just a suggestion in case you need an updated article!!
What can I do if I go in a business partner and opened a company credit card under our personal names as joint account ? The on reason I did it it’s because his credit is bad and mine is 800 credit score. He promised to pay for it when he use it. Now we’re not really in good terms but he charged up $8500 on the credit card I never seen nor activated it. When it arrived he opened it and activate the credit card with his name on it but technically both card is under my name didn’t even know it arrived. What else can I do beside taking him too Court?
All of this is old information. Nothing new. We all know this umless your 17 years old. LTV, down payment, credit scores etc.
Tell us something we dont know for once. Same information over and over and over.
I was hacked back in January/February. I lost access to all my bank accounts, my investment accounts and noticed very very odd issues started to arise. I lost followers from fakebook and instascam. I still haven’t been able to fix everything. They cloned the SSID network service and then ran overlay software to monitor my passwords and the accounts. Also when I would try to call my bank it kept making sounds as if they’re listening; it happened five times back to back. Totally not cool.
I need help, my wife is being sued by a collection agencies attorney, i’ve offered a settlement of nearly 30% but they refused, debt is almost 6 years old. What should i do? Can anyone help?
It will drop off your credit report in (7) years. Don’t allow them to bully you. Ask them how much did they buy the account for and pay that amount. I can assure you they paid pennies on the dollar. I wouldn’t pay!
I use ultra mobile. I pay 29 each month, always have internet, service, and can call the Dominican Republic everytime I el want with no issues it alse has wifi calling that when I’m in the DR I can receive and make calls withought roaming. If you want roaming you can add 5 dollars as you need it. Remember to check your coverage. I live in ALPHARETTA, GA.
I went from Verizon to Choice then now I have Straighttalk and paying $66.00 a month I don’t get service were I live if I want to make a call it says I’m roaming so I have to pay extra another $15 so in reality you really don’t save money
I recieved a collection letter about five years ago. The bill was for electronic equipment totaling over $4000.00 . Not mine. When I contacted them for the address of the bill they said It was Kentucky. Never lived in Kentucky and never been to Kentucky. No intention of paying this bill.
I disagree with your 4th choice of Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card. I’ve had this card for quite some time now and it’s not that great. Trust me, 1.5% back on all purchases is nothing to get excited about. Why didn’t you look into Discover’s offerings? They have several cards that are equal or better than Capital One Quicksilver. Also, the airline miles rewards offered some Discover Cards beats anything that Quicksilver could ever offer. Pick a new #4.
Bank closed my credit account which had excellent payment history bcuz I had $0 balance for 14 months my credit score was dropped 48 points as a result I paid off 2500 in debt $$600 more than than the closed Account credit limit these improve my credit usage and available credit but my score only went up 22 points. This is predatory
Thanks for helping me understand what credit repair companies do and how they work. I find it interesting to learn that they can diagnose a credit report and figure out if there are inaccuracies on it, so they could get removed. My friend told me that having bad credit has affected his lifestyle and he’s looking for a way out of it. I’ll share this with him so he could consider hiring a company for credit repair.
I got 2 phones, one free with purchase in a 2 year contract coming off of a 50 per month unlimited plan with smart phone, att said it would be same price but they lied!! I pay 248 per month for 2 iPhones with unlimited service, with 43 dollars going towards the one phone that was not free, I cannot wait to get out of this it nearly kills me every month!! Then add direct tv for another 150 per month, part of the deal, for one year promo price but doubling in August!!!! What can I do???
Have you heard about cable pass and I think HD Streamz. It’s an app you use with fire stick but I’m not sure if that’s the name of it. Cable pass is an app where you can get thousands of channels for $17 a month and you can share with family. They say you have to jailbreak your fire stick but I haven’t so far. I don’t know who your internet provider is but I have Spectrum which was running a promotion at the time for $40(normally $80). I hope this helps. If I find the exact name of the other one, I’ll try and find you. It has 4,000 channels. Good luck.
I have 1 bankrupcy from 11 yrs ago that did not even remove anything? I did it myself and made a mess. Then a attorney did my bankrupcy approx. 2 yrs ago. These things are keeping my credit a mess. Do you know how i could remove the old ona?? Thank you. Peggy Wagner
The authoress told us that we should not close old accounts when they are paid down. That is true, as age of credit figures into your credit score.
However, she advised people to cut up their older cards if they are afraid that they’ll run up the balance again.
Freezing cards into a block of ice would be a better ploy.
You would be able to periodically use the card(s) for a small purchase that you can pay off promptly — after purposefully going through the inconvenience of thawing that block of ice.
If, however, you cut up any older card(s) the issuer(s) could close any of those card accounts due to lack of account activity. That would cause you to have a decreased length of credit history when the card eventually falls off of your credit history. Never let your OLDEST credit card get closed due to inactivity. As stated above, that can reduce the length of your credit history once the card falls off your credit history — plus, that will decrease your amount of available credit, which will increase your overall credit utilization if you happen to carry a balance on any of your revolving credit.
So, freeze those cards, making it difficult to use them willy-nilly — yet allowing you to make periodic small purchases which you pay off promptly. Do not allow any of your cards to be closed due to inactivity. That can work against you.
I have multiple credit cards and all of them up to date with some balance and a never missed a payment, my question my score it was 760 and now like 688 , my question why’s the score goes down if everything paid before time I think the score should not be effected even if you have a balance. Thanks
Are you OVER 30% usage of your total credit card limits? If your total debt amount owed is over 30% of your total credit limit amount, this could be 1 reason it is going down.
I hired a credit repair company. They have now charged me $699 for the first month, yet nothing has been removed or repaired. Is this legal, if so what am I paying for…?
I had two ER accounts one which was covered by insurance. We repeatedly gave them the insurance info, but they claimed we didn’t and sent both accounts to court for judgement. I paid over two thousand dollars to the collection agency. Should I have not paid. What are the ramifications if I didn’t pay after the court judgement?
A well thought out, over funded whole life insurance policy can totally eliminate banks all together! It’s called Infinite Banking and it was a concept first introduced by R. Nelson Nash. You have to make sure you’re getting the right policy so he started the R. Nelson Nash Institute, where you can get policies that fit, you never have to use a bank again, through the policies you become your own banker and when you need money you lend it to yourself at 5% interest and always bank be your own best costumer and pay yourself back promptly, then you are continually adding to your assets. He had written many books and has a ton of YouTube videos of speeches, lectures, interviews on how Infinite Banking works!!! Check it out if you want to be free of banks forever!!!
To understand credit has been a difficult task being that there are so many hidden secrets. I am learning that credit is a different walk in this life and it is not so simple as it sounds.
I want to have a good credit rating but don’t want to use a credit card. This article is totally a big help for me. I’ll try to do what you said here to accomplish my goal. Thanks for sharing this article.
Yes, I think that it’s better to figure out first what you CAN Afford to pay and start there to reduce your business. Thanks for sharing this article. I’ll follow what you said here.
Thanks for sharing this article. I’ll definitely consider what you said here. These tips are all very helpful for me to pay bills. This article is very useful.
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Nice article. Especially for the young out there. I am old (by many younger standards. 65 to be exact). I started both at work with a 401K back in the day. And privately on my own. I also invested in Rental properties by acquiring one duplex and eventually turning that into about 12 duplexes. (24 rental properties). I manged them at first. But eventually turned them over to a Property mngt company. (Best thing I ever did) . OK..Here’s my advice to those starting out..It is not easy. It requires Discipline and attacking wealth growing from a..variety of angles. Invest in things you know and are comfortable with. When I was young I invested in things I know people needed. People must eat, they must have a place to stay and they need healthcare (hint..invest in medical industry including the pharma side, technology, nursing aides, homes, ect). Only use 10% of your money in speculation or chance investments. Good luck to all of you.
Interesting perspective on flipping leverage positions. My question is; is scoring done with the same mathematical model? Do banks, car loans and Mortgage companies look at credit the same way? And if they are, why are scores always different?
Annualcreditreport.com is NOT as cooperative as you may think. Nor is EQUIFAX. Both make it extremely difficult to get your file(s) online, without jumping through one or more onerous processes. They protect one another. It’s stacked against you, the consumer.
First Premiere Bankcard is by far the worst card to have, even after paying them on time for a year, they wanted to charge me a 3% charge on an increase. I paid their asses of and cut up the card.
Lexington law is the most useless company I have ever had the displeasure of working with, i couldn’t recommend them to my worst enemy ,, yes they send letters to creditors but at least for me,, they were not truthful letters. I had them 8 months and have accomplished far more in 2 months by myself then they ever have
I have an issue with the big 3 credit report agencies. I have a 580 score in all three…one of them never moves no matter what. A brand new car…all payments made on time…5 credit cards all paid in full every month to avoid interest. Yet score barely goes up. Looking to trade in my car for another one and all they seem to do is look at the lowest score and not the payment history. Am I doing something wrong??? I make 65k a year…same job for 28 years..total credit limit is 5k on all my cards…which I repeat I pay off in full every month
Hi
I purchased a vehicle in 2017 it was totaled out in May of this year my insurance company paid and gap paid and they still negatively reported on my credit bureaus I was late paying. For example on Experian they reported 60 days late and paid on Equifax they reported that I was 90 days late and paid off, and on Transunion they reported that I was current and still owed $10,644.00.. I have also paid off three small debts and my credit score is still below 565 it should have gone up it has been 30 days since I have paid those debts off What should I do?.
The “authorized user” strategy will not work as easily as you make it sound. Companies are now owned by larger conglomerates whose CSRs will not just simply add another user’s name to the account. They now recommend that a user order merchandise under the cardholder’s account number with proper permission.
Most parents will tell their children to avoid debts at all times. However, that does not mean that they should not have credit cards as long as they are responsible enough to make the monthly payments.
You can have a couple of credit cards, but use them mostly for emergencies. In essence only charge the amount you can pay off in one month. This will help your credit score increase.
[…] of the best tips for negotiating a house purchase is to know what a home is worth. The value of the home and what it sells for are two different […]
So we should start a movement in the government against both sides because what the hell do we have insurance for i haven’t had accident in 20 years and my insurance company doesn’t appreciate that.
I’m very interested in all the information I’ve obtained from you. I’m going to use the credit pros you recommended however I do have a question. If things stay on your credit report for 7 years, how can credit pros change/fix that?
After being in the finance industry for more than 30 years, I’m convinced that, if people stopped trying to live beyond their means, they would be much better off with 90% less debt. Nevertheless, paying off a collection account is debatable. When I was managing a national finance company, no one’s score went up by even a single digit after paying off an account. FYI, collection agencies will accept as low as 25% at times, and they will still earn their 29% fee from the original creditor as well.
And they report the accounts as fully paid and charge offs. Still negative! I’m now using The Credit Pros to clean up my credit report. Just started and already one unknown account I didn’t recognize has been taken off. I thought after the National Debt Relief negotiated and paid my creditors, I’ll be A-ok. Wrong! !However, it feels good not to be harassed by collection agencies.
PEOPLE BEWARE. YOUR CREDITOR SELLS YOUR ACCOUNT TO A COLLECTION AGENCY. YOU MAKE ARRANGEMENTS AND PAY THEM OFF, WELL, GUESS WHAT. THEY HAVE YOUR MONEY AND NO ONE (I MEAN NO-ONE) EVER HEARS ABOUT IT. i DID THAT WITH ONE OF MY HUSBANDS BILLS. I NEVER RECEIVED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IT WAS PAID AND NEITHER DID THE COMPANY THAT HE ORIGINALLY OWED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. I REFUSE TO PAY A COLLECTION AGENCY. PERIOD!!
I WAS WONDERING WHAT KIND OF PROOF OF PAYMENT THESE COLLECTION AGENCIES GAVE YOU IF YOU PAID THE DEBT OFF. THANKS FOR THIS TIP. NO WAY TO EVEN KNOW IF THEY WERE GOING TO MARK IT “PAID” ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT. WHY EVER PAY THEM? MAYBE PAY THE ORIGINAL DEBTOR AND GET WRITTEN PROOF OF PAYMENT SO THAT YOU COULD SUBMIT THAT TO THE CREDIT BUREAU. DON’T PAY UNLESS YOU GET THAT.
I too believe that you should avoid paying a collection bureau. I would send the payments directly to the CREDITOR. No one else. I am not an authority on finances but have read & experienced being sent to a creditor in past years…but I’m older & wiser now. Call the creditor directly & arrange to make pmts. Even if they tell you you’re in collections…make small pmts & send higher amts. if able to. Tell them that. This way you are paying down debt directly to the creditor. I myself am doing such a thing for Co-payment to a hospital. I don’t want to use any credit cards, I have enough available. I just find it easier to pay directly than to pay interest. Hope this helps.
Credit one and its daily interest was a turn off for me. And they tell you that you have a certain credit limit and they deduct before you get the card. So my beginning 300.00 limit on the card went immediately to 225.00 because they took an annual fee. I cut it up and sent it back. My score has gone up from very low 5s to mid 6s so I think my next card will be secured. My Capital One Mastercard is fine for now.
I live in California where the statute of limitations is four years. Last time I paid on a credit card was four years and two months ago. Does that mean the statute of limitations has run out on these cards? Is there another starting point for the statute of limitations?
I received my credit card two months ago, with my poor credit I received a visa with a 20,000.00 credit limit with no fees or deposits required. I obtained a cash advance of 10,000.00 and went to the casino in Tampa and with the cash advance, I won $5000,000.00. I paid the credit card off. All has changed for the good.
Two derogatory items were removed from my reports, I was issued a new credit card and I transferred a balance over for 0% interest. My insurance company sent me notice my premium was reduced for the next term, usually it goes up every year but never down. Moving my credit score into a higher score card has added benefits just like this article indicates.
A good idea is to rent the car you’re thinking of buying. Go to your nearest Hertz and rent the car for the weekend. You’ll get a good idea of the workings, seat comfort, etc.
If your smart STAY AWAY FROM THE DEALERS ON RT22 IN NJ,you will be glad you did. They are the biggest bunch of thief and don’t give a hout about what they sell you,even if you can’t afford it. NEVER,NEVER,NEVER give any salesperson your Drivers Luc. Or Credit Card to go to the finance manager to check ,to check what,they now have control over you .you won’t leave without the item(s) they will get lost so you will sign any contract they put in front if you after a hour or so wIte.
I had a car repossessed in 2014. I made arrangements to pay back some. Then my husband died in 2017. I recently got a letter demanding the amount I owe. I am a widow and a Senior citizen. I have nothing, no property,nothing. Can they come after me after this long?
Consumers seldom benefit from misleading sites that collect all your information then sell it to multiple other companies who will bother you for a long time to come. The dishonest nature of an info collector/seller is a bad way to attempt to begin any business relationship.
MYTH #5: Have to disagree, John.
I was a credit and collections manager for years, for a very large CA. If people want to move on with their lives, let them do so with their money in their pocket, where it belongs. Just because a debtor has made a mistake, it doesn’t mean making another one by paying greedy and predatory collection agencies. 25 years in the business.
I have been with the Credit Solution Program since 2012. I must say I am quite honoured to be able to have ” doors ” open to me that were unattainable in the past.
I read all the information Mike sends my way, through The Credit Solution Program and he is a genius !
The tools he enables you to use at your convenience, and time frame do work. You must put forth the effort to he,p yourself as well.
Listen to his wisdom of Credit, Banks, Mortgages, and especially your Credit Report. These subjects are his maven. He has proven, time and time again, to me anyway, that if you follow his instructions, his advice or his ” storues” ( which are fabulous examples) you will be in a great position to raise your Credit Score.
I’ve been with the Credit Solution Program since 2012, as I mentioned, and I still find his advice valuable, interesting, and most of true.
My chapeau is off to all of you associated with the Credit Solution Program. 🙂
Thank you for keeping me abreast of the” solutions”, that various questions come across my desk. I am a life member. The Credit Solution Program teaches me something new with every e-mail I receive.
Listen and follow the instructions on how to increase your Credit score:)
Credit One’s security stinks. I also have 2 cards with them and have been hacked at least 2 times and they have to cancel the card and reissue. I have never been late etc. and have had problems with them since day one. The problems are with the visa card not mastercard. They do up my credit limit but I always have to pay them to do that. It was $14.95 at first now they are up to $19.95. I have started saying no to this.
One thing I didn’t see covered was the fact that having a perfect record doesn’t mean lower premiums. Insurance co. see people with a perfect record as an accident waiting to happen. This was told to me by a State Farm agent.
I have paid loan for Firstcitizen s bank
But shows up my credit report change off un paid
Called the bank couple times they don’t even talk to me
I have all paper works
Shoul I go to court or what’s the best option
It’s damaging my business terribly
File a written complaint with all three credit credit bureaus along with copies of of your documentations. Also in the future you should make removing the negative it a condition of paying off the debt.
I really liked your tip to question anything that may seem off or extra in your medical bills, because sometimes mistakes are made and you may be charged a bit extra. My son has been in the hospital since last Monday, and I am trying to sort out the medical bills. I will be sure to question anything that looks “off.”
I have been carrying balances for years. I am now 72 years old. I have paid my minimum due on time which paid my interest for most. I had a high interest loan that I took out 6 years ago and paid it off. Took out another one with the same company. I felt I gave them more than enough money in interests paying off the old and new loan. 3 months ago I ran into financial stress. Paycheck to paycheck. I stopped paying my credit cards and the loan. A so called attorney sent a letter. The loan is 3000 the interest is 3000.
I agree with Dr. Breeder. I agree. Credit should be based on how you pays your bills period!! All of these other variables are impossible to keep up with and most people don’t even know about them. Scoring credit needs to be simplified because the current system isn’t fair. I pay all of my bills on time but my friend who filed bankruptcy has a higher credit score than me because of credit card balances. Go figure!!
Credit shot up 32 pts just for being added as an authorized user on an established card higher limit card and it has 0 Utilization at the moment. It works!
I’ve been following your credit advice for several years. My spouse and I have been able to progress from a very poor 480 to now consistently grounded at 802. You have a few recommendation on how to get to 850 Club. We are moving I that direction Thank you for this live changing program.
The term “authorized user” is nebulous. I don’t know where you got your information, but many retail stores will not just simply add someone to an account. The account holder *may* pay for someone else’s purchase, but that’s about it.
Recently two of credit bureau were sued for lying to customers and that should give you insight about damages this has done to a lot of us.Before i came across freedom_hacking [at]hot mail .com ,my recent survey shows that men with credit score challenges are more than women.
My ex wife till the divorce had her score too good before she took off,and since then i have do away with late payments but recently i got a letter from collection that im being garnished for her debt and the decree states she is solely responsible for that bill which made me put her on call and during the conversation i got to know she has been bankrupt, $9000 repo which will be settled by me.
i am with a mortgage of $970 that has been late,went into collections which has impact on my score,all this are set backs for a good credit achievement
i am indebted to Freedom who came to our rescue by shooting up my score,all payments paid,repo removed in a matter of days.
it can only get worst if you allow it,no one will be liable to your ignorance.whatever way or method used is not necessary but the result achieved.
Have you ever read the reviews on InboxDollars and Leapforce? They have acquired so many negs that one should carefully read them before applying. Maybe your readers would be better off trying their hands at blogging, as you do.
How far in advanced should you send the request of production?
I am being sued for a car that was repoed. When I looked at the contract I signed with the bank for the auto loan, instead of writing 14,850 they wrote 1485.00 so technically it looks like I should have only paid that. What do you suggest on doing after they produce the correct documents but still trying to fight that the contact is invalid??
We just bought our first car about a year ago. We had no idea what we were doing. We had just had a bankruptcy finalized about 6 months before we we bought this car. Well, they socked it to us alright. Whrn the contract was signed we agreed to pay about 17-19 G. We are still in contract with this car worth 10G ( I found out a couple months ago). Our payments are too high, out interest rates too high and we are beihind at least 1 car payment. We’ve had two reports of “over 30 days late” on our credit report. What is the safest way out of this. I’m so frustrated. Ty for any advice you can give, and if you can tell us what we did wrong.
I’m a car guy and I have to say that I’m sorry, but your article just scares people. You obviously have very little social skills and just to let you know, Consumer Reports and Edmonds are the pessimists periodicals. Do you think for one minute that they allow you to haggle over the ad that you want to place in their magazine or that their writers work for minimum wage. I think not. My suggestion is wait until the end of the model year and you will get the best deal in the world. And as for extended service plans (warranties), 2000 is not very much to upgrade to a 100k plan.
Beth the best thing you could do is to get some friends and get out once in awhile and put down the pessimists friend magazines… just sayin
Man, these credit bureaus don’t give you a break, do they! They couldn’t care less if you have bad credit in the past. Two things really bother me. One is when a collection company sells your debt to another collection company, all the dates are moved up so it so recent even if it is over 7 years old. I had payday loans and I always thought that they would not do a credit check and just rely on your bank account. That is why it is called pay-day loans. But, to my dismay, these pay-day loans do check your credit and that does not look good on the books. It is even worse than regular collections. How do you rid of all that stuff?
You can also save money on your water and electric bills if you are run the tap to get the temp of the water you want. Electric water heaters go on as soon as you open any tap.Have a 2-qt. water pitcher handy and put it under the faucet. Open the tap and put one hand on the faucet pipe. Run the water until it’s the desired temperature, then fill the tub, dishpan, or whatever until you have the amount you desire. Turn off the water. Put your pitcher on a counter to be used for drinking, cooking, watering plants, that extra boost you need to flush once in a while, etc. If you have city water, this will probably also save you some change on your water bill, as all that water won’t be going down the drain and draining your pocketbook. You’d be amazed at how that adds up, too.
I have saved about $30 per month this way. I wash dishes by hand- If you are rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, you might consider an experiment to see how much you are wasting during the pre-washing rinse. (Use a dishpan or bucket to measure). This has the potential to save you even more money. Perhaps combined, these two tricks could save you up to $60/month- which is $720 a year.
Regarding the electric companies, some states allow the customer to choose the company supplying their power. New Jersey is one of those. We have competition, but the rates are not always that far apart.
Our loan was sold to PNC and I did not find out until after the passing of my husband. He took care of the finances so I found out it’s in his name only. I was informed by PNC when they purchased the loan he was on it alone. We are both on the deed from the time we purchased the house, joint tenants. I never signed a quit claim deed to relinquish me portion of the community property. Now what? They put the loan in the estate of my husband. Do I have legal right here?
The real problem is not low drainage appliances like digital clocks and light bulbs, but the unregulated power companies that get permission to regularly raise rates. We need more competition, period. BTW, you forgot to mention fans–they use more energy than leds.
Tia just wondering how your mortgage loan turned out. Did you ever get it straight?? It’s against the law to change from fix to variable. I hope you filed a complaint. I just got sent to another servicer and i’m a bit concerned because i am on a fix mortgage as well. I hope and pray that the new servicer is on the up and up.
Until Government reigns in the massive and pervasive up charging in the medical industry it will be unlikely we shall see an upturn in personal credit scoring.
Our family feels we will not be held hostage by these savagely greedy medical entities. With little left to battle, this industry our only real tool is non-payment of their unwarranted and unearned charges.
If we are fortunate enough to reach agreements with these people payments will only be made once we receive written understandings to remove all negative information from our credit bureau files. Without this, we will not pay them a cent.
This article identifies a state where economic conditions are booming and another region where financial conditions hinder the repayment of debt. I live in a community with little education and a greedy government. I can see people who live beyond their means and use credit to “Get By” whom lack the understanding of why Payday Loans drive people deeper into debt and the bank pushes services for their financial gain. The region you live in also affects insurance rates, so why does anyone believe credit score models are any different?
I use my credit card for almost all purchases, but I make payments on it generally once a week (*not* once a month), so I don’t have a huge bill at the end of the month, at it comes close to simulating using a debit card, but with the protection of a credit card. I also have set up all the bills I can to be paid automatically online, about a week before they are due. My credit score seems to like these! 🙂
your on a right path of paying your bills. and the best way that people don’t realize that works the best to improve credit works everytime counts 75% of credit improvement
I think this is the one thing I’m not doing, I have a credit card, but use it for only emergencies and usually replace the cash asap. For fear that I’ll get behind again, even though the stimulator tool shows me what monthly payments will do for my score over time. But I will certainly try and be patient. Thanks for the tip!
Good evening.This is Dennis Williams sr.I am working with a company Called Lexington Law to have them help me to remove negative items off my credit report.I started out with 90 negative on my credit.But they have gotten off 80 negative items off leaving only 10 left.But the last 10 are taking so long to get removed.I have a late payment of a 120 days late payment that’s hurting my credit.My credit score is 593. But the 120 late on my credit is from the creditor closing my account .So when I tried to make a payment The would not accept payment .So for the last 3 months that’s why my payment was late.I called and explained to them why my payment was late.But they would only start me off new with a 0% interest rate and put me on a hardship program paying $32.00 a month.But would not remove the 120 day late off my account .What do I do? Please help me if you can.
There are times when people need to buy insurance, open bank accounts, brokerage accounts, etc., and they will be asked to give up all information relating to their identity, including their SSNs. Federal law. So, let’s use a little personal discretion here and stop acting like alarmists.
The more I read the more convinced I become that every American needs your program. You have done a masterful job of explaining how credit works and how to use credit instead of credit using you! Well done ?
I have three credit cards which were charged cash advances over the limit due to payments which i was promised and all were returned. What can i do about this? I feel like i was scammed out of the money and now have bad credit hits. Previous to this my credit was nearly perfect. Any advice…
It did catch my attention when you said that banks check the borrower’s credit history before approving their bank loans application. My sister and I are interested in applying for a bank loan, and we’re confident that we have a good credit score. To make sure, we’ll be sure to get the report of our credit information to ensure that there won’t be discrepancies on it. Thanks!
I have the same question as Jodi Grzeczka. My bank card is an ATM Debit Master Card. The one time I had a problem, my bank covered everything, issued a new card and wiped out all of the NSF charges caused by the fraud. But, does the fact that my ATM card is also a Master Card offer me the same protection as using my Capitol One card?
Thanks for the information, I am starting all over again coming from and 821 to now a 517 is so hard to rebuild, recovering from surgery. I have so many collection and late payments, I can’t get any type of credit, where do I start?
Thanks Joann
Save some cash/money as soon as possible, try for about $2000.oo or more that you will leave “frozen ” in an account for a while. The more the better but if it is too tight to save more, Do Not Wait ! With the $2,000.oo approach banks in your area for one that
is willing to issue a “secured ” card to you.
You will probably run into some “bonehead ” bankers who will tell you they don’t issue secured credit cards because of the “risk”. Two (2) things to do with these banks : 1) ask them to explain the details of their “risk” ; they’ll probably sound nervous or make
up a sketchy story or just stonewall you 2) Take them off your list of banks you will ever want to do business with (unless they someday come up with a super incentive,
like a free Corvette for opening a savings account with a $190.oo balance…you don’t need a bank like them ! )
When you get your new credit card ( one without junk fees ) and you will if you are just a little bit persistant, DO NOT rush out and buy a bunch of “stuff ” you don’t really need. Keep your spending to things you need, like food and other “needs” that you are presently paying cash for because you have to. Treat the cash you didn’t spend because you used your new credit card like a valuable treasure (it is) and use it to pay the full “statement balance” on your new credit card the day before it is due by phone or online from another account, other than the one you used to set up the “secured” card account…being secured means the bank holds the money as security in case you do not pay the balances you accumulate. You will qualify for better ,more flexible credit and that will happen sooner than most people think, IF you stick to the plan and
do not ever make a payment, even one day late. I know people who have received offers for larger credit limits within just a few months of starting a plan like this. You will then be on your way to a much higher credit score,.but you must keep up the good work and never let your guard down. I personally know a good friend who went from a
“score” in the 400s to over 760 in less than 2 years ; just keep on keep’n on !
ps feel free and welcome to send me an email about your experience following this
plan or anything else related.
Also, although I didn’t use the “Credit Solutions Program ” myself ( I already had
long term experience in the “credit field’ ) I can tell you from my reading about it on Mike Roberts emails and website , I would highly recommend it to anyone who is experiencing any of the bad effects of a not so good to a bad credit score and is confused and or mystified about the why’s and what to do’s. I have met people who have suffered the bad effects of bad credit from marriage to retirement, never having experienced the benefits of a desirable credit score during all those years…Very Sad !
Paying off debts makes sense only if you need to purchase a home or auto. Lenders will want all open collections paid up before approving you for a loan. I was a credit and collections manager for more than 25 years and never saw a credit score go up simply because a debtor paid off collection accounts. Keep the money in your pocket where it belongs, live with your mistake, and pay cash. Your family will need that money.
My new mortgage company has increased my payments in every way, even though I have a fixed rate for 390 months. My original payment was only $511 a month,but in just 6 months they have raised it to $960 a month. And now their saying my escrow is (1,700) in the negative. I have done the math and gone over every document and state I have gotten since I bought my house and have found multiple mistakes in their numbers. I know there wrong, and I have proof, from their own statements. But they still are not willing to listen. I’m at at loss and out money. I feel that they are intentionally trying to make me loose my house.
Now they’ve put a mark on my credit when i was late (for the first time ) by 12 days. They are intensonally not filling on the day they accept my payment then charging me for it, plus they charge me just to pay my mortgage now. I’m at a loss I don’t have the money to fight but I do have the paper work and the harassment statements they’ve sent saying I’m in mitigation. I am currently up to date and paying what they want. It’s only a matter of time before my two boys and I lose our home to these thieves. I’m not quitter by all means just ask my doctors. I’ve beat cancer broken my back three times and still went to work 50 to 60 hours a week so my boys grow up better than I did. Not asking for anything just doing some venting but if anybody has any advice for me I would be appreciated. Ps.not much of a writer
Always thought if I lived right,raised my boys right,everything would be right,boy was I wrong.
Hello, I had the same problem with Credit Pros of non communication and limited assistance. I will try Lexington Law and see how that works. Thank you for the information
What kind of credit score do you need to assure being able to replace your closed cards ?? !
Also it seems the opening and c would hurt your credit score ?
It’s real simple: It all has to do with cash flow. If you have the money to cover the anticipated bills each month, then do it; less to think about. I don’t like companies that charge the payor to use a credit card–it’s like being penalized for doing a good deed (saving them from having to bill). The other issue is trying to live beyond one’s means. If you can’t truly afford to buy with cash, make sure you’re gonna keep the object of interest long enough to pay it off without going under. And that goes for refis as well. There’s a whole new crew of homeowners who don’t recall the housing collapse in 2008.
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Regarding the closing of a card, I have had the Credit One card for over 5 years. Of course as many others, I have been paying the $8.25 fee for fear of dinging credit. This card has had a zero balance except for these horrific broken down annual fees, for a while now. I have read frightening reviews of others trying to close account, with no success. I am ceasing all activity regarding this card, (except for these fees I continue to receive), although at a loss as to closing it.
Great points, another thing I now look at is the ability to pay any additional amount towards the principal (in the easiest possible manner). Some lenders have a program to break your mortgage payment in half, so you pay half of your mortgage biweekly – this can shave years off of your loan. The one disadvantage is that that normally means it MUST be an automated payment. My lender sold our mortgage to another provider who is testing the biweekly payments out but doesn’t have the program in place yet. Unfortunately, they only allow you to make extra payments online, but nothing is applied to the mortgage until you call in and tell them to apply it to the principal – any unapplied funds.
If you can swing making at least ONE extra mortgage payment per year it helps to shave off years as well. Don’t wait till the end of the year, just make an extra $100/per month payment if you can swing it (or whatever monthly adds up to one whole payment by the end of the year)!
A Service contract is worth its weight in gold if you purchase a used Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet etc. service contract on your used Chrysler Ford or Chevrolet that you purchased from the same name new car dealer. I have found from personal experience that some “non factory aftermarket” warranties are headaches. They have many ways to “fine print” disqualify your claim.
Eric,
Thank you! thank you! thank you! I did my research, followed your advise and just walked out of the court victorious and owing nothing. My heart was going to beat out of my chest. I was approached by the lawyer representing the lawers who were representing the collection agency before the case. He asked if I wanted to settle, I replied, “no”. We went into court and I answered truthfully that the credit card was mine and I had received the montly statements. I thought for sure I was going to loose. The judge asked the Plaintiff to produce documentation of the sale from the credit card to the collection agency. The documentation was insufficient. The lawyer admitted that it was a bulk sale. The judge ruled in my favor.
My question deals with a bankruptcy. Three of the banks continue to report 30-90 day past due payments even though the bankruptcy was discharged over two years ago and they have zeroed my balance. Those late payments still show up even though they are no longer being used. Is that fair?
Your articles are always so insightful and to the point. My wife and I have been trying to manage debt our whole lives. In other words, we have been living beyond our means for years. However, our house mortgage will be paid off in the next 3 years, we are both still working but looking forward to retirement. I’m not endorsing that it’s okay to have credit card debt but if you have it, have a plan to pay it off.
Do not talk to debt collectors. They are all professional liars. Do all debt collection correspondence in writing. It annoys them because it’s more work and also you have a trail. Also, keep a sports air horn next to the phone to blast calls that are not yours, or calls you have stated should not continue. I add all of our phones to the “no call list” about once a year and it’s a joke. Means nothing. One blast from the air horn right in the phone and NO one calls me offering “free vacations” any longer.
If you can’t live in a home without having to cut corners that way, you probably should have waited and just moved to a higher class rental community. Homeowners typically wind up borrowing against their line of equity, or refinancing later, either of which still leaves them out of the loop of true home ownership.
One important issue that no one has brought up yet is checking whether the carrier’s customer service operations are U.S. or Canada based. I changed from Verizon to Sprint a year ago only to find out that almost all of its customer service operation is based in the Philippines. About half of the customer service reps don’t speak understandable English (emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAable and limited vocabulary usually) and don’t understand American English very well either, making communication difficult, lengthy and tedious. If you ask for a supervisor you are likely to face the same problem. I am getting rid of Sprint mainly for this reason. Saving some bucks by going to a second tier carrier is attractive but not if customer service is based in a location where the reps are likely to be difficult to communicate with.
Very interesting no feel if you are a. Nonwhite applicant credit accepted has been a problem trying yo are hain my verify score zzYhsk I will try it and let you know si have been approved. Thanks.
You mention it is easier to get credit cards from the retailer who offers them. If you have a poor credit rating, the chances are nil to a possibility of having the merchant will approve it. I gather the merchant will still check your credit as they don’t want people with poor credit. Most always, these stores will have it either as a Mastercard or VISA. Very rarely will you find a store having their own credit as in the past. I remember in earlier times, stores like Sears, Buffums, Mongomery Wards, May Co. and the like started out with their own credit. I bet it is a rarity to get cards like that now, them carrying their own credit.
in addition to looking for the best offers, you have to be careful of the anti-churning rules that each bank uses. i use bonuspit.com to keep track of all my credit card and they apply the bank rules automatically so i know which bank i can open a credit card with without violating those rules.
How about percentage of revolving credit used? My limits are dismally low, a joke, as I have credit cards for repairing credit. Don’t use them and you get dinged, use them too much, get dinged. Max them out and pay off in full, get dinged. No matter what you do you get dinged. My score just dropped 59 pts for using too much revolving credit, they make sure to report your balance before you pay. Every time you adapt, they adapt just to make sure they can get you for something negative. They want to keep you down so they can keep you paying high interest. I have a credit one card that is especially bad. I pay all but a few dollars every month but they still charge me tons of interest because they charge it daily; I wasn’t aware of this until a day ago….also, I was a few days late paying (a complete accident, I somehow paid 1 card twice within 3 days, unintentionally), and once I realized the mistake, they had already reported it. I immediately paid it. So now my credit report shows paid on time, but they didn’t update the balance, so now it looks like I’m irresponsible and don’t pay my bills. It’s rigged. It’s designed to keep people like me paying high interest for as long as possible. 1 4 day mistake undid 6 months of progress. When they finally update the balance to reflect reality, they’ll give 10 pts or so….. maybe
Well at least you offer the concepts of being generous with time and talents. Unfortunately most churches are only interested in cash. Tithing is an Old Covenant command and not for the Church. Give what you can. No pressure. No curse for not giving.
If your comment is “awaiting moderation” it means they are getting ready to strip it from the website as being bad for business. Come back in a week, and you’ll see.
The whole system from FICO to Credit Repair is designed to keep you ignorant, in debt, and paying fees and interest until your family goes into debt to bury you.
Remember, figures don’t lie, but liars figure, It’s a huge industry and takes brains and good judgement to avoid. Good Luck.
Hi Phil,
All comments are now being moderated to prevent spam, as we have been inundated with it lately. Comments will be approved within 24 hours during the business week.
We appreciate your understanding and patience, and thanks as always for your thoughtful insight into our articles!
You are simply WRONG good sir…i paid my cc balances down to ZERO and within one week my ficos dropped from EXCELLENT/VERY GOOD/ GOOD ..down to POOR ! I called each bureau and they ALL SAID yes sir thats the way it works…gor instance in order fot me to rrgain my TRANSUNION 777 i need to be at least $5000.00 in debt..a 25% of my debts…Equifax 18% …EXPERIAN 9% !!!!
If you use your “rights” under Free Annual credit Report” or whatever the real law is called, you will get what the credit agencies call a “summery” about 3 pages long. This is the minimum they can do under the law because they hate that law, and can avoid any attempt at enforcement by providing it. If you sign up for one of the reporting agencies or FICO’s “good deal” programs for $45.00 or more a year, they will send you a detailed 35 page report of your entire credit history and offer you lost of other “opportunities” to raise your score. On the real report you will likely find some errors you can try to fix, and will probably be able to jump through enough hoops to do so. But your actual FICO and other scores will not go up. The only way to do this is to get into barely manageable debt, make the minimum payments on time and stay there for the rest of your life. Then you are a “good” consumer and probably a fine American. Now the whole system is making money on you. Welcome to the 800 club. It’s easy. And if you fall behind, pay the “credit repair” industry. They will help you get you the “right” level of debt, for an ongoing fee. Pay off your car, credit cards, house and store cards and you sir, are a deadbeat and will be treated accordingly. You’re practically a communist.
“Awaiting moderation” is code for “if you do or say anything to reveal how the system works, we will block it”. It’s bad for the credit repair industry.
I explained exactly why the above comment is correct, tried to post it and got a message; “Looks like you’ve posted this before” Which is typical of the whole crooked system. Looks like you’ll have to analyze the above statement on your own.
Be aware though that the comment is correct, but the credit industry doesn’t want you to know why or how to avoid it. So, like usual, you’re on your own,
Yep tried the pay off the highest “payment” amount credit card first, minimum on the rest. When the first is paid use the amount that I am not paying anymore and start on the next highest. When done use both payments on the next and so on. Since the payments come out of your budget you don’t notice when you keep on “making” the payment. Since it compounds the next card is paid much quick etc. etc.
I was taken by two firms. 1) A credit repair firm that said it could raise my “debt income ratio” when I gave them $1,200…..results…”nothing”! 2) A collection firm that said it could get back the $35K spent on home remodeling when contractor failed to return to finish job. I hired an attorney and went to court to get settlement in my favor, yet only 3 payment were made by contractor of which collection agency took 40%. I got several calls from the collection agency stating they could take contractor to court and if he did not show that their legal team would move to have him arrested for failure to appear in court, but wanted an additional $1,750 of which I lost as they have not collected. What can/should I do in these cases.
I had this business idea but couldn’t get the needed startup loan due to a low credit score setback by a few late payments and foreclosure. I was looking for a way out online and to my amazement I saw comments in different forums about how they employed the services of ethical hackers to increase their credit score. I was shocked but desperately seeked one, then there was the problem of which hacker of the many referrals to contact. I lost money to the first without a result, the second didn’t reply me anymore after I provided my info. I contacted another Robert Morris who assured me of sure delivery and behold in approx. 2 days. My FICO score went up an amazing 815 and he helped me to remove my late payments. He was a savior sent from God. I felt the need to put this word out there for people whose credit score need a miracle. You can get in touch with him through his mail: Robertmorriscyberservices@gmail.com.
There is a simple and foolproof way to stop all online card fraud (except 1 and that’s the fraudsters have a gun to your head)
And it can be implemented without much effort.
Please tell me more about how you think paying to be an authorized user on someone’s credit card is bank fraud. If i am added as an authorized user to someones card there is no fraud happening because I legitimately am an authorized user and as long as FICO accepts this as part of their scoring model then it is fair play. To look at it from another angle you are suggesting that because someone has the privilege of knowing a person or having rich parents with good credit who can add them to their credit card that they deserve a higher credit score.
This article is not insinuating people that you know or even family adding you as authorized users. It is referring to companies who charge you a fee to use a “stranger’s” identity. Go back and read the article. That is fraudulent. You do not know the people in any form. And, credit solutions is trying to keep you from spending thousands of dollars and possibly going to jail.
I will advise you all to contact Aaron Swartz for your credit repair. My uncle introduced me to the credit specialist called Aaron Swartz that is capable of solving my problem then i get in touch with him. To my surprise, He help me removed 5 collection items on my report and raise my credit from 420 to 830 excellent within 72 hours. He pay off my mortgage loan, I will forever be indebted to him as I wouldn’t be a proud owner of a home and a comfortable lifestyle if not for him. Get in touch with him via aaronswartzcyberservices At Gmail Dot Com
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit. I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy & problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAINIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleaned my credit records and boost my credit score within just few days of knowing him. Everyone having credit problems should reach him a t creditbrainiac.repair (@ g ma i l . com).
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit. I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy and problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAINIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleaned my credit records and boost my credit score within just few days of knowing him. Everyone having credit problems should reach him a t creditbrainiac.repair (@ g ma i l . com).
I don’t have much to say. Just in case you need help regarding your credit score, I know a specialist that can help, I’m a living witness of his good job because he has helped me before and I was able to acquire my house through his help. You can message me privately on my mail which is GHOSTVIRUS@WORKMAIL.COM, I don’t mind giving you details on how I went about it and direct you to the specialist if necessary. I’m sorry I can’t drop the specialist’s contact here for some reasons including that of security reason.
Ok, some weeks ago, I watched a video on YouTube telling us to never pay a collections debt that was old and not to respond to it. Now, she’s telling us not to ignore it. Conflicting info on the same site from two different perspectives. Who should we believe? I always heard that anything over 7 years should be removed and now she is saying to try to settle with them. I think this is very bad advice.
I filed for chapter 7 in 2016 and was discharged in 2017. Before receiving my discharge in the mail, I received no fewer than 10 offers for auto loans for a new or used car. I secured 2 new credit cards through companies that have good credit building approaches of offering a low ($700) limit that doubles after 6 months of payments. These cards have no memberships fees. I secured an auto loan for $25,000 through Navy federal Credit Union within a week after bankruptcy discharge. They approved my loan in less than a minute. My credit score was around 600 then and now is over 700 a year later.
America’s court system and the credit system sucks very unfair ….it is like being on a roller coasters …..up’s and down’s
You are pretty much ..at ..a ..loss no matter what you do….
Speaking of Courts, Who if anybody ? Regulates Credit Reporting Agencies and should we not have a right to have a statement of our own explaining why and how some negative information got on our credit reports, Sort of like if you are a seller on Ebay or Amazon and a buyer gives you a bad report for everyone to see, Where you get to explain and in my case ask all prospective buyers to look at my last 450 very satisfied customers in the last year.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
You do have rights under the FCRA. The credit reporting agencies are not following the guidelines when reporting consumers information. That is why the dispute process is available. Until the information is verified, under the law it should not be placed on any credit reports. These agencies ignore the laws.
Author of Credit Jail How to Break Out.
I agree 1,000,000 percent 😀it’s up and down ‘ up and down up and down and it’s apparently what ever u try don’t work and really sad part they don’t in account sometimes u job is lost might have to go and get major surgery so and so on who’s cares if u can’t work or something major happens I u gonna get behind on u bills not everyone but a lot they don’t care
America’s court system and the credit system sucks very unfair ….it is like being on a roller coasters …..up’s and down’s
You are pretty much ..at ..a ..loss no matter what you do….
Hello me and my roommate both are disabled and are on Social Security we have been trying to buy a house and neither one of us had credit I’ve been working on mine and the store should be showing soon together we make 2000 a month and wondering if there is a program to help disabled with minimal credit and minimum down payment cuz being on Social Security we live month-to-month is there any kind of programs or help for us Our Hope cuz we don’t make three times the rent. The way we’re saying is if your on Social Security you left out
I’m in that situation – on Social Security and disabled. I get $15 for food stamps. I have $1,000 from S.S. Trying to get on my own —- I don’t see any way to be able to get a home. my credit score is 650 from Equifax and 643 from Trans Union. I’m slowly paying off bills on my credit report and I pay bills on time.
First Premier is the worst card on this list. They charge fees for everything and it’s really hard to close the account when you are able to get an unsecured card.
A creditor can not by law agree to immediately remove your colkections from butmreau once paid .also paying all of your ccs down to zero balance destroys your ficos
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy and problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 two broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAI NIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleared my bad records and improved my credit score. Everyone having credit issues should reach him a t creditbrainiac.repair (@ g ma i l . com).
“Best Experience EVER!!! In a matter of days I had 16 items removed from my report leaving two creditors on three reports! Now to set up my husband for credit brainiac!”
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy & problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAI NIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleared my bad records and improved my credit score. Everyone having credit issues should reach him a t creditbrainiac.rep air (@ g ma i l . com).
Have been battling my credit scores and repair companies for awhile , my lack if credit management ill say affected the choices i made with my credit history, i needed my credit score improved from 580 ,511 and 573 ,i needed my score to be in the 700 plus A colleague told me about (Gary McKinnon) , well have lived all my life in bad credit ,i had nothing to lose ,to my surprise after giving the required information i was informed to my understanding about the process, ALL my late payments, inquires ,collections and public record were completely removed from my credit report and in less than 48hrs ,i watch my score grow to 752,720 and 708.if you’re in this too, you can hit him up on his working email (garymckinnoncyberservice At Gmail Dot Com)
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had bad credit, a old bankruptcy & problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAINIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleared my bad records and improved my credit score at a good cost. Everyone having credit issues should reach him at creditbrainiac (@ gmail . com).
Please explain this . oh and the bureaus did confirm that this is wgat they do when you pay down to zero balances. I called. So how can i get into the 800 club across the board ?! It seems impossible .
The Best credit card balance for a high credit score is zero…not so. When i paid all of my cc accounts to zero balance .. Within just one week my ficos dropped from ..for example…777 transunion down to 654 and the othet two down from equi very good to fair and exp from good to poor..TRANS says i can get my 777+ back once i am 25000.00 in debt again..i infer the other two will still be a problem as each prefers a certain amount of debt / cc utilization. Paying down my bills was a bad move
Creditkarma.com has some new offerings in addition to bank card credit scores from Trans Union and Experian. Now they are also offering free Auto Insurance scores and Tax preparation online. MIGHT BE WORTH CHECKING OUT!
Who can deny any of these cards are excellent but there may be better cards on the market for consumers today.
Consider Bank of America’s Cash Rewards card or Discover Card’s latest offerings BOTH ARE EXCELLENT. Both are well worth checking out and comparing to the cards listed in this article. You may be well surprised at what you will find.
Hello, recently found out that a judgment was entered against me 20 years ago in Florida. My mortgage company notified me that they received a subpoena for information on my loan application. I purchased a home last year 2017. After researching I found out that I was sued in 1996 for $6000 for the balance owed on a car that i purchased when I lived in Miami. After moving to NY in 1994, had financial problems and made arrangements for the bank to pick up the car. I did inform them that I had no means to pay them. At that time I was a 24yo student looking for work. Never heard from them nor received any court papers. I called the law firm on the subpoena which also turned out to be a debt collection agency who purchased the debt. They say I now owe $30,000 which includes legal fees and interests. I am trying to get a copy of the summons because I do not recall ever being served. Had I known, I would have addressed this years ago. This has never shown up on my credit report and when I purchased my home nothing showed up. They are threatening to garnish my pay, bank acct, and put a lien on my home. Does anyone’have any suggestions?
All debt has a statute of limitations in which they can come after you for the old debt. If it is over 7 years old in most states, they are not allowed to sue you over this debt and after 7 years it cannot show up on your credit report. You need to speak to a lawyer about this, someone is trying to scam you. Also ask the debt collection agency to send you the actual loan papers you signed before you agree to any payment or even agree that it i your debt.
I have found that the rules defining credit worthiness need to be standardised. The way I see it is that as long as each financial institute can “make up” their own rules credit scores are going to continue to be arbitrary at best. What it really boils down to is “they who control the money make the rules”. This is certainly obvious when you receive your credit history from the “big 3” that contain the same information and your scores may vary by as much as 100 points. As many people forget, this country is a republic, not a democracy, and republics are run for and by the people with money, lots of money! Or maybe I’m just a “glass half empty” type of person, lol.
But..when you pay ALL your cards down to ZERO balances..your ficos get screwed within a week down from for ex. Trans 777 down to 654 SIMPLY FOR PAYING MY CARDS DOWN TO ZERO BALANCE ! Each bureau has its own preferred utilization rates..you have to play the hands ..find out which pulls from who and concetrateon that bureau for that card…IF I GO OUT TODAY AND GET 25% of my total limits combined in debt again ..i will grt my Trans 777 +- back ! In essence YOU GET PUNISHED FOR GETTING OUT OF DEBT
I know a program that requires NO DOWN PAYMENT, has interest set at one of the lowest rates available and the is NO PMI INSURANCE REQUIRED. This program is available to anyone who can commute for a few meetings to one of their offices around the Nation. It is offered through a group known as the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA).
To find out more about this BETTER HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM you can goto http://WWW.HTTPS//NACA.COM . Note: They also have a program designed to help buyers who want to reduce their monthly payments for any number of reasons.
One thing I should add. NACA will require you to submit a lot of paperwork and a family budget. THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO HAVE GOOD CREDIT AND DO NOT RELY UPON CREDIT SCORES TO MAKE THE LOAN. This is possible through prior arrangements NACA has with multiple lendors t hat allows them to verify ability to pay without having to submit good credit information to lenders. I know people who have successfully used this program but be ware they require a lot of paperwork and it can take several months before they have everything in order and will submit you to their lenders.
In this case PATIENCE PAYS OFF if you want to save all the PMI insurance money and not make a down payment. 🙂
Lastly do not let the paperwork requirement get to you. You will have to submit much of the same paperwork to conventional lenders anyway. Nonw of it is hard to get or to complete, most of the paper you need can be downloaded to the NACA website or carried into an office. Most of the paper you need will be things like bank statements, income tax, credit accounts, bill payments and etc.
The only real pain to any of this is setting aside a few hours to collect everything and submit it to NACA. None of this is really hard to and I like to refer to it as SIMPLY ANNOYING.
This is when it is good to remind yourself that many things in life are SIMPLY ANNOYING. Anyone can find time and patience to complet this process with NACA if you are really wanting to buy a home you could otherwise not qualify to purchase.
Hello my name is Senithea. Jones and I am the eldest of eight children I am still desperately trying to purchase the home although my credit isn’t of part, I I would love for it to be however I do pay now for rent a one bedroom of $908 plus all my utilities and it seems to me that I should be able to pay that money towards something that I could I would I wish there was someone that could help me find a house in the Montgomery Illinois area I would love that so much for my grandchildren
I got taken for a ride by a used car company. I did my home work and googled the car then drove it home. I took it back next day. I found out first hand the car would get me KiLLED! I also found Others had complained to HONDA, and I LOVE HONDA, Who blew them off!! The sales man had hustled me. I stood my ground, and in the end, FORD
Stood up and did the right think, they gave me every penny back! I now drive a used RAV 4 I bought from Another FORD dealer. I think
my age may have helped, I would like to believe it was ETHICS!!
One thing I found during my LONG
TORTURE NOTHING has changed in the treatment and attitudes by car dealers when it comes to women, if any thing it is WORSE!!
There is no amount of money that you could give me to get me back at a car dealership, new or used!! I pray this car can be good enough to be my LAST!! The BOTTOM LINE in car sales will ALWAYS BE, ” MAKE THE SALE AT ANY COST!!
I would like to thank the author for this article. It hit home in a few areas. Thank you Mike Roberts, for bringing out this article. Thank you for your column. I wish I could afford the program. A fixed income is very difficult as you have most likely heard from many seniors. Again, thanks to both of you.
Hi John
I had business failure back in 2008 due to the price of fuel and lack of freight. I had an expedite business. File bankruptcy chapter 7 in 2010 discharged in March of 2011. Was just getting back on my feet again until Thanksgiving of 2014 I got food poisoning. Did a early morning delivery on Friday the next day made it back to the yard. I had my fiancee drive me to the hospital. Was there Friday and released Monday. The next day I had worst leg cramp and no feeling in my right foot. Went back to the hospital they kept me under observation until after midnight. They sent me by ambulance to another hospital downtown Cincinnati. This is now December 3rd 2014. They operated on leg said it was a blood mass. I was in that hospital for two months. December 3 to February 5th 2015. I was off work the of that year. My bills was over $250,000 which my insurance paid $189,000. Which left me in serious out of pocket debt. Because of the most famous fine line in between crease clause. Above and beyond Customary and reasonable charges. Which is a very large gap. My credit score was in the toilet 419. I hired National Debt Relief to handle a charge card tiring to sue me. Barclay not mention any names. I received a letter from them and their representing Attorney. They were going to pursue a judgement. I faxed all the information to the NDR company. The representative assured me it would all be taken care of. 30 days later I get another letter in the mail stating that the awarded a judgement to the firm out of Cleveland Ohio.
NDR said I faxed the information to the wrong number.They even charged me an extra $12.50 for their legal team services up beyond the negotiated $254.00 I was already paying. I called the Law firm and they wouldn’t talk to me until I released NDR from the debt process. When I called NDR to fire them they said most of all the
monies I had paid them went to the legal for their negotiated services. The extra fee was 25% from the original amount in the first. Knowing what I know now I would be
better off taken the law firm’s first settlement offer.
Now which leads me to Chapter 2 of my story. Trying to improve my credit score and rating. I employ Lexington Law at $99.00 per month plus introductory fees. Had them about 7 months hoping I could get this judgement off and previous bankruptcy. After paying off the judgement I got the release letter from the law firm and personally took it to court house. Thirty days later it was off my credit report . However still medical collection’s and another bills still outstanding.
The credit bureaus that’s Chapter 3.
My score got up to 640 but now it is down to 609 due to some inquiries and close to making out my credit to pay some more bills.Still working on cleaning up my credit it just takes time and good pay record.
Yes I am in for how the credit bureaus control our lives due to the FICO scores.
Horrendous needs to be a change.
Thanks for reading
Bill n debt.
Forgive me if you already are aware of this. But there is also the major factor of utilization ratio (percentage) of credit used of what is available. Be conscious of this, as most assume, it’s ok to use most of it if you have it available to you. Nope! Keep it under 18% if you can. Start small and build accounts. Pay them down. Every 6 months request an increase if you this you’ll get it. Raise your credit lines whenever possible. This will help your score by lowering your ratio. If you need to purchase, keep it under 30% and pay it down quick.
I am writing this to thank global view for re-scoring and restoring my credit! and to reach out to those who might have similar problems like i did. email him at firewallbreachexpert’at’gmail’dot’com to fix your credit. Next week I will be closing on a house. I was approved by Bank of America (a bank, I might add, that wouldn’t even let me open a checking account in 2006!) The house is exactly where and what we wanted. Thanks to you, a dream is coming true. My credit scores are now where i want them and my late payments, all erased. I feel brand new.
How can you help someone who’s
Majority of debt is already written off and in collections?
And what are some solutions to catch up on your HOA Fees when they been set to an Legal Debt Collection Agency, who’ s placed a
Lien on your Home?
I have already paid $804.00 towards the Total bill of $1120.00.
Now there telling me it’s $1120.00,
Including the attorney fees!
With this plan I will lose my home!
I am disabled and struggling to keep this up! I have already sent a letter explaining my situation and emailed & faxed to my Case Manager. My home is only 4 yrs. old, and I was only 3 years behind $600.00 + there Legal Fees!
So, my request was to pay off my pass due without the Legal Fees. Within two minutes they answered,
declining my request!
Can you please send any suggestions to help me keep my Home ?
As an irresponsible homeowner who is in a ton of debt and lives pay check to pay check, it was a hard decision. It was so overwhelming knowing my $5k wasn’t really going to make a dent in really any one area, I thought I shouldn’t stress over it. That being said, I booked a Caribbean vacation for my family. I’m hoping a little R&R will clear my mind to do the right thing next year.
Filing a Judgment will extend the statue of limitations on fines/citations.
If the agency has not managed to collect outstanding debt, the will renew the judgment to extend the statute of limitations on the debt.
Using my credit cards in strip clubs was not a great decision. Those fees! And you get nothing lasting for all that money you’re charging…you’re basically going into debt and throwing money away for nothing other than a very short term few minutes of pleasure that sometimes isn’t even that pleasurable to begin with. If you go to a strip club, and you should rarely go to one, then carry a set amount of cash and don’t spend any more than that! Leave those credit cards at home!
Credit One actually HELPED me build my credit. After I got their card, my score rose super fast. So I’m not against them. I’ve never had any issues with them, and they have increased my limit several times. I have a Visa and a Mastercard with them, and no issues whatsoever. Maybe the people who are bad mouthing them or giving them low reviews are the ones who are late on their payments and are being contacted by Credit One or being charged the late fees.
Do not close it. It will affect your score. Lenders today are looking for three tradelines for 24 months depending on the loan. Some will look at alternative credit like insurance, phone bill, gym membership , and others. Get a head start before you start looking for a home and be pre-approved to submit with your offer.
Happy Househunting!
if your credit score is poor and you want to increase it ,i was referred to netsolvetechnology AT gmail.com who help me increase my score and he remove negative item from my report,he is a professional in credit repair,i recommend him for those who need credit help ,tell him i refer
The first record of a tithe in scripture was when Abram tithed once to the King of Salem, Melchizedek, from the spoils of war (which included captives). Abram returned the rest, minus a small portion for his troops, to the King of Sodom. Some history buffs have noted that this type of tithe was like a tax and was an Arabic custom of the time. There is no record of Abram ever tithing from his own increase before of after this account. There is also no record of anyone else actually tithing until the Israelites, who were under Mosaic Law. (Ref Gen 14)
The Israelites were commanded to tithe from the food produced in the land of Canaan. They tithed to the Levites, who in turn tithed to the priests. They also tithed to the needy and they tithed for a festival where they ate the tithe.
Some speak of tithes being money, but there’s nowhere in scripture where God ever commanded a monetary tithe even though scripture from Genesis forward indicates the people traded with money (see Gen 47, Deuteronomy 14, Matthew 17, Matthew 22 for examples). The tithes God commanded were always food (Leviticus 27:30).
Many err and don’t divide scripture correctly when they reference Malachi. They teach obedience in tithing carries a promise per Malachi 3:10. However, one needs to read Mal 1:1 and 2:1 for context. This was written for the Israelites and their priests, who were under Mosaic Law. The blessings of rebuking the devourer and curses in Mal 3:10 were for the Israelites – not the Church as we are not under the law per Gal 5 and other NT scripture. Additionally, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13), so the curses don’t apply either.
Many also err when they states the Lord calls US (the Church) to “prove Him,” in Mal 3. Again, this was not written to the Church, it was written to the Israelites who were under the covenant of the law. The Church is under a new covenant are we are free to give as we purpose in our hearts and not of necessity (2Cor 9:7); however, we reap as we sow (2Cor 9:6). And God does promise to care for our needs when we give (2Cor 9:8).
Another error is think Jesus is speaking to the Church in Matt 23:23. Jesus is actually chastising Pharisees who are under the law. Note also that they were tithing food even though they certainly had money (Matt 17:24-27 and 22:15-22).
In short, although we’re under no command to give any specific percentage of our income, scripture does encourage us to be generous and to take care of the needy (Matt 25:33-46). Further, God should always be first in our hearts and next to that we should love our fellow man (Matthew 22:36-40 and Galatians 5:14). If we place money before God, we are serving money and we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
I closed 2 credit cards that have not been used for a couple year. Last year I got a charge for the annual fee of $29.00 for each one adn when I got an email and opened it to tell me about the charge it was over 30 days and I could not get it reversed. This year I caught it in time and closed both accounts before the 30 days was up. I figured if I was not using those cards and there was a yearly fee I may as well close them. I could not negotiate removal of the fee to keep the cards. I hope this does not affect my score in any way.
I had a score of 500 Within 1 year I have a score of 750 But there keeps popping up a medical bill which gets disputed and they change there name and pop up again and down goes my score I don’t know how to hande this
Is refinancing a mortgage a bad idea if the present mortgage account is the oldest account on my credit history…? The other oldest account is not even 2 years.. What do you suggest i do in this matter?
The biggest mistake I’ve ever made besides loaning money to friends is I bought a timeshare many years ago. I probably paid on it for five years and what a waste of money that was. It was in Mexico and I never heard from them since. Jeanne in California
The biggest mistake I’ve ever made besides loaning money to friends is I bought a timeshare many years ago. I probably paid on it for five years and what a waste of money that was. It was in Mexico and I never heard from them since. Jeanne, California
Some of the info is good but usually driving it back to the dealer or leaving it in a lenders lot will still need a repo company to pick it up. Call your lender to see how a vol surrender is processed prior to making this decision.
Wells Fargo sold my loan knowing that the deed said it belonged to someone. A public adjuster sold the home in a foreclosure sale. The property tax department has name the public adjuster as the owner but they continue to escrow my loan. How can you sale a loan with a dispute of ownership?
“As a former banker,” Eric regrettably did not express what kind of DTI ratio banks are looking for when granting various types of loans. Obviously, income plays as large a part in loan granting, as does credit history.
I have a BofA credit card and have a 786/803 credit score and they keep jacking up my interest rate to 17.99%.
I want a really low interest rate. I would really dig it if i get a lower rate. I called and asked about it and they told me that cannot do anything about it. Then they offered a higher amount of credit. I asked them to take $4000.00 off my credit and give me 10% interest…hehe. They refused that thought.
I’m in such a turmoil right now because of my own spending behavior. Credit cards, and late payments. I was going to ask my mom to co-sign for a $5K loan to get everything caught up, but I hate rejection. So I’m going to have to figure out a way to catch up everything, step by step. With God’s help, I’m going to make it right. I may lose a credit card or two, but I must make it right and build my score back up.
I recently applied for a $8k personal loan. My credit scores decreased from “excellent to good”. I received a good rate & term(3yrs). I don’t understand why. I used the funds borrowed to payoff credit cards with higher balances. Granted, I expected them to go down little but NOT as far as they did. Just goes to show that these financial pitfalls don’t always give you the end result that you have achieved.
I do like that your article suggests some places where the readers might be able to get a loan. After all, it can be pretty difficult to secure a proper loan to use for buying a car, especially if you have bad credit. However, many of the services that the article lists are usually willing to work with anyone to ensure that they get the car loan that they need.
In the past 15 years, I have been the excellent, best customer, they know me by hearth, I know the the 3 or more business managers of three “Pay Day ADVANCE” Stores, I HAVE KNOWN TO HAVE CALL THEM “STORE A” , “STORE B “, “STORE C”,
THEY have help me with paying bills!!!. Better than USA Banks, :Thieves, nice in front, but cruel with their business practices, They don,t think that a time limit is expect on credit reports. To BE correct, at times mistakes are notice, but it is my
time to fix the problems. not theirs. Keep your favors, I looked for Non USA Banks, and different currency to get over on the US Dollar. I will buy “KIA” cars, foreign merchandises. and say hello to process to those who know that fair is when the everyone should get the same interest rates to get out of debt.
and the will to get out of debt will not be in my life.
Tell them to send you any documentation with your signature on it showing that the card is yours. If they don’t have any proof they are bound by law to remove it immediately.
Can you elaborate on that? I have been dealing with BofA regarding the “signature” proof approach and their written response has been that this was an online application and that is “proof” that the account was made. I have a charge off that I have been challenging for almost a year now.
hmm. Here’s how I would write it:
1. Hide the credit cards. You can’t pay them off fast if you keep using them.
2. Take a look at the bill. Going ‘paperless’ is no excuse, log in to your account and find the digital copy of the bill. It will tell you how much interest you are paying on that debt and how long it takes to pay off at minimum payments. Those are both very important pieces of information to have and it could be a bit of an eye opener.
3. Make sure you know the difference between transactions, balance, and interest. Transactions are when you actually use the card and that creates a balance debt. Interest is charged based on that balance. Even when you stop making transactions, the interest changes the balance as well.
4. The only real way to eliminate debt faster is to pay it faster. That usually requires either having a strong income or significantly low expenses. Since most of us can’t instantly get raises I suggest taking a look at your expenses.
5A. Do you get more satisfaction from several little successes versus one big success? Paying down the smallest balance card first will motivate you more in that case. You’ll see one card have a zero balance and that small success will inspire you to do it again.
4B. Would you rather have one big success than lots of little ones? Paying down the card that has the highest interest rate first would be better for you. You are of the mindset that interest is ‘throwing away money’ and paying down the highest interest card will throw away less of it, thus ensuring you will have a bigger success when you reach your goal.
5. Always pay more than the minimum payment. Minimum payments include interest owed and that majority of it is actually the interest. It takes forever to pay off your balance because most of the money never goes to the balance owed, it mostly goes to interest owed. I would strongly suggest paying at least the minimum plus whatever interest has been charged the previous month. That way some of the money is for sure going to the balance owed and paying the debt off.
5. Always make at least the minimum payments on each card on time! Most cards carry a ‘default APR’ which is fancy talk for “if you pay late, we increase the interest significantly.” It is extremely difficult to get out of the jam it creates when the interest owed doubles overnight.
6. Most utility bills will let you pay them late without a ding to your credit score. (at least with today’s scoring models. Credit scores do not include utilities but there is talk of changing this.) This means that if you absolutely must juggle money around to pay your bills, juggle the utility money toward the minimum payment on your card. You’ll owe a late fee on the utility bill so don’t do it if you don’t absolutely have to juggle bills.
7. Are you in dire straits? When life gives you lemons you are supposed to make lemonade but sometimes even that is too expensive. Plasma donations are usually good for 20 dollars and you can do it 2 times a week. 40 dollars should cover a minimum payment or maybe just buy gas for your new uber/lyft/doordash job. The pay isn’t the greatest but the neat part is that your earnings can be be cashed out in less than 24 hours. Some temp agencies pay you immediately after you complete the day’s work. That’s a real big help if you are trying to pay bills due within days. Yes it’s all grunt work, it’s all not fun. Take the 60-100 dollars or so per day, get yourself out of dire straits, maybe then look for a weekly or monthly pay job that pays better and then focus on fun.
For the record, yes I was in dire straits. I did Uber Eats and I stayed taking deliveries every day until I earned enough money to pay the bill that was due the next day. Sometimes it took all day (24 hours) to earn that money but I cashed out my earnings and paid my bills on time. It took two weeks before I caught up to where I could pay the bills with money that was not last minute. It can happen this way. I then focused on getting a better job and now that I have it, I currently pay 100 dollars plus interest for each of my 4 cards. I estimate I will be debt free on May 1st. Yes it can be done.
I added my granddaughter to a couple of my credit cards as an authorized user while she was in college. She has now graduated & I want to remove her as an authorized user. Will removing her affect her credit and/or credit score? Thank you so much!
We do save big at Costco for a family of four. I have one issue and it is consistent with every Costco store nationwide, that is the terrible tasting carbonated sugar water down drinks. they are so diluted, I stopped drinking them. I wish they would taste the difference, if they need a larger profit, then charge an extra 10 cents to make the drinks taste like real soft drink like your Arby’s, Carls Jr, etc.
I am a family of one and I love Costco. Even shopping for one I save money. 5# bags of chocolate chips, nuts and other baking items during my baking season. Not to say the money I save buying my gas there, even though I have to drive 40 mins to get there, it is right around the corner from the VA Hospital, so it’s on my way and I fill up and shop. I like the larger quantities of chicken, fresh salmon and tilapia, which I freeze in servings. This saves me lots of time shopping and saves me money. I stagger the months so I only have to but one kind of meat per month, but I always have a variety in my freezer.
So saying that it isn’t a good deal for a single person or a couple is wrong. If you plan, you can save a lot.
You completely missed one of the biggest reasons to join Costco. The gas prices. I have a Volkswagen with a 22 gallon tank that takes premium gas. I save anywhere from .80 cents to $1 per gallon vs my local gas station. Or roughly $20 on every fill up in my car. Filling my tank 3 times pays for my membership. For those who don’t need premium, the savings is still about the same.
No ending is correct. If you shop at Costco on a regular basis and take advantage of the other savings they offer, you can save big time. I received over $ 100.00 via Costco and by using the Costco visa I recently got back nearly another $ 400.00 from Citibank.
Very good article asking a very good question. Basically, I see it as the total cost of your annual spending at Costco would need to be greater than the annual membership fee in order for the membership fee to be justified, unless there are other indicators that makes one feel validated other than the savings.
Thanks for sharing
Yes….could cut two ways; only if you let it and you lose control. Should never, ever attempt to bye anthing you can’t pay off in full or have at least controllable affordable monthly payments…
Thanks….
This is all you pros could come up with for “side jobs”. For all the wonderful credit information you provide, this is a joke. Uber? Would you consider putting some work into this subject and trying again to provide much better information. This could be a very important subject to many thousands of people.
Are you really advocating on-line pay day loans as a solution? Look at the interest. It’s over 800% and just sets people up for failure and bankruptcy. Do you research before advocating this again, please.
I was sold a car with MAJOR preexisting problems that were not disclosed. the engine light came on 24 hours after the initial lease started, they said they would fix it Saturday all they did was turn the light off. light came back on hours after leaving the lot again. i got the car looked at officially by a professional mechanic now that i know what is wrong the dealership refuses to fix it, or even let me trade the car for a different one. the cars ecm was switched out to try and hide the fact the car was totaled. i dont know what to do. i cant afford the 400$ a month, due to not being able to work.
yes i have a medical bill from a heart attack that the VA was suppose to have paid, but it appears the civil hospital didnt send it to the VA in time, so they arent paying it and its back on me now. They sent it to a collection agency and now they are coming at me for 23000 dollars. I
I have 2 secure cards and my score went from 450 to 654 on equf, and 670 on exper. and 620 on tu. That one thing brought my score down again to 594, 606,.and 590. Any suggestions?
[…] credit card or take out a loan in the future, make sure you do it sensibly. There are some healthy credit card habits you can adopt, but if you don’t trust yourself to manage them properly – it’s safer just to cut them […]
Hello people,
I am in the process of repairing my credit. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHALLENGE EVERYTHING ON YOUR CREDIT REPORTS. It won’t affect your credit, you want to make sure what is on it is what is suppose to be on it. CHALLENGE!!
Best of luck to you all
What’s the point of having a good credit score if the creditor still review your credit report before making a decision? In the process lowering your score. Isn’t the credit score reflective of your risk. Seems like the credit system is stacked to monopolize the borrower at both ends of the spectrum. They need us as much as we need them. Someone kindly enlighten me?
thank you for this valuable information. I trying hard to increase my credit score. I paid my house loan off and they put charged off. this decreased my score by 100 pts. this was incorrect it was changed to paid in full/charged off still my score is low because of this mark. what can I do?
I have METRO PCS. 2 lines 0f everything for $92.00 a month. $12.00 Is for insurance ($6.00 each line) Cut my Bill in half – literally. Been with them almost a year and am VERY happy!
City (Citibank) is one of the companies that offer a “nice credit cards” but when it came to you for not payment they do not care if you are daying. Chase, take advantage of your financial situation and raise your % from 12% to 29% just to get you into more trouble, and the sad part is that this great country does not help it people with financial problems and there are Financial gurus who recommend these products.
Lexington Law firm did NOT help me AT ALL! Was with them for an entire 12 months. After paying all that money and hoping for their honest help, I was STUNNED to find my score was LOWER than when I started! Hummmmm,,,how does that happen? Ive never used any credit, just kept paying down what I needed to! Just be careful. Those who have had good luck with this company maybe had minor credit issues.
I was wondering if there is a chance to get approval for a mortgage with a score around 635. I am still trying to improve it, and paying the $40 a mo. for Lexington Law. They have taken some stuff off, but I have a fixed income (disability) and a $55,000 medical bill for when my, then, 17 yr old son fell through the ceiling in the house we rent and broke his thigh bone in half. I feel like I couldn’t pay that in a million years!
Can someone tell me about my mortgage question
And about the medical bill issue?? Thanks 🙂
Yes it is very possible. Remember there are other factors in purchasing other than credit score. You need to be sure your debt-to-income ratio is not too high, plus show a cashflow funnel through deposits and bank statements. Go search types of loans and the credit score they accept – FHA is as low as 500. However, there are other factors they will consider.
Are you sewing the owner of the housie you rent ? Is there a City or County agency that is responsible for doing inspections and issuing certificates of meeting safety standards on rental properties ? It sounds like their insurance companies or their self insured status needs to work out a financial settlement with you. Also I had to go through bankruptcy 15 years ago to get rid of a $100,000 County Hospital Bill after an auto accident, To protect an inheritance that I knew was eventually coming, Maybe you should look into that also ?
I couldn’t find any value with Lexington Law either I started off 480 score 18 months ago. 90% were medical bills that went to collections. I took it upon myself to contact them, negotiate a payoff amount and request they immediately removed from my credit when I paid. They agreed. I was able to purchase a home 5.95% interest. I then opened up 4 “bad credit” credit cards and made sure the balance was less than 30%. Within 6 months of paying my mortgage on time and keeping my credit card balance low my score went to 720 where I was able to refinance my mortgage at 3.5%. It is not an overnight process but to go from refused a mortgage to your mailbox being filled with refinance offers in 18 months feels great. Now the second I get a medical bill in the mail it is paid! Also make sure you have 3-6 months worth of bills in savings. Now you can sleep peacefully
What percentage of the Collections Bills were you able to get them to reduce them to and agree to remove them and what type of legal document (If any ?) Did they give you insuring that they would Remove the Collections items on your credit report, Before you paid them ??
Equifax is not the best credit reporting agency .. I had a lawsuit against them and won. MH credit score kept going down dings left and right . I checked my credit and old creditor I had kept reporting late charges but I had already paid that specific debt off. I reported to all credit reporting agencies which included Equifax, Experian and Transunion. The only one I had issue problems and concerns was Equifax.
I sent them over 15 demand letters to investigate the situation , after each inquiry Equifax continue he to say it was reporting the finance company as still open with no payments being made. I reached out to the company which took like 3 try’s due to change in management and the office manager wrote a letter of me paying off MH debt like several years previously and Equifax still report negative remarks . I’m at my wits end at this point so I sued them . The other two reporting agencies seen the issue and corrected the problem within the 3 months of me being concerned… good luck!
@Beth Trach i was able to find good information from your blog posts. I was always confuse with deductible, after reading this article my confusion has been cleared. thanks 🙂
I was contacted by Collection Agency on an old credit card debt that I stopped paying 4/2010. They state they will not sue me, but the opening date on my credit report shows 2013. Should I go ahead and send them a validation letter?
Thank you!
I agree with you, There are number of excellent websites and apps to help you find the lowest prices on anything you could possible want to purchase. There are certain things that almost always cost less from electronic retailers. Thanks for the information..!!
This is terrible advice I agree for any debt past the SOL (statute of limitations) check your state each is different, some SOL’s are only 3-4 years and you can no longer be sued so long as you haven’t restarted the clock by making a payment during that time, that’s right the SOL can restart all over again once the collection folks get a payment of any kind out of you. Once the debt is 7 years old it should also be removed completely from your credit report. Her advice is good for fresh collections, however terrible advice that can actually hurt your credit even worse if you follow it for anything past the SOL date and especially if it approaching the removal date nearing 7 years old. Check your state laws where the debt was accumulated.
Let me add yet another thought to you collection above.
In the case of folks with debt in collections and who are receiving income that is protected from garnishment, Social Security or Disability. Should these people place as much concern over potential lawsuits as others should consider? I tend to think not in some cases like grossly up charged medical bills that are nothing more than legalized theft from consumers.
Presently my wife has 2 collections accounts due to up chargeed medical bills. I am on Social Security and the bills are not in my name. My wife will soon be on Social Security so I have told her it would be in our better interest to ignore these vultures and let them fly above as long as they desire. At some point in time we will request from them itemized invoices and proof the bill actually belongs to us. They are all part of a single hospital emergency room visit that lasted less than an hour total.
I feel consumers should be protected from multiple collections entries in their credit reports simply because the care is being billed under different entities. THIS IS SOMETHING OUR CONGRESS NEEDS TO FIX FOR CONSUMERS.
I need to explain my reasoning behind why we ignore grossly up charged medical bills in collections.
Our reason for ignoring those collection accounts are simple. No collection agency will remove anything from the credit reports until the account has been satisfied. There is no reason we should wrangle with these vultures for hours on end day after day to only get them to accept a partial payment as satisfaction on the account. We have tried this in the past only to find they will not remove the collection from our credit report files. Given this problem and the FACT WE REFUSE TO BE BILKED OUT OF UNEARNED MONEY along with knowing there is no way they can can file a suit and collect (income source is protected) we simply ride out the collecions entries on our credit report for a while until we feel safe requesting information they will very likely not be able to provide in time to continue the collections entries on our credit reports. THEY ARE SCAMMING US AND WE ARE SCAMMING BACK. (AN EYE FOR EYE APPROACH)
On deletions: The actual deletion of a collection, upon PIF, may violate the agreement between the agency and a CRA; however, many still do it to collect their 29-34%. Why do debtors want pay an account off in the first place? Generally, to qualify for an auto loan or mortgage. Even then, it may take months to see any improvement in a credit score. 25 years as a C & C manager.
Read the bill carefully. There should be a paragraph in tiny print stating that they cannot collect, or even take you to court due to the date of service being so old. Also, if this statement is not on the bill, write to them demanding proof of and date of original service. Send by certified mail with signature receipt. Bet you never hear from them again.
Credit bureaus suck
They leave an account negative even after was paid. This us not right at all.
When me and husband split he never paid the remaining balance of the electric bill which was the only bill he always paid.
I did not know till I was applying for a gas credit card that was denied. I then called to check my credit and my score has dropped tremendously because of this. I went and paid that balance immediately, but 4 years later I still show a late payment in my report, and I have disputed thus left and right fir no reason, they still have it there. yES tHey SUCK
But the fact remains, you WERE late on that payment. Paying it eventually doesn’t erase that fact. The bureaus try to predict your likelihood of paying on time in the future and even though you made good on it, you have shown you have been late in the past. Does that make sense?
Lost everything eventually do to the stock mkt collapse in 2008… 3 homes dumped, a 2006 Dually Ford, a John Deere tractor, a 2001 Lexus LS, 4 horses etc… now I am older and have started a new company –
Income is now the problem, mostly SS.
If you have a Master card with all the cash available from using an ATM Machine with it has been used up, But money to buy items from Walmart etc. is still available ! Just buy some small inexpensive thing that you would be buying anyway, Like liquid dishwashing liquid and the charged to your card and get $50 to $100 in cash instead in ask the cashier if you can get an extra $50.00 or $100.00 ? I have heard that doing this also makes it look like to your credit card company that you actually bought something and did Not get Cash from your card ! ? Go do a search for, How to get Cash out of credit cards and many of the first articles will list 50+ store chains that will give you cash, From your Master Card etc. cards, Like Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, and Dollar Tree Dollar store Nation wide chain dollar store !! (;^))
Generally you are better off paying cash for items, never using credit and avoiding credit reporting agencies. The agencies basically work for banks and banks are in business to take your money.
In my situation, they object to the number cards and the total balance unpaid, but also the fact that 60% of the available credit has been consumed. They ignore the size of the aggregate amount available for use. In my case, it’s more than $50,000. As balances mature for payment, I utilize the some of the $50,000 availability. As the maturing balances are paid, I open fresh availability within the cards paid down. I avoid the double-digit rates which occur when cards become past due. My aggregate actual rates are about two basis points above the prime rate. What’s wrong with that for unsecured debt?
Stephanie, can a mortgage servicer hire an attorney to contact homeowners,(without their permission), to offer loan mods that have higher monthly payments, and/or big balloon payments? Also, is it legal for the offers to be tied to the requirement of signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement?
Who or what gave a bunch of number crunchers the right to evaluate our credit ? Based on numbers that used to be illegal to have in your possession about other people’s finances ?? They can literally destroy people so badly that they commit suicide or end up divorced etc. ??? Was this ever decided by the U.S. Congress ?? ! Or anyone else elected or appointed ?? !!
Check a consumer catalogue and many problems can be helped by a good debt management program.That was what I used to get out of debt.Mak sure it is a legitimate program and also you want be able to use your credit cards for a lengthy period of time.I was over $45,000.00 in debt when I enrolled in this program.Please make sure that you keep up your stated payments andyou will be relieved of thi credit card burden.Be blessed.
I got charged with a DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) during summer, started classes that cost 1900$ and I had to give the court 2400$, life became frustrating at a point I was filled with so many questions. If I’m guilty, will I become a felony conviction on my record, I almost lost my job during the whole mess then a coworker who had his criminal records expunged told me about webzz. It did take some days to talk him into fixing my DUI records and to my very surprise he fixed both my DUI records and increased my credit score in a way I didn’t understand he removed all negative entries from my credit report back when I had bad credit. So I recommend contacting him “Darkwebzz@null.net” cease applying for new credit card always and build up some positive credit history, he will make you have zero hard inquiries on your credit report and maximize your credit score.
I applied for a home loan few weeks ago but did not qualify. The last time I went through my credit report there were all sorts of things on my record including messed up addresses,bankruptcy and tax liens to dispute, and the companies all dropped it off my record. After searching through the internet for help i found this email address on FHA blog..( computerworm.hacker (at) hotmail. com ), The goodnews is that this man fixed my credit scores to 758, removed tax liens, eviction and bankruptcy off my report, he increased my credit limit and credit leverage. Still surprised at how Its just so fast and easy to push the dispute button at the credit agency website with this hacker. He just did mine and asked me to check back in 5 days and i confirmed already my credit score is at 758, the negative and derogatory items fell off. You can contact him and worry no more on buying a home with low credit scores. Hope that helps everyone looking for help.
Unfortunately I’m pretty sure if people with bad credit had been doing all these things in the first place, they wouldn’t be dealing with bad credit now. But I suppose it’s never too late to change your ways.
We agree, Tracey! Not everyone is born with the tools to take care of their credit, and not everyone has someone who will teach them. That’s why we came up with The Credit Solution Program in the first place 🙂
Jimmy, your comment proves your youth and ignorance! Cancer, job loss, critical illness (heart, Parkinsons, etc. . . ), car accidents, businesses closing, lawsuits, death, bad banks that the government bails out and not the people they affected and things you don’t even see coming can affect your credit scores. You can have all the tools in the world, but when life throws you a complete curveball with something completely out of your control, family, not money, comes first. You can rebuild credit, you can’t rebuild corruption and death.
Leland Waterman you are grossly incorrect as Obama wasn’t even in office in 2008 when you chose to retire. Take responsibility for your own failure(s) and stop blaming others …..
If someone has a few credit card debts in Canada that are over 10
Years old, are you still legally responsible for them? I had a mixture of cc debt that totalled about $50,000. At the time , I was unable to pay and didn’t go BK. They have all disappeared from
my credit report and I am slowly starting to build up my ctredit again. What I really want to know is if someone stiffs Amex, Royal
Bank of Canada, and a few other majors, would they ever allow
Or approve an application for a new credit card after all years?
Or basically, do they keep a STIFFER LIST. Would really appreciate
Your feedback, cause I really want another Amex card and I’m scared to apply. Thanks in advance for your help. BTW love your site and all the info you provide. Have a great day.
I’m in the same boat as Steven, November 28, 2017 at 6:52 am, but I’m in the US. Wasn’t there an answer for Steven, and likely for me?
I’m very interested in an AE card, also. In case you can’t find Steven, here’s his post:
If someone has a few credit card debts in Canada that are over 10
Years old, are you still legally responsible for them? I had a mixture of cc debt that totalled about $50,000. At the time , I was unable to pay and didn’t go BK. They have all disappeared from
my credit report and I am slowly starting to build up my ctredit again. What I really want to know is if someone stiffs Amex, Royal
Bank of Canada, and a few other majors, would they ever allow
Or approve an application for a new credit card after all years?
Or basically, do they keep a STIFFER LIST. Would really appreciate
Your feedback, cause I really want another Amex card and I’m scared to apply. Thanks in advance for your help. BTW love your site and all the info you provide. Have a great day.
[…] hit your credit report. But then again you’ve witnessed this first hand. You’ve watched your credit report crash and burn, from delinquent payments, to charge-offs, to collections, and possibly even bankruptcy. Now […]
I ran a major credit and collections firm for more than 25 years. Debt settlement does nothing to improve your score. These days, paying off debt has become more of a moral issue than a legal one. Just demand that all further contact cease and desist, and document that request; any licensed collection agency will abide by that request. Statistically, there is only a 1-2% chance a collection agency will sue, and then, only if the amount if high enough (typical bank cards need to be at least $5,000). Going to a CRO won’t prevent them from suing, if they really want to. And don’t worry about the 1099-C. IRS Form 982 will discharge you from any financial obligation, if your net worth is less than the reported 1099-C debt. Finally, keep your money in your pocket; your family will need it when you use your debit card or pay cash.
Hooray for IRS Form 982. I used it a few filings back when I unexpectedly got “gifted” with a 1099-C on December 31. What timing. Coincidence? I think not. It took me hours of research to find this form but my mantra was: Rich people do not pay these penalties, therefore, there must be a form. That was also the first and only year I hired a tax professional to do my taxes. He looked at me and asked me why as I had already done it all correctly. I replied: peace of mind. If I’m going up against the IRS I want a major company to be my front man!
I managed a national credit and collections firm for more than 25 years. If you have a lot of derogatory items on your file, it makes sense to initiate a clean-up, just to remove the easy ones. The tougher ones may take a few letters and up to six months to see any real improvement. Ask your CRO if they have a legal team that will assist or go to bat on your behalf, if a federal lawsuit needs to be filed.
Credit One and other financial institutions get away with all this, due to anti-consumer policies and practices, established by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency. Having only one open account, even with exemplary paying habits, may land you a 700-750, but it may not be enough.
They require a yearly fee and automatically add this charge on your bill whether account has a balance or not. Only way to stop paying fee is to close account.
They will stay on your credit report for seven years if you only pay a portion of what you owe! I did it with credit solutions of Dallas . 7 year mistake and even tried 2 other fix your credit card debts, over $1700 to one and $350 to the other plus the $5600 to credit solutions put me out of play for seven years,
Don’t Do it if it is a product of Synchrony Bank. They are unreliable, expensive and your credit limit is unstable. If you don’t use the card for a few months they will close the account. The Amazon Visa is GREAT!
bank of America 3% cash back on ALL related travel expenses. I have booked all my family vacations. travel by air, land, rent a car, whatever hotel motel whatever. its all 3
% cash back.
I have a First Premier card. It was the first card I got 13 years ago. I keep a zero balance and do not use it. I have been debating on closing it, I am about to buy a house I wasn’t sure if it would lower my score by doing so before I qualified.
[…] a little older doesn’t mean you’re exempt from following the rules. You still have to meet the minimum credit score requirements for the loan you’re applying for. Your debt-to-income ratio has to match up with what the […]
Although property insurers have made great strides in overall customer satisfaction over the past several years, the areas where they consistently see the lowest satisfaction scores are price and direct customer service,” said Greg Hoeg, Vice President of U.S. Insurance Operations at LNC insurance provideres. “Those two areas in particular will be under enormous stress as insurers address losses from the recent hurricanes.”
I’am screwed big time 6 payday loans I watch them eat my rental payments up now I’am four days on a five day pay or else notice.
I make 18.50 hr. but I’am 65 years of age 12/17/1952 birthday.
US Navy Vet.
Now it looks like I Am facing a possible major illness, VA jesse brown want me to come in a talk about what found X-ray lungs abnormal, pelvis abnormal, kidneys somethings growing it really fast. Bad luck comes a looking.
good comments. I had 2 accounts where I was an authorized user only. not a co-borrower. I had those removed by simply stating, that I have not signed anywhere on theses debts and I am only authorized user. This person listed me as a nice gesture, to show I have more available credit. when his credit was good, then he defaulted and it was hurting my score. He got sick and hospitalized. they removed them. I did have to write all three credit agencies. did online.
good comments. I had 2 accounts where I was an authorized user only. not a co-borrower. I had those removed by simply stating, that I have not signed anywhere on theses debts and I am only authorized user. This person listed me as a nice gesture, to show I have more available credit. when his credit was good, then he defaulted and it was hurting my score. He got sick and hospitalized. they removed them. I did have to write all three credit agencies. done online.
[…] low income, minority or disaster-impacted communities. In that way, it’s similar to the USDA loan program, which is meant to help lower income buyers who are shopping around in rural […]
I refinance my mortgage and with the extra money, they gave me I pay all my debts after buying down on most of them. I managed to stay debt free for a while but then, because of the mortgage refinancing, my home is in foreclosure. Had a car problem, got a credit to fix the car, and back in troubles again. because of the foreclosure, which still not done after 4 yrs, I got a payday loan to help me with my bill payments and rent every now and then. Finally, I got a better job, but I still behind of some debts and don’t know how to fix it.
This is so amazing,i was doubting this service from the start not until it happened like magic, i had all negative collections removed and permanently deleted from my credit reports,dejatech007ATgmailDOTcom is the best, he did a wonderful job for me , he boosted my credit score as high as 800s and he also increased my credit limit,he fixed my credit score permanently , now am free from all debts and loans ,i was able to get a new house for myself and my niece,i guarantee you if you have similar problems he will help you out immediately , i promised to tell people about his wonderful works , kindly tell him from Michelle .
I agree with every point, except #8. As a credit and collection manager for years, I’ve never known a single credit score to improve after paying write-offs. This business of paying off debts has turned into a moral issue, not a legal one. If you owe a lot of debt, but are working, keep the money in your pocket where it belongs; your family will need it. Use the cash to buy what you need and wait out the two clocks. Start fresh (with no bankruptcy), and move on with your life.
I really don’t want to leave a comment that can be read by everyone, but here it is. Ten years ago, I had a complete breakdown. After several hospitalizations, etc., it is only about the last six months that I feel clear minded and have a desire to see what my credit scores are. That sounds crazy, but I was and I did not recover overnight! It has taken almost a decade to get into an emotional position to even face life! Not funny, but very true. Anyway, I was horrified. I am 67, but don’t like feeling like a loser and would now like to be able to move into a respectable apartment (I moved into an efficiency because of a limited income) but when I checked my credit reports, I was flabbergasted. Most I did not understand or remember. One was definitely wrong, as I do remember the circumstances. I know I am rambling, but I really don’t know where to begin. I have a report from the 3 credit bureaus, but they are 606,527,532. I pay my rent, utilities, and credit cards on time, but it doesn’t seem to have much difference although my cards are all maxed. I don’t know where to go to begin to straighten things out. Any suggestions?
I have been using your information to raise my FICO scores from 705-740 up to 753-802. Why is Experion 40-50 points lower than Transunion? Is this normal? I changed bank for checking account to Chase Bank. Using Bill Pay, I set up recurring payments on all credit cards to cover minimum payments. When I get my invoices, I change amount to pay if balance is lower or if I have extra to pay more. Therefore, no late payments. They also give FICO score information for 7+ categories that make up your FICO score. You can also change information to see how paying down or increasing debt, increasing credit limits, etc will affect your score. When I pay off all credit cards my FICO will be 823. Great tool.
[…] you money, a secured card is a way to begin building a positive credit history after bankruptcy. A secured card is “secured” with a deposit that you make when you open the account. For example, the credit […]
I got the contact of a credit repairer from a friend whom i contacted and who helped me remove all negative items from my credit and also improved my score to excellent level. i guarantee this credit repairer, he’s the best and I’m recommending him to everyone who needs to fix their credit to contact him for his service, you can contact him on creditrepairtechnologies (AT) gmail (DOT) com
I got the contact of a credit repairer from a friend whom i contacted and who helped me remove all negative items from my credit and also improved my score to excellent level. i guarantee this credit repairer, he’s the best and I’m recommending him to everyone who needs to fix their credit to contact him for his service, you can contact him on creditrepairtechnologies AT gmail DOT com
Well, look at the fine print when you authorize the merchant to do a credit check. You’ve often authorized them to check your credit any time in the future after this transaction – often times leading to multiple pulls you thought you hadn’t authorized.
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The credit agencies are generally run by financial institutions. They take security very seriously.
A hacker would have to be able to access their systems, make a modification and then delete all evidence that the modification has been made. Possible, but not easy – it could easily be months of work looking for a security flaw, and they would still need a way of ensuring the change was saved. Most hackers are low level ‘script kiddies’, and this is completely out of their league.
An insider in the agency or one of their data feed partners would have a far easier time. Assuming they had system access and the rights to make changes, they could add false information such as a fake loan with regular repayments, or wiping old missed payment information.
It’s unlikely they could get around the logging systems, so it’s going to be picked up sooner or later if they do it more than once, so not something you could do ‘for hire’. They would then be fired and face possible criminal charges, as it would be clear who they were.
HORRIBLE article. A FAQ with definitions would have been a better read. Devoid of any actionable advice. What is documentation we should show the credit reporting agencies, for instance?
I found after disputing each of the three(3) National Credit Bureaus three times, they will not remove your hard inquires. They send you this notice to contact the company’s and dispute with them. I know any accounts you can dispute, but they (NCB) are not doing their job. I have filed a complaint with Federal Trade Comn
Monty. The 13 point drop was likely a result of the inquiry AND the new account you where approved for showing up on your report. New accounts drop your average age of accounts.
It has grown much worse than the original 13 point drop. Now I am facing A FULL ON ATTACK on my credit score. I have gone from 785 to to 732 in 3 months time. Only one account has been opened and that is the only account applied for. My monthly balance runs about 10% of my credit limit. This is over a 50 point drop and there is no other information change on my credit report other than opening this single account.
I was preapproved with my bank for a car purchase. When I went into the dealership and filled out the paperwork. I told them I was preapproved for the loan with my bank. They told me I was eligible for 0% financing through the corporation. They asked me to fill out a credit application. I did and wrote on it for that corporation only….no others. Come to find out they checked 5 other banks and lowered my score some 50 pt. can I dispute these hard inquiries. This has happened to me a second time recently even though I have specified who they could check with.
My old lender I was on a fixed loan now on the new I’m on a variable. How do they just put you on what they want you to have? I had a 15 year loan and after I paid 10 years they sell my mortgage to another company and they put me on a variable rate. Can they keep increasing my payments where I can’t afford them? I have 5 years left I don’t want to lose my home.
Tia just wondering how your mortgage loan turned out. Did you ever get it straight?? It’s against the law to change from fix to variable. I hope you filed a complaint. I just got sent to another servicer and i’m a bit concerned because i am on a fix mortgage as well. I hope and pray that the new servicer is on the up and up.
[…] to common opinion, opening a new credit card is not necessarily bad for your credit, just like cancelling a credit card is not necessarily good for your credit. In fact, opening credit cards can actually help you to improve your credit score in the long run. […]
Mike What makes your program from Smart Credit to which I pay 20 monthly and It didn’t come with form letter just a book with directions on how to do it yourself or pay more for auto pay forms.
everyone i boomed my credit score for cheap price only $47 i went to over 690 from a low pathetic 610 in 60 days go check out smart money secret.
They have a FB group also that help you send out letters and remove any zombie debts or bad reports that killed your score.
Now i was able to refinace MY car from thieves santander who wacked me with an outerspace 18.7% interest rate my car payments was $278 a month now guess what it is for final 3 years. $175.85 MY Bank got me in at way lower % of only 9.5 %
YOU have rights use them get the smart money secret DO NOT pay lexington law or others high fees and starup signing huge fess also. They aint that good.
you are right about Lexington Law, the only thing they did was collect there $ 40 fee every month from your credit card, use them for about 4 years. Had only one item removed from credit records and that was one that just dropped off because of statute of limitations law!!!
All they did was run of my credit card bill to about $2000 and that’s the only thing this particular card was used for!!!
When you first sign on with them they said they would work to repair credit reports for you!! So beware some of the items you can have removed your self by checking your credit reports and talking with the credit bureaus and trying to dispute an item !!$
Lexington law is a scam company. They can’t even remove simple things that I did over the telephone myself. They tell you that are working on your credit but when you call the credit bureau They tell you that there is no activity whatsoever with your account. Stay away from that scam firm. Once I called them and they told me how their parents have credit problems and how they are having a hard time Well if these people have so much success why are their parents having credit issues?
I ran a major collection agency for 25 years. Paying off collection accounts does NOTHING to improve one’s score–it’s a myth (for now). FICO is based upon risk, not goodwill. Over the past three decades, the matter of paying debt has become more of a moral issue than a legal one. You have many legal rights; use them. Keep your money in the bank, and out of the hands of collection agencies. Trust me, with bad credit, you will need that money one day when the time comes.
,” when revolving credit card debt is paid off with an installment loan, your credit scores are going to improve. Credit card debt is considered high risk, while installment loan debt is considered almost benign”.
This is the best- kept secret ever! Understanding the discipline and control needed to make it work is very important but if done properly, what a blessing for past bad choices.
OMG!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!??? I have been SUFFERING with a TAX LIEN on my credit report for YEARS!
I’ve tried numberous times to tell them that it really belongs to my ex-husband but nothing has changed!!! I will notify them again, THANK YOU SO MUCH xoxo
Tax delinquency is no longer reported on CRs as of July 2017. However, they will make it so you don’t have the ability to pay your bills by taking everything in your account! So, even though it is not reported, does not mean it cannot affect your situation.
Although I DO believe everything you stated in your report, heaven forbid the credit bureaus actually live in the real world. Gee the credit bureaus would never never make a mistake and not properly safeguard our personal professional private information like loose our information to hackers. Still, we’re scrutinized as if we live in a perfect world. Things happen – a medical bill never got properly routed to me. The hospital even admitted the error was theirs. I only learned of the missing bill because it was reported to the credit bureaus as a non-paid bill for collections. My credit score was slammed and the credit bureaus never once bothered to confer with me first to confirm the validity of the bill or whether it was even valid. So, how again is this actually an aboveboard system with ANY validity or integrity whatsoever? Plainly it is not one!!
A debt collector has notified me with a bill I know was paid 15 years ago. He insists it was not paid in full. In all these years I have never once received a letter telling me this. After all this time I have no proof I paid it. Is this a new form of fraud? What do I do.?
Often our dear to heart Doctors offices will have billing companies audit their records and demand payment from patients whom they have no record of having paid.
This has happened several times with our family and in every instance the collections are for visits which are very old and that the doctors office requires co-payment in advance of being seen. Yet they still hire companies to bill us anyway for charges we have paid long ago. Many times there is no proof of payment available given the years of time lapse between services paid at time of service and later billed by the medical billing company.
OUR MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CONSUMERS AS ARE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. If the public outcry becomes loud enough Congress will be unable to ignore these problems as they have in the past up to present time.
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you will find a very sound credit repair service if you visit creditkarmahackerdotcom. they leave no stone unturned and when they handle your credit, be rest assured all negative items will be removed. All changes made are permanent or your money back. reach out to them and get started, consultation is free
Interesting article. I like the fact that you provided a list of institutions that may be able to provide you a loan even if you have bad credit such as car dealers and finance companies. I don’t think anyone wants to have a bad credit standing but if ever I would be in that predicament, I would certainly take heed of your advice.
Hello I am thinking about consolidating my lcredit cards which I max out. I only want to lower the interest and pay off the balances. Question would that hurt my credit score? Thanks for your reply
I’m did my research years ago and the viop phone cost is too much for me. You have to have internet and the viop package, which would have cost me over 100.00 a month. I have gone with tracefone for the last 17 years and have not had a plan come close to it, the minutes rollover and sometimes I only pay 20.00 for up to 3 Months of use.
Totally disappointed. You should have explained the dangers of payday loans and how to avoid them at all costs. It almost sounds like you are encouraging people to apply for these.
Surprising to me NO ONE MENTIONED forgetting about cell phone service and using a VoIP home phone provider.
In days past anyone using a telephone used a landline. Today we have another variant to land line with our home phone service, is is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP works the same as wired phones but is much less costly.
Why expose yourself to an at fault accident, embarrassment during meetings, loss of appetite from interruptions, constant interruptions and a host of other similar difficulties? GET SMART GET A STATIONARY HOME PHONE AND TOSS THE DREAD INTERRUPTERS WE CALL CELLULAR PHONES.
The notion no one can do without constant availability to a phone service in our hands has been disproved by millions over centuries of phone use via a stationary phone. Who cares is the boss can’t call you while your in the middle of traffic or your spouse has to go to the grocery because she can not get in contact with you on the way home. Get rid of the cell phones and save even more than this article suggest.
In this day and age our cell phones are used for much more than just a phone. It’s it a mini computer in my hand. I use it for keeping in touch with clients via email or text. I believe in great customer service and that means being able to be reached and not have messages puked up. I use it as a map to get anywhere I need to go in the cities. I would have no way to know how to get around without it. We do have a land line but only for recording purposes for clients to produce testimonials or anything else for our radio station. I can go on, so just doing away with us just NOT feasible in this day and age.
Hi Rebecca,
Can you please tell me whether any of the business credit companies sending out pre-qualified mailers are a good idea? Our business does not have any credit currently, but we have tax liens, and are not sure we can get a conventional loan.
U. S. Cellular is 35.00 for iOS fone and 40.00 for smart fone unlimited everything. U can get Kyrocera or Samsung Moto E or G right now for 29.00 to 49.00 at Walmart. Excellent coverage.
I purchased a 2016 ford edge in Feb 2017 and the next month after the SUV needed to keep getting jump starts ,,,road side assistants was my new best friend it was not only embarrassing,but it was now an investment of something I really don’t want 4 attempts which is considered a lemon in the state of Illinois, I hired a lawyer and they want me to settle for 6,000 the car is 40k and 700.00 a month I was asking for a full refund and the lawyers seem to think this is a great deal I am an angry consumer who will never but or recommend this company to my worst enemy
I couldn’t possibly save thousands a year on my phone, and I don’t pay much more per year on my phone than I pay per month on my car. I have Republic Wireless, Moto E, and I get unlimited wifi and cell calls, texts, and Data (3G) for $25 per month plus tax, which totals $29.85 per month, charged automatically to my credit card on the 22nd of each month. That’s $358.20 per year, and since I have a QuicksilverOne, the cost is dropped down to $352.83 per year with my 1.5% cash back rewards. I also am not paying interest on this card since I use it for a large portion of my bills after making a payment to clear the available credit, and my total monthly payments are more than my credit limit, and as such more than my prior balance. More specifically, I use it for a total of $529.96 in bills each month ($500 credit limit), which saves me $7.95 per month, which is $95.40 per year. That’s like getting over 3 months per year free on my phone bill!
1st of all… My 23 years in the wireless industry has sought me that even though they use the same network, it does make them equal. Most of the “Tier 2” carriers you speak of are actually owned 100% by one of the “Big 4”. metroPCS is owned (and operated by) T-Mobile. Virgin & boost are owned (and operated by) Sprint. Cricket is owned (and operated) by AT&T.
However, the issue is not always the access to the towers… Rather it is the capabilities and features available on the network through the MVNO (mobile virtual network operator). Not all features are available from an MVNO… things such as Wi-Fi calling and MANY other features that we take for granted.
Also, the “Tier 2’s” data speeds are slower (generally speaking) than those of the “Tier 1’s”.
I currently use Verizon and for a family plan on unlimited, I pay the same per line as the “Tier 2” providers. If I only had a single line I “might” consider using something like “Straight Talk”, but there are many little features that a “Tier 2” does not provide.
Join creditkarma.com, creditsoup.com or nerdwallet.com. All three offer free credit scores. As far as a free credit REPORT, you are entitled to one free report per year from each of the major reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), which may be requested through annualcreditreport.com.
Glad to see fitting a bicycle in the car was included. That’s the first thing I consider when choosing a car.
2nd: is the steering wheel shape comfortable for hours-long driving (must NOT have a big fat spoke at the 6-o’clock position where my thumbs go!)
3rd: it MUST HAVE a compass. This is one of my favorite features. I use the compass direction to help navigate, especially here in cloudy Seattle.
#8 is the worst thing that you can do when trying to rebuild your credit. Consolidation loan, yes. Close credit cards, No, unless you want to drastically lower your score. Learn how to use your credit cards I’m not abused them. Once you get them down to zero contact the companies to find out how long they can be inactive with a zero balance before they close them and just purchase something small that you can pay off each month and then let him sit again zero.
Car insurance not only protects you and your car from accidents on the road but, depending on what type of coverage you have, can protect you against many other factors. Some types of insurance protect your car entirely, even if it’s stolen or damaged outside of a traffic accident.
I recently paid off my 3 year auto lease. I made all payments on time (if not early) and then at the end of the lease term I purchased the auto outright (cash). Nothing else had changed in my credit. Yet, my recent FICO score went down 20 points!! Ugh! What gives?
I have been study-ing credit myself for the past 4 years now and – from my observation not knowing your full circumstance – Credit reports like to see a mix (worth 10% of your score) of different accounts in your report. This may account for the downward spiral in your points. I agree makes no sense that I owe less – this is a good thing – but your credit reports like to debt on your report in my opinion – It took me 4 years but I lifted my score from the high 500’s to over 760 – my advice – Do your homework it goes a long way in building your financial profile
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I had my credit score increased to 800, after i reached out to the best credit repairer with great concept and reviews about credit, I reached out to him for both credit score increase and removal of all unwanted items from my credit, which he did in 5 days, I believe *** is the best,reach out to him today to help you fix all your credit issues
MODERATOR’S NOTE: The Credit Solution Program does not recommend using contacts you find in our comments to repair your credit. We have no way of guaranteeing they aren’t scammers. When in doubt, use a certified program. Here’s more information on how to spot scammers from the Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0225-credit-repair-scams
Hi Liz,
Please don’t use the emails listed in these comments. We try to remove them as quickly as possible, but sometimes they slip through. We can’t guarantee they aren’t scammers. When in doubt, use a certified company (like Credit Pros.)
Mike, I wasn’t able to access your latest question about debt and does it expire ? It depends on whether it’s an unsecured debt or a secured debt. In most states, unsecured debts are subject to a statute of limitations. I live in Fl. so the statute here is 5 years. A secured debt has no statute and can be collected or repossessed by the creditor. For example, miss 3 car payments and your car will probably be towed to an impoundment facility.
Judgments have a 20 year life span [in Fl. ] but the judgment can be renewed after 20 years. Your clients should be aware that even if a debtor makes one small payment on an unsecured debt, the statute begins again for another 5 yrs.
I’ve been a subscriber for several years now and find your advice ,for the uninitiated, very helpful. Keep up the good work and ignore the negative reviews you occasionally get.
Dear Sir money’s not the problem cleaning this low debt out of the way.
I went this lex law firm said that they would help me clear my debt they didn’t.
Less then 6000 dollars has me living a partial life.
Fining money for a house is not it I’am Vet.
I need help in cleaning my credit scores.
I did a dumb thing I went for some pay day loans when I really did not need them. Now with their high percentage they have me tied down.
I’am working full time.
With my low credit scores getting a loan to cover all debt’s with a low interest low is next to impossible.
What can I do help, help!
I am in now way associated with this program or the folks who work there. This is a program I have been following for many months, actually for several years now. I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE CREDIT SOLUTION PROGRAM and what it offer the community.
Now to what I wanted to tell you. Any program that offers to help will require some time from you and information you need to put together.
you have never said you did not do this but this is what happens with many people. They enroll in a program expecting results yet they do not take time to furnish the information required for a group to be able to help you get things fixed. ALL I INTENDED HERE IS TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THEY WILL HAVE TO DO A FEW THINGS FOR ANYONE TO HELP THEM CLEAN UP AND RE-ESTABLISH GREAT CREDIT. It is a small price to pay for the reward you will receive.
They do not require a down payment, do not use your credit to get approvals, they offer the lowest interest rates and YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR PMI INSURANCE. PMI insurance will raise the amount of your payments significantly, you are far better off without having to purchase this insurance.
“You have to be active duty or retired military, work for the Department of Defense, or be an immediate family member to someone who qualifies.” This is incorrect.
ALL Veterans and their family members also qualify!
Hi,
I have a debt reported on my credit for unpaid rent by FCO(collection agency). The debt was due to me being laid off by a company I was working for no more than 3 months in 2014. The company closed their location in California and laid off everyone. I was stuck with rent of $1225 that I wasn’t able to pay while looking for another job. I moved out without an eviction notice on my score, but now it is there as unpaid rent. I have been living with family ever since trying to get on my feet.
I was finally able to get a job in 2016 and have been with my company for 1 year and 8 months now. Cut to 2017…I have contacted the CA to and asked if I made the payment, if they would remove the debt from my report. I am able to take care of the debt now. But they have refused, stating that even if I paid whether i paid in full or took a settlemenent offer, it will remain on my credit.
I am in the process of looking for a new place and it has been a pain in the you know what! What are my options? Is it better to pay them and allow the debt to remain on my credit reported as “settled”? or should I not pay and wait for it to eventually drop and when they can no longer pursue me for the debt? Will it look better if the debt is paid and settled so when I try to find an apartment, management companies and landlords will at least see that it was paid off and I could stand a better chance of finding a place to live? Is there a way, I can get them to remove the debt, once paid in full or even settled for less?
I would appreciate your expert advice and feed back?
So what to do when funds are so right? They’re all kinds of comments, what to, how to do, when you do, but what about the 1% of us that don’t have the access to move forward. How about real world honesty. I’ve bought the books read do this not that and, but I’m NO better off.
Its extremely hard to remove paid collections. There’s nothing in it for them to remove it.
BEFORE YOU PAY COLLECTIONS:
Always have them validate the debt first. If they can’t they have to delete. If they can validate, request a pay for delete but get it in writing.
My girlfriend now my wife got me to sign a contract the guy said it was only a 1 year obligation it was 6 I didn’t read it I took it as though she did well she had to file chapter 13 she put it in her plan they sent it to collections on me it’s $3500 the collection guy said I can pay a lump sum of $1700 that I still don’t have he said I can make payment for the full $3500 and when it’s paid in full it will be removed from my report I ask would it show I’m making payments he said no can you give a little advice thank you
Good info BUT if you’ve already got a low credit score you won’t be able to get a retail card either unless they don’t run a credit check. I’m betting they will.
A company brought a repo of mine says when I pay half of it they will give me a letter of release but they don’t report it to the credit berry I will have to so you say it still is on my credit for 7 years anyway no need to pay them
I have used some of yr advice and have seen a difference in my overall credit score, changing, from a low 300’s to the high 600’s and then in the past year or so I’ve seen it jump to being even higher. So great job on giving this advice, we all need it, since our own habits can some time control us, im pretty sure none of us wants to be in this situation…
Ok so I got behind on my cards was able to pay off all of the cards except for one I traded my 2014 truck for a 2017 SUV that did move my score a 40 point dealership said 40-50 I was duo but my score keeps dropping I’ve gone through 2 credit disputing companies who didn’t do much of anything at all except take me money from me I need help fixing my credit but I’m out of money any real true free advice and if it’s get a secured card remember I’m broke now thanks
Great article on what not to do. I have done all of them except the title loan and I’m still in debt. So that leads to my question: is there going to be a sequel to this on what one should do?
Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, in a car deal is negotiable. The price, the term of the loan, the finance rate you’re being given, and yes, even the extended warranty. Don’t pay $3,600 for a 10 year, 100,000 mile, zero deductible, free rental car, bumper-to-bumper plan that you can negotiate down to $1,200.
And stay away from ALL fabric, rust, and paint sealant packages. Avoid dealer addendum packages that list nitrogen-filled tires for $300+. And “Market Adjustment Value” add-on window stickers of (example) $2,495. All of which are designed to add working room in the negotiation process and hidden profits. Last but not least, watch out for those notorious “Doc fees.” Another trick to build profit into the sale for the dealer.
Anyone that speaks to you inside a showroom is a commissioned recipient of your money. From the General Sales Mgr., Finance Mgr., and the salesperson. They all get a slice of the profit pie.
Have your credit union/bank/financial institution “pre-approve” you for a loan. Dealers will oftentimes match that rate because they will get a piece of the interest.
Rebates. Are there available rebates? Veterans, Owner Loyalty, College Grad, Manufacturer’s Rebate, Special finance terms, Uber (yes, upwards of $1,000 from some OEM’s) rebates. You don’t HAVE to be a practicing Uber drive, just enrolled as one with documentation to show. Some OEM’s will match up to $500 after 30 days on a deposit you make into an account for one of their brand models. But if you don’t buy that brand, you don’t get the $500 returned.
Buying a car takes work, research, investigatory skills, and lots of perseverance. And stamina. But keep the emotional baggage at home. If you walk into a showroom drooling over a vehicle, there’s a high probability you’ve already lost the battle and the war.
Just to add to what Richard said. I paid my way for my college education quite nicely by working at a dealership in sales. Lots of other areas to look for discounts. Where I currently work, we have business relationships with a lot of the German car companies. As a result we qualify for employee pricing from them. Check into relationships your company might have with some of the auto companies. In addition, I am a member of a few manufacturer car clubs. The loyalty discounts they offer are about 1k off a new car. Caveat there is you can’t typically sign up and immediately get the discount. Often you are eligible after a year. Another thing to consider is European delivery for some of the German car companies. There can be some substantial savings if you take your delivery of your car there. Fewer companies are doing this but for the ones that offer it it might be worth it. I typically combine this with a nice vacation and get to drive my new car on the roads were it was meant to be driven. Sort of nice cruising down the autobahn at 100 mph and not having to worry about getting a speeding ticket.
Do a lot of due diligence on your trade’s value. That is where I made most of my money on the deals. Have a very good idea of what it is worth but be realistic. I would suggest going to Carmax and getting a cash offer from them BEFORE going to wherever you plan to buy your car. Then you at least have some idea (likely worst case scenario) of what your car is worth. Carmax will buy your car on the spot and withing 7 days of the offer they make you. So if you have one near you, check them out. A few times I just sold my car there. Keep in mind though that most states credit you with sales tax savings on your new car when traded in you old car at that dealership. Savings can be substantial. In my current state, if I trade in my 30k valued old car on my 45k new car, I’ll save about 2500 in sales tax on the new one.
Take off any modifications on your old car before trade. The dealer won’t give you any extra money for almost any mods or tricked out wheels that you put on it. In fact they many penalize you for some of them. If you have the stock parts, and it isn’t a real PITA to put them back on, DO IT! Then sale your upgraded parts online and likely at least get 50 cents back on the dollar rather than nothing (like the dealer will give you). I once got an extra grand toward a trade because the dealer want to recertify my car and with the aftermarket wheels and tires the manufacturer wouldn’t let them if it didn’t have the stock wheels. I had the stock wheels and slapped them back on. I sold my aftermarket wheels and tires for 1500. I came out ahead 2500 overall on the deal because they were going to factor in at least 1000 to put stock wheels and tires to recertify it.
As for aftermarket warranties, I disagree to some extent with previous comments. There are some good companies but check their ratings. All an aftermarket warranty is an insurance product. The big problem I’ve personally had is they typically ONLY cover repairs at one of their dealerships. Break down in the middle of nowhere, and if no dealer nearby, tough luck. OTOH on one of the aftermarket companies I was able to get them to just pay for the repair over the phone at a local mom and pop shop. Keep in mind with ANY of these warranties to keep meticulous records of all the maintenance you have done and make sure it is according to the manufacturers schedules. Don’t skimp on even things like oil filters. Some manufactures will deny warranty claims, even while under the factory warranty, if you use parts they don’t deem to be up to their specs. FCA is pretty strict about this especially on their diesel trucks. Don’t let saving $10 on a cheaper oil filter for your diesel truck cost you 10k if their is a major engine failure. Don’t think it can happen. They’ll look for anything they can to deny your claim in these major repairs EVEN if your cheapo filter wasn’t the cause, they still will use it as a basis anyway. If you just dropped 50k + on your new diesel truck, don’t cheap out on the filters. That includes the fuel filters as well.
The smart way to lend to family and friends is to Not lend to families or friends !
But if you Must at liest consider it, Here are two methods to get you Out Of It ! First tell that friend who wants to borrow money that you just read an article by a Physiatrist that he just did a survey and that friends lending friends money was one of the largest causes of friendships breaking up, And that their friendship is Too Important to you to take that chance !! (;^))
Another way is while discussing a loan, Ask the would be borrower if he has a checking account ! He will no dought answer yes ! Then ask him to give you a check for the total amount of the loan he is asking for, Tell him you will hold on to the check until he tells you, You can cash it, If he hems and Haws over writing one or comes up with excuses, Say, Well you Do intend to pay back this loan Don’t you ? Then just tell him no, He is Not showing likelihood of paying the loan back ?
I live in NC, and tried driving with Uber for a while, day, night, airport, downtown on weekend nights till 5:AM., Nothing added up, day or night the most of the rides were $3 to $5 before gas!, Long distances trips $12. at the most., So, after driving all night or day, and less gas exp. my big earning average for the day, READY? $35.00 and this is before maintenance and repair. Just scary what Uber want to do with you and your property.
I’ve been driving for Uber in St. Louis, in my spare time since December. Typical Friday night/Saturday earnings are $250-300. I’ve had a couple of rides that were over $100, as they were going a long distance and round trip. Guess it depends on where you live, but I love it.
I unsubscribed to The 800 Club, which you did, but you said it was a 100% money back guarantee for any reason. Well I see where you took my money, but I don’t see where you gave it back like you said you would. Can you please explain why you are not keeping your word and refunding the $19.97 you took from my account?
Hi Bruce,
I’m sorry you were unsatisfied with The 800 Club. Please contact support at support@thecreditsolutionprogram.com to request a refund. Thanks 🙂
I been having the credit couch An I paied my money for the program I can not pull it off my phone as they said I could can’t down load it tried calling Mike all the crap they told me todo I have done An nothen I mean nothen !!!! Has helped me lower nor took place with this program!!!!!!!!!
I never signed up for the Credit program but I can honestly tell you and anyone else reading this that the information they provide in the program is excellent. When followed it will bring anyone back to full acceptance as a credit worthy person. The keyword is FOLLOWED and that means personal effort must be made to do the things this program teaches you.
That said we all understand any program alone is not the entire solution to keeping great credit once you achieve it. The only way to insure keeping great credit is for YOU to keep your credit clean, pay bills on time, only charge what you can easily repay and never go crazy charging up the credit cards you receive. Credit is something you earned but earning credit and earning money to pay for your credit are two distinctly different things.
Unfortunately aside from telling a person what should be done to keep credit clean there is no program that will do everything for them. If there were I would be investing heavily in the company selling that program because the returns would be huge.
When people fail to control their spending eventually they will have a reaction to their over indulgence. Like drinking to much alcohol the spending high will wear off and the lows of debt biting at their income will eventually set in. Then like a bad hangover everything else in their lives goes down the toilet of financial disrespect right along with the person.
We as people have to learn the insight to know that we alone must take charge of our lives completely if we expect any kind of somewhat care free life ahead. Even then life will never be completely care free but when our financial lives are in order every thing else we strive to achieve becomes much more reachable.
When a good life and future is in our sights we no longer have the despair experienced by those who ignored their financial health and the future looks pretty good compared to what may have been their old life of ruin in the gutter of debt. Nothing will be completely care free but it can be close enough to know every thing we reach for is attainable once our finances are in order and we are willing to do the other things needed to get us to our goals. This is what brings real satisfaction to life.
So is this sounds like you or someone you know please pass this basic knowledge on to them. There is nothing hard about keeping your credit clean, exert your ability to use self control, make a habit of it and you will be fine along with your future.
If 5 points are all we should see our credit score by upon a hard inquiry to our files then my question is “Which of the many credit scoring algorithms are you referring to?”. Many of us know FICO and Vantage the credit bureaus compete in this area with both selling credit scores based upon similar yet different methods to compute our credit scores. Within the systems to score credit there are sub areas that score credit based on very specific lending (Auto Loans, Credit Cards, Home Loans, Personal Loans, Ect.) bringing the total number of differing credit scores for an individual well up 20 potentially differing results for each person scored. This does not take into account other companies who are also in the business of credit scoring.
To discuss this in a meaningful way we have to be specific about how we are being scored. Otherwise people have no way to know if those mentioned 5 points a hard pull might take off you credit score is from FICO or VANTAGE and which scoring algorithm within those two are being affected by 5 points.
My credit is spotless but I only have about 2 & 1/2 years of reported data. There have been no bad marks of any kind on my credit report during this period of time and nothing but a completely clean report is what is seen when I review my 3 credit reports.
How do we explain a 13 point loss in my credit score because of a single hard credit pull that was approved for a Master Card World Card? After reading what is said here this is very troubling to me and sounds like it should not be as it is. Even after the 13 point drop in my Vantage score I expect to see a much large drop in my FICO score. (The two reporting methods weigh things differently.)
How can we consumers fix things like this? I have only 1 hard credit pull on my credit report. I waited over 2 years prior to applying for another Credit Card so the single past hard inquiry I had fell off the report. Now I am back to square one and the amount of credit history gathered in the 2 plus years seems meaningless where credit scores are concerned.
How can you help a person with a 784 FICO – 8 score, at 2 credit bureaus, escape this seemingly harsh degradation in my credit score at the bureau where the hard inquiry was submitted?
I’m wondering what are the pros and cons of taking a garage and making it it into a rental apartment? I know some of them such as the loss of my total privacy the cost of the construction etc. but i dont kow what are the real numbers at the end of the day? How long does it take for the income to cover the construction costs?
The big question is why do people even need to rack up such huge debt ? Habits are hard to change. Transfer, sure, but the odds are that the debtor will wind up owing yet another balance sooner than later.
Hi, we are planning on purchasing a new home, but we couldn’t get a conventional mortgage from a bank, we came across “owner finance “. Is this a safe way to get a house, do we get to keep the deed and be sole owners of the house we are trying to purchase?
I managed a large C & C agency for years and wondered why people pay at all. It does NOT help the score. It keeps the account alive for 7 more years. It takes money that you will need. Start saving! Pay cash or use debit. Never settle a debt. Keep the money in your pocket where it belongs Tip: Only people who need to get a car or home are virtually forced to payoff a collection account; otherwise NEVER DO IT!!!”
I am having a hard time getting any loans my credit is horrible it not my fault I have low income. Capital one is my worst ever someone was help pay it backed fired
Capital took my card away from me
Talk about a screwed up deal.
Have you received any information from CAP 1 dated within the last 30 days?
If not, you can call them and request a current billing/statement.
When you have something that’s less than 30 days old, feel free to contact me. I don’t tell you here what to do next, because I don’t want you to spill the beans, so to speak, to CAP 1.
I have 1 credit card. I got in trouble in the early 2000’s and promised I would never get another after paying a ridiculous amount on interest. It’s balance is always 0. It effects my credit score but who cares. I have my home mortgage I pay each month, my car and my monthly expenses. You can very easily be drawn into a credit hole by your cards. Buyer beware!
Truly Kristie is a knowledgeable financial entity; her observation that insurance, utilities and the like do not appear on the 1003 is almost brilliant. Although, lower credit purchasers who use alternative credit might have to furnish this info to the underwriter, Kristie is 99.9% correct – these budget items should be considered.
The only weakness in her article is a failure to cleary clarify the impact of ignoring APR in favor of lower interest rates – on the overall early loan termination; i.e. What cost adjustment/corrections occur on the financial end to a purchaser who finances 30 years and opts out at 5 years.
Kristie has inspired me to write a few articles about mortgages that I will provide for your program at a later date;this is based on last mortgage loan processor & officer training and past service as a loan underwriter & residential & commercial real estate broker.
I joined because I deem this program a consumer service
I make my credit card payments online and a couple of months ago one of them didn’t go through, I caught it when it was only a couple of days late.
I called them and they removed the late charge, but about a week or so later Credit Karma let me know that they reported the late payment and my score dropped dramatically.
I didn’t do anything about it, but after reading this I know that they shouldn’t have reported it since it was only a couple of days late.
What should I do?
Thanks!
I want to refinance my mortgage but my credit is poor I’m try to get it fixed paying a lot of stuff on my credit is getting up there goes up and down I’ve been paying my mortgage on time my mortgage is around 1700 and I would like to get it down from there a lot more down
Hi and thank heaven for people like you. I have been in a debt validation program for almost one year. Most of my 13 creditors have sent me collection letters that been sold to third parties for payment. 3 of the creditors or collection agencies have NOT sent me any letters. Is there an expiration for the time the credits have to assign a collection company?
if you plan on buying your leased car at the end of the lease, remember you will be paying retail twice…never a bargain. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS buy a service contract if you are buying a used vehicle…get one that covers computer controls, power train, and bearings…if you think it’s expensive, ask yourself what peace of mind is worth. If you are putting yourself out there to afford the payment, you probably won’t be able to afford an expensive repair. My personal experience is I have always had a service contract pay for itself, and my professional experience is…you don’t want to be the person yelling at the service writer that your broken car is too expensive to fix when you were offered a service contract that would have limited your out of pocket expense to $100, and you were too cheap to buy it and turned it down. My current service contract cost $2500 rolled into the loan, and they have already paid out $4000…with 6 months left on the contract. Buy your car in the evening of the last day of the month, or the morning of the first day of the month to save big bucks…that’s when the sales incentives/quotas matter most and they will do anything to sell you a car. This information is based on a 25 year career in the auto industry.
I have been a hairstylist for the last 18 years, and have often thought of starting a business that would allow people to basically make appointments online with a licensed professional hairstylist who would be able to somehow bring the salon experience to them. Possibly converting small RVs into mobile hair salons. For those clients that are bound to their homes offer services to them as well that would allow them to still feel “human”, by getting a simple hair cut. Any suggestions on how to make my ideas a reality?? Finances are my biggest hurdle. I’m a single mom with 2 small children, I’m So extra money is not something that I have lying around.
I have been working on my credit report over 7 months now and I am so frustrated at the way its going. Before I started my score was over 620, after I started fixing problems the score dropped down 100 points,,,what’s up with that! I had collections on my report and recently made an agreement of payment with two of them for a payoff and supposed to be taken off my credit report. One account seems to be lost in space, after talking to at least 6 different people, no one can tell me where the account is or went but it still shows on my credit report. I have disputed some of the collections but the creditor does not agree, and I evidently still owe for a bogus charge, especially for a medical bill I do not owe. I have just reported a company to the CFPA for fraudulent charges and victimizing me while taking my rights as a citizen and a consumer, an investigation is going on for the company as well as Equifax and Experian, while Transunion should have also been investigated for allowing a false report on my credit. I am getting an attorney and hopefully someone is going to get sued for causing my integrity and rights to be damaged.
I am 77 years old and trying to buy a house to live in, while my credit score given, is causing me to be unable to have a place to live. This is wrong and Unconstitutional in this country. My rights have become whatever the credit bureau decides and it does nothing but keep me down along with millions of other people. I will fight this problem as long as I am breathing, hopefully more people will do the same and someone with integrity will step forward.
Rule #1 Never talk to a collection agency on the phone. GET IT IN WRITING.
Rule #2 All communications is written. This is proof of what is agreed too. Everything you want must be in writing. Just because they say their will remove something from a credit report does not mean they will unless you have it in writing. Make sure they agree to not use another classification to screw up your credit report. They say they will remove one thing but they will add another. They are tricky that way.
Rule #3 Make sure you understand the law. FDCPA, FCRA, Statute of Limitations for the state the debt created in and don’t forget to check state laws for credit reporting, etc.
Mr. Mike Roberts – The comments pretty much say it all. While Rebecca may be
doing her ‘best’ at writing, she has a lot to learn about ‘common sense’ and the
aging population with regards to “saving” money while most are struggling to survive. Life happens, bad things happen to good people who have limited incomes. Wealth is not only $ in the bank, but counting blessings -health, family, friends, and choosing to be happy. Adding joy to others who are less fortunate,
is the true wealth one takes with them to the end of their life’s journey…
Hi Dorena,
Thanks for reading! Unfortunately, this blog is about how to save money in a practical manner. In following with our blog’s content, this article is about saving money, not counting your blessings. Rebecca, who is an immensely talented writer and an asset to our team, offered pragmatic knowledge on how to do exactly that. If you’re looking for an article on counting your blessings, might I suggest a blog that offers that kind of advice instead? Point #5 was especially helpful for me 🙂
Yes, maddening funny article, funny gorgeous and clueless young blond! I’m beautiful, too. I worked all my life. I’m very bright. My retired nurse friend told me I need an investment counselor or whatever the hell. Ladies, YOU try to juggle exactly $1,188/mo. to pay HUD senior housing, eat organic, keep the car insured, get over the mountain for VA healthcare because Veterans Choice is a damned joke — and . . . save for cremation! Social Security has been the same for two years. I have a dental estimate of $3,800 and brake work of $400 — plus two hand surgeries I may have to get in the troubled civilian world. As for this immature notion of prioritizing, I am proudest of having gradually lost — all on my own — 60 pounds! And that is why I’m wearing too-big, somewhat odd thrift shop put-togethers just now. I syringe-fed baby chipmunks two nights ago and hustled to clean the bear house, put out food for three bear cubs who will be wild and free next spring. I wore 15-year-old New Balance tennis shoes to do this! I do my own manicure — short, for playing the piano, a Steinway. Maybe in 50 years this silly girl will understand about manifesting the Good Life on a shoestring! Right now, her mug shot ruins her credibility.
I signed up with a debt relief agency a year ago as this process was new to me. The company established a savings account for me and negotiated with a company for me to resolve an account through negotiations for an amount considerably lower than the actual debt. They also paid themselves handsomely for the negotiation process which was almost as much as they resolved.
They did not negotiate to my benefit. My credit report was hit costing me 43 points, as the Collection company reported an open amount of $2000.00., although they had a written agreement to settle the initial bill in the amount of $2700.00 for $1000.00. How do I get this off of my credit history?
Stasie i have an old wells fargo secured credit card acct i was paying on it each month than got into sone minor but nevertheless legal trouvle where i was locked up for 6 months i asked my christian lady friend to resolve this with the bank but she didnt so even though the bank had the money in escrow they still liat ir as 60 days past due this was 4 years ago the acct has been closed since 2013 listed as paid but every tine i go fmto apply for credit i get a ding for the past due acct saying its past due what do i do its killing my credit
When I start to rent to own I was marriage now I am not. I am still in the home keeping everything going on time but my income is only 1350 a month and i am working with my credit score it is 550. What can I do I want to keep the home the people that owner the home want help in any way
I have Midland credit And portfolio services.. whatever they are called..and SYNCHRONY is on my credit report.. and I don’t have actual ACCOUNT w them. SYNCHRONY bought GE CAPITAL BANK CARDS, AND THESE ACCOUNTS ARE ALMOST AT 7 YEAR MARK GE AND SYNCHRONY WERE SUED END OF 2016 .. $225 MILLION.. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF ACCOUNTS BEING BOUGHT BY SYNCHRONY, SYNCHRONY HASN’T CONTACTED ME, AND I STOPPED GETTING EMAILS IN 2013. WELL DURING SAME TIME FRAME I BECAME ILL, AND IT EFFECTED MY BRAIN AND MEMORY. SO I WOULDN’T HAVE KNOWN IF I DIDN’T PULL CREDIT REPORTS. ALSO HSBC SOLD OUT TO CAPITOL ONE.. AGAIN RECEIVED NOTHING AS FAR AS NOTIFICATION.. MY HUSBAND’S ACCOUNTS A FEW OF THEM ARE ON MY CREDIT REPORTS. THEY ALSO HAVE ORIGINAL DATE OPENED AS IF THEY WERE JUST OPENED
ANY ADVICE? I HEARD MIDLAND AND PORTFOLIO ARE BRUTAL AND HAVE BEEN SUED.. SO IM ANXIOUS. DOESN’T CBR HAVE TO INFORM YOU IF TERMS OF CREDIT AGREEMENT CHANGES, AND THERE WSS MULTIPLE INACCURACIES ON MY EXPERIAN. AND THE CREDIT BUREAUS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THE REPORTED INFO IS ACCURATE.. AND THEY CLEARLY DIDN’T.. I REQUESTED DEBT VALIDATION, AND THEY DIDN’T..
I agree, but in my case my score does not matter, I am retired, my income is soc sec only and at 900 a month, I don’t gualify for any type of credit…the average senior is like me…my credit was good until I could not work any more, 2 hip replacements.
I would NEVER do anything illegal to help my credit score or another’s. I have piggy backed my wife (added as an authorized user) on one of my credit cards boosting her credit score overnight by more than 200 points. Her credit was not bad she just didn’t have any established credit while I had better than great credit and have had it for a while.
Here is why you should use your head when you add an authorized user. Let’s take a teen you want to see get a good start but that teen has been making bad decisions. OK, so you decide to add the teen as an authorized user but cover yourself by keeping the card assigned for his use in your possession. Great this covers you from loses but might still come back to haunt you IF another company issues the teen credit based on the improved credit score he developed from being a user on your account.
We have an ethical and moral responsibility to lenders who allow us to add users to our accounts. It is to add only those people we believe will not take advantage of a lenders generosity by scamming another lender via their enhanced credit score.
I have no idea if this scenario has gone to trial in any court but it sure seems to be a reasonable claim a lender could make if they are able to satisfy court rules and establish the card holder as a participant in lending fraud. USE YOUR HEAD BEFORE YOU ADD ANY USER.
What I would do if I had to do it all over again with the knowledge I have now. I would have bought the ebook credit secrets and used the letter to stop all the 30 collection agencies that hounded my phone at work and home. Very embarrasing with them call my work and my personnel headquarters to track me down. I would have joined Lexington Law and Credit Repair dot com a lot sooner. I waited over 6 years to do anything. The collection letters stop the calls. But a lot of calls ended because in my state, they can’t sue you after 5 years so you are hard to collect from. Then the closer to the 7 year mark, the stuff starts falling off your credit reports anyways. I learned the hard way. I will never screw up my credit again. I do remember having a score as low as 434! Now I am up to a 732 depending on what fico score rating I am using. Have 3 high limit cards and most of my loan debt paid. Going to buy a property next year using VA loan. But I will have zero debt when I do it. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Get educated and take action and don’t listen to negative fools about Lexington.
All the insurance companies in America are very greedy!! We have already paid them in advance to protect us when we have an accident. Instead, if there is any kind of accident, big or small, we pay them more whether it is our fault or not. What other business in America can get away with that? Reason behind all this is pure and simple , the fault of Congress and lobbyist! Insurance companies pay representatives and senators big money to lobby for them in Congress. With big contributions coming into their pockets from insurance companies, what politician is going to vote for changes!!! It is high time we stopped all this. Congress should represent the people, not the insurance companies!!!
This is the same dilemma people face today with the Department of Education’s monitoring of student loans. It’s time for serious reform. Notwithstanding that, the three major credit bureaus appear to have removed most, if not all, negative information relating to these unpaid loans, at their discretion. Perhaps that’s their way of tacitly disapproving of the undue burden placed upon these victims. Another reason to periodically check one’s credit reports with all three bureaus.
FICO is used more widely (much more so) by creditors. So, while the Vantage Score (typically found on the free credit report sites like credit karma) is a good gage, it is not the score used for those looking to grant credit.
There are two distinct problems with tier 2 providers. The first is roaming. As an example, Sprint and Verizon both work on CDMA technology and have roaming agreements (meaning you can use Sprint towers as a Verizon customer and vice versa). Further, many (if not all) of the phones are now cross compatible with the GSM networks and can therefore be used in many foreign countries (call your provider for info). Tier 2, however, is usually tied to ONE network (ex: Boost and Virgin are Sprint network only).
The other issue is internet. If you use a lot of bandwidth, it will be slower on the prepaid (think of this as premium service vs regular). The idea, of course, is to keep the big guys in business (seriously, tier 2’s own no towers! If tier 1 providers go under, there’s no service for tier 2’s to buy!).
Having said that, if your credit is not good, you just don’t NEED the speed, or you rarely travel, tier 2’s can be a good option.
How do I defend myself against a debt buyer got info about a charge off from an old bank account? I was going to work for a major company they run background check. Mine showed the bank charge off THEFT BY CHECK. PENDING
The profession. I’m in. This was a death knell. O was already moving to another state when this info stops everything. The bank kept allowing an online crook keep grabbing money from my account after disputing this. Trying to cancel this never ending purchase now what can I do? I have started the dispute process but I don’t feel good about my chances. I got robbed plus no credit check was supposed to happen. Please help
Baffles me why anyone would pay $200 a month for a phone bill. Straight Talk costs me $45 a month. Works with any phone you want, even iPhone. ( iPhone 6 is $199 at Walmart right now) same EXACT service as a contract phone. No brainer.
who can I go to for a named non-owner insurance policy as I do not own a vehicle presently. But am in process of getting CAlif. drivers license. And may need to drive someone elses car at some point.
I received a letter from a collection agency telling me that I owe a debt from a credit card that I never had. I never received statements from this credit card, nor did I ever receive phone calls from the company to try to retrieve the debt. When I called them to explain this to them, they said they would investigate it. A week later I got a letter in the mail stating that the debt was mine. Now what do I do? I refuse to pay someone else’s bill!
Request a copy of :
1)all statements that and 2)your signatures as they appear on each purchase alleged and
3) validation documentation of your alleged card activation.
#StayBlessed
I went to my credit union to get a credit card and when they ran my credit they denied my because they said my debt to income ratio was 5% higher than it should be to get a card. Sooo, they said they would see if i could get a $500.00 secured loan that i was approved for. Thing is, when it was approved and did it i did not know they ran my credit AGAIN and i didn’t know they did until i looked at my report. Questoin 1- Why would they run it 5 minutes after they just looked at it and Questions 2-HOW DO I GET RID OF (if i can?) 1 OF THE INQUIRES THAT HAS THE SAME DATE??? PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN… THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. ..
Legitimate debts stay on the report, UNLESS a professional knows specific ways to lawfully remove them. As a credit and collections manager for more than 25 years, I often wondered why anyone pays any collection account, except to possibly buy a home or automobile. Paid collections will not increase your score by even one point because there is no benefit of available credit to lighten the debt-to- credit ratio. So, if it’s going to stay on your report anyway, DON’T PAY! Live with your mistake, and keep your money in your pocket, where it belongs. Your family will need it!
tMister K that doesnt make sense to not pay. They can take you to court, sue you, garnish your wages, and more. How do you simply not pay? Legally? also, I am aware that paying it does not increase credit score, but on the other hand, not paying it keeps it around forever. If you are truly a professional in this area I would really like to know how to avoid paying an almost $19,000 debt without getting sued, or other legal action…thanks!
I am being solicited by several companies that tell me they can eliminate all the negative items (past late payments) and can guarantee that they will have my dismissed bankruptcies removed even though they are less then 5 years old. Is this possible. They $1500 to accomplish this. I am a bit skeptical to say the least. Is what they are saying possible?
Stasie: i acquired a Visa Rewards
Card (secured) from my bank and every month I charged on it .
I paid it off in full each month for
3yrs, and my bank unsecured my
card and said they would increase my credit line. A
Great information to know and keep.
I agree with your take on retirees have no children with no debt really there’s no need for life insurance. Lately I’ve been told that life insurance can be use like a saving acct where in case of emergency or medical needs and nursing home care you can withdraw from your policy . I’ve have never heard of this before , is this some sort of a scam? Thank you
Thank for the “Snow ball effect” this is exactly what I was looking for.
This is Great Information !!
Thank you for the share. Very nice journey. Sounds like because you are able to generate income plus be responsible, you were able to keep credit score at a good rate. Encouraging! I’m still slightly confused about the travel hack thing, revolving credit cards, and thought you weren’t suppose to carry more than 5-7 at a time, and not let any close because it drops your points significantly (all of course only methods for those not spending above their means). Of course if life throws a huge curveball, then that’s a different matter which can adversely effect credit score, along with other more serious issues. Granted you are able to make payments in time, not pay interest, is it still important, even if financially well off to not have more than the 7 cards. Also, yes heard the mixed credit is important. What if you cannot yet afford a mortgage, then it’s not posisble to get that mixed/diversified line of credit to help with credit score?
Nice article!
i think this is best guide for students schools are again opening after long term holidays
I was not aware about this, thanks for sharing. It has helped me a lot to understand the concept better.
And HOW/WHERE do you get the compound interest everyone writes about but never exists???
I have a couple of credit cards with fees. One of them is $100 a year! The charges are broken down to a monthly fee. It has a zero balance ($1450 limit) and paying that fee is honestly a pain. Can I cancel that card?
My score is absolutely terrible! No matter how hard I try, I’m not getting anywhere. I can’t even qualify for a simple loan. Im about to give up
Thank you for the great advice. I am in escrow and don’t want to apply for any new credit at this time. I have 18 inquiries on my credit report (all 3) more than once or twice, I am challenging them through letters obtained through Lexington Law Firm.
Do yo know of any reputable companies for mystery shopping
Thanks for sharing this fantastic list of websites for saving money. I will definitely try these tips to spare some money. I would suggest you to add Dealsshutter website as well as it helped me alot in saving alot of money on online shopping. Just a suggestion in case you need an updated article!!
eedN easy access to sites. EX. finding companionship contacts.
Yes pay the original creditor. That’s the only way for u to get that off your credit report l. Request an agreement in writing not verbal.
Hello to all, the contents present at this site are in fact remarkable for people experience, well, keep up the good work fellows.
What can I do if I go in a business partner and opened a company credit card under our personal names as joint account ? The on reason I did it it’s because his credit is bad and mine is 800 credit score. He promised to pay for it when he use it. Now we’re not really in good terms but he charged up $8500 on the credit card I never seen nor activated it. When it arrived he opened it and activate the credit card with his name on it but technically both card is under my name didn’t even know it arrived. What else can I do beside taking him too Court?
This is a simple strategy that is easy to follow.Appreciate you sharing.I am starting today!
All of this is old information. Nothing new. We all know this umless your 17 years old. LTV, down payment, credit scores etc.
Tell us something we dont know for once. Same information over and over and over.
what can I do beside paying them off? Conn suing me for a balance 1000 can i talk to them to settle it
I was hacked back in January/February. I lost access to all my bank accounts, my investment accounts and noticed very very odd issues started to arise. I lost followers from fakebook and instascam. I still haven’t been able to fix everything. They cloned the SSID network service and then ran overlay software to monitor my passwords and the accounts. Also when I would try to call my bank it kept making sounds as if they’re listening; it happened five times back to back. Totally not cool.
I need help, my wife is being sued by a collection agencies attorney, i’ve offered a settlement of nearly 30% but they refused, debt is almost 6 years old. What should i do? Can anyone help?
It will drop off your credit report in (7) years. Don’t allow them to bully you. Ask them how much did they buy the account for and pay that amount. I can assure you they paid pennies on the dollar. I wouldn’t pay!
I use ultra mobile. I pay 29 each month, always have internet, service, and can call the Dominican Republic everytime I el want with no issues it alse has wifi calling that when I’m in the DR I can receive and make calls withought roaming. If you want roaming you can add 5 dollars as you need it. Remember to check your coverage. I live in ALPHARETTA, GA.
Lexington Law is good. They are getting my credit back up.
I went from Verizon to Choice then now I have Straighttalk and paying $66.00 a month I don’t get service were I live if I want to make a call it says I’m roaming so I have to pay extra another $15 so in reality you really don’t save money
Truly need to improve my score
I recieved a collection letter about five years ago. The bill was for electronic equipment totaling over $4000.00 . Not mine. When I contacted them for the address of the bill they said It was Kentucky. Never lived in Kentucky and never been to Kentucky. No intention of paying this bill.
I disagree with your 4th choice of Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card. I’ve had this card for quite some time now and it’s not that great. Trust me, 1.5% back on all purchases is nothing to get excited about. Why didn’t you look into Discover’s offerings? They have several cards that are equal or better than Capital One Quicksilver. Also, the airline miles rewards offered some Discover Cards beats anything that Quicksilver could ever offer. Pick a new #4.
Bank closed my credit account which had excellent payment history bcuz I had $0 balance for 14 months my credit score was dropped 48 points as a result I paid off 2500 in debt $$600 more than than the closed Account credit limit these improve my credit usage and available credit but my score only went up 22 points. This is predatory
Thanks for helping me understand what credit repair companies do and how they work. I find it interesting to learn that they can diagnose a credit report and figure out if there are inaccuracies on it, so they could get removed. My friend told me that having bad credit has affected his lifestyle and he’s looking for a way out of it. I’ll share this with him so he could consider hiring a company for credit repair.
Such an amazing article. Thanks for this great share.
I got 2 phones, one free with purchase in a 2 year contract coming off of a 50 per month unlimited plan with smart phone, att said it would be same price but they lied!! I pay 248 per month for 2 iPhones with unlimited service, with 43 dollars going towards the one phone that was not free, I cannot wait to get out of this it nearly kills me every month!! Then add direct tv for another 150 per month, part of the deal, for one year promo price but doubling in August!!!! What can I do???
Have you heard about cable pass and I think HD Streamz. It’s an app you use with fire stick but I’m not sure if that’s the name of it. Cable pass is an app where you can get thousands of channels for $17 a month and you can share with family. They say you have to jailbreak your fire stick but I haven’t so far. I don’t know who your internet provider is but I have Spectrum which was running a promotion at the time for $40(normally $80). I hope this helps. If I find the exact name of the other one, I’ll try and find you. It has 4,000 channels. Good luck.
I’m a client of credit pro and they are awesome. They raised my score 50 points within 30 days. I’m still awaiting more results.
Amazing sites you have discussed here. I have used most of the time thanks for sharing.
I have 1 bankrupcy from 11 yrs ago that did not even remove anything? I did it myself and made a mess. Then a attorney did my bankrupcy approx. 2 yrs ago. These things are keeping my credit a mess. Do you know how i could remove the old ona?? Thank you. Peggy Wagner
you forgot one thing, if your a biz owner this monthly bill can be written off at tax season!!
If my Social number is locked so that the third party can not access my report without my authorization will they still be allowed to pull it?
If my Social number is locked so that the third party can not access my report without my authorization will it still allow them to pull it?
Are the apps you mentioned (Mint), Safe?
The authoress told us that we should not close old accounts when they are paid down. That is true, as age of credit figures into your credit score.
However, she advised people to cut up their older cards if they are afraid that they’ll run up the balance again.
Freezing cards into a block of ice would be a better ploy.
You would be able to periodically use the card(s) for a small purchase that you can pay off promptly — after purposefully going through the inconvenience of thawing that block of ice.
If, however, you cut up any older card(s) the issuer(s) could close any of those card accounts due to lack of account activity. That would cause you to have a decreased length of credit history when the card eventually falls off of your credit history. Never let your OLDEST credit card get closed due to inactivity. As stated above, that can reduce the length of your credit history once the card falls off your credit history — plus, that will decrease your amount of available credit, which will increase your overall credit utilization if you happen to carry a balance on any of your revolving credit.
So, freeze those cards, making it difficult to use them willy-nilly — yet allowing you to make periodic small purchases which you pay off promptly. Do not allow any of your cards to be closed due to inactivity. That can work against you.
I have multiple credit cards and all of them up to date with some balance and a never missed a payment, my question my score it was 760 and now like 688 , my question why’s the score goes down if everything paid before time I think the score should not be effected even if you have a balance. Thanks
Great question. I have the same problem.
Are you OVER 30% usage of your total credit card limits? If your total debt amount owed is over 30% of your total credit limit amount, this could be 1 reason it is going down.
I REALLY liked your info. Thanks.
I pay my bills on time and I still get denied credit. It is not fair!
I hired a credit repair company. They have now charged me $699 for the first month, yet nothing has been removed or repaired. Is this legal, if so what am I paying for…?
I had two ER accounts one which was covered by insurance. We repeatedly gave them the insurance info, but they claimed we didn’t and sent both accounts to court for judgement. I paid over two thousand dollars to the collection agency. Should I have not paid. What are the ramifications if I didn’t pay after the court judgement?
Are any peer 2 peer in Maryland
My credit score just went down 7 points because a credit card increased my limit???
A well thought out, over funded whole life insurance policy can totally eliminate banks all together! It’s called Infinite Banking and it was a concept first introduced by R. Nelson Nash. You have to make sure you’re getting the right policy so he started the R. Nelson Nash Institute, where you can get policies that fit, you never have to use a bank again, through the policies you become your own banker and when you need money you lend it to yourself at 5% interest and always bank be your own best costumer and pay yourself back promptly, then you are continually adding to your assets. He had written many books and has a ton of YouTube videos of speeches, lectures, interviews on how Infinite Banking works!!! Check it out if you want to be free of banks forever!!!
This Balance Transfer Business is very good to know Thanks!!
To understand credit has been a difficult task being that there are so many hidden secrets. I am learning that credit is a different walk in this life and it is not so simple as it sounds.
I want to have a good credit rating but don’t want to use a credit card. This article is totally a big help for me. I’ll try to do what you said here to accomplish my goal. Thanks for sharing this article.
I bought this for my daughter to build her credit, because she has none. She was refused a credit card.
Question
Transfer balance to another credit card will affect me , because I have 4 already
And cancel 2 cards will have impact on my credit
Yes, I think that it’s better to figure out first what you CAN Afford to pay and start there to reduce your business. Thanks for sharing this article. I’ll follow what you said here.
Thank you. This Quarantine time was a Blessing in Disguise. My Priorities are all perfectly aligned now. Including, Especially my finances.
Absolutely love the points!
Excellent information.
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Valuable and Informative Post.
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Hi Rebecca!
The other day I was having a similar discussion with my business partner. Your article has provided great insight into this matter. I really liked it.
Thanks,
Bryan Snyder
Thank you for step by step do it yourself outline.
Thanks for sharing this article. I’ll definitely consider what you said here. These tips are all very helpful for me to pay bills. This article is very useful.
Glad you republished this; many still need it. Times haven’t changed since my last comment on 10/16.
bravo! this indeed is exactly what I need
Excellent information!
This is great information for current military, do you have something for veterans?
Thank for the info…
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Nice article. Especially for the young out there. I am old (by many younger standards. 65 to be exact). I started both at work with a 401K back in the day. And privately on my own. I also invested in Rental properties by acquiring one duplex and eventually turning that into about 12 duplexes. (24 rental properties). I manged them at first. But eventually turned them over to a Property mngt company. (Best thing I ever did) . OK..Here’s my advice to those starting out..It is not easy. It requires Discipline and attacking wealth growing from a..variety of angles. Invest in things you know and are comfortable with. When I was young I invested in things I know people needed. People must eat, they must have a place to stay and they need healthcare (hint..invest in medical industry including the pharma side, technology, nursing aides, homes, ect). Only use 10% of your money in speculation or chance investments. Good luck to all of you.
We appreciate you this, I will definitely discuss the idea with my favorite customers.
Interesting perspective on flipping leverage positions. My question is; is scoring done with the same mathematical model? Do banks, car loans and Mortgage companies look at credit the same way? And if they are, why are scores always different?
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFO IN REALLY HELPS
I find your information very helpful and I to say thank you
Amen!!!!!!!!!
Great article Mike. Thanks
Some great tips, I never thought of piggybacking before, or that co-signing a loan would help, but I guess it makes sense.
I was a 620 now 484 due to loans and paying late, I previous was sick on two occasions and been behind every since, should I file bankruptcy
Annualcreditreport.com is NOT as cooperative as you may think. Nor is EQUIFAX. Both make it extremely difficult to get your file(s) online, without jumping through one or more onerous processes. They protect one another. It’s stacked against you, the consumer.
I have a surge card and its an unsecured card @ 11%. Just an FYI
First Premiere Bankcard is by far the worst card to have, even after paying them on time for a year, they wanted to charge me a 3% charge on an increase. I paid their asses of and cut up the card.
Lexington law is the most useless company I have ever had the displeasure of working with, i couldn’t recommend them to my worst enemy ,, yes they send letters to creditors but at least for me,, they were not truthful letters. I had them 8 months and have accomplished far more in 2 months by myself then they ever have
I have an issue with the big 3 credit report agencies. I have a 580 score in all three…one of them never moves no matter what. A brand new car…all payments made on time…5 credit cards all paid in full every month to avoid interest. Yet score barely goes up. Looking to trade in my car for another one and all they seem to do is look at the lowest score and not the payment history. Am I doing something wrong??? I make 65k a year…same job for 28 years..total credit limit is 5k on all my cards…which I repeat I pay off in full every month
Get your free credit reports. Check out the information. Look for inaccuracies. According to what you’ve stated you should have much better credit.
same problem with me too!
Hi
I purchased a vehicle in 2017 it was totaled out in May of this year my insurance company paid and gap paid and they still negatively reported on my credit bureaus I was late paying. For example on Experian they reported 60 days late and paid on Equifax they reported that I was 90 days late and paid off, and on Transunion they reported that I was current and still owed $10,644.00.. I have also paid off three small debts and my credit score is still below 565 it should have gone up it has been 30 days since I have paid those debts off What should I do?.
The “authorized user” strategy will not work as easily as you make it sound. Companies are now owned by larger conglomerates whose CSRs will not just simply add another user’s name to the account. They now recommend that a user order merchandise under the cardholder’s account number with proper permission.
Most parents will tell their children to avoid debts at all times. However, that does not mean that they should not have credit cards as long as they are responsible enough to make the monthly payments.
You can have a couple of credit cards, but use them mostly for emergencies. In essence only charge the amount you can pay off in one month. This will help your credit score increase.
[…] of the best tips for negotiating a house purchase is to know what a home is worth. The value of the home and what it sells for are two different […]
Keep it 100% insurance companies are ripping us off with the help of our politicians
So we should start a movement in the government against both sides because what the hell do we have insurance for i haven’t had accident in 20 years and my insurance company doesn’t appreciate that.
I’m very interested in all the information I’ve obtained from you. I’m going to use the credit pros you recommended however I do have a question. If things stay on your credit report for 7 years, how can credit pros change/fix that?
It comes off in 7 years no matter if you dont pay.Go to credit karma if you see it on there just contest it
After being in the finance industry for more than 30 years, I’m convinced that, if people stopped trying to live beyond their means, they would be much better off with 90% less debt. Nevertheless, paying off a collection account is debatable. When I was managing a national finance company, no one’s score went up by even a single digit after paying off an account. FYI, collection agencies will accept as low as 25% at times, and they will still earn their 29% fee from the original creditor as well.
And they report the accounts as fully paid and charge offs. Still negative! I’m now using The Credit Pros to clean up my credit report. Just started and already one unknown account I didn’t recognize has been taken off. I thought after the National Debt Relief negotiated and paid my creditors, I’ll be A-ok. Wrong! !However, it feels good not to be harassed by collection agencies.
Wow! I appreciate this information. This kind of changes my mindset when it comes to collection agencies.
How do I get rid of Hard inquiries
PEOPLE BEWARE. YOUR CREDITOR SELLS YOUR ACCOUNT TO A COLLECTION AGENCY. YOU MAKE ARRANGEMENTS AND PAY THEM OFF, WELL, GUESS WHAT. THEY HAVE YOUR MONEY AND NO ONE (I MEAN NO-ONE) EVER HEARS ABOUT IT. i DID THAT WITH ONE OF MY HUSBANDS BILLS. I NEVER RECEIVED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IT WAS PAID AND NEITHER DID THE COMPANY THAT HE ORIGINALLY OWED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. I REFUSE TO PAY A COLLECTION AGENCY. PERIOD!!
I WAS WONDERING WHAT KIND OF PROOF OF PAYMENT THESE COLLECTION AGENCIES GAVE YOU IF YOU PAID THE DEBT OFF. THANKS FOR THIS TIP. NO WAY TO EVEN KNOW IF THEY WERE GOING TO MARK IT “PAID” ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT. WHY EVER PAY THEM? MAYBE PAY THE ORIGINAL DEBTOR AND GET WRITTEN PROOF OF PAYMENT SO THAT YOU COULD SUBMIT THAT TO THE CREDIT BUREAU. DON’T PAY UNLESS YOU GET THAT.
I too believe that you should avoid paying a collection bureau. I would send the payments directly to the CREDITOR. No one else. I am not an authority on finances but have read & experienced being sent to a creditor in past years…but I’m older & wiser now. Call the creditor directly & arrange to make pmts. Even if they tell you you’re in collections…make small pmts & send higher amts. if able to. Tell them that. This way you are paying down debt directly to the creditor. I myself am doing such a thing for Co-payment to a hospital. I don’t want to use any credit cards, I have enough available. I just find it easier to pay directly than to pay interest. Hope this helps.
Thank you for this information! It is saving me time and frustration.
Credit one and its daily interest was a turn off for me. And they tell you that you have a certain credit limit and they deduct before you get the card. So my beginning 300.00 limit on the card went immediately to 225.00 because they took an annual fee. I cut it up and sent it back. My score has gone up from very low 5s to mid 6s so I think my next card will be secured. My Capital One Mastercard is fine for now.
I live in California where the statute of limitations is four years. Last time I paid on a credit card was four years and two months ago. Does that mean the statute of limitations has run out on these cards? Is there another starting point for the statute of limitations?
Excellent information! Thanks
I received my credit card two months ago, with my poor credit I received a visa with a 20,000.00 credit limit with no fees or deposits required. I obtained a cash advance of 10,000.00 and went to the casino in Tampa and with the cash advance, I won $5000,000.00. I paid the credit card off. All has changed for the good.
Two derogatory items were removed from my reports, I was issued a new credit card and I transferred a balance over for 0% interest. My insurance company sent me notice my premium was reduced for the next term, usually it goes up every year but never down. Moving my credit score into a higher score card has added benefits just like this article indicates.
This article reads like an advertisement – I kept waiting for the book pitch.
Do your homework BEFORE you start talking to salesmen. To them, you are nothing but a dollar sign to be harvested.
All you need:
1) Arrange your financing BEFORE you go looking
2) Car FAX
3) Unless you are a competent mechanic, pay for one to check it out for you.
Fail to do any one of the above three and you have no one to blame but yourself.
A good idea is to rent the car you’re thinking of buying. Go to your nearest Hertz and rent the car for the weekend. You’ll get a good idea of the workings, seat comfort, etc.
If your smart STAY AWAY FROM THE DEALERS ON RT22 IN NJ,you will be glad you did. They are the biggest bunch of thief and don’t give a hout about what they sell you,even if you can’t afford it. NEVER,NEVER,NEVER give any salesperson your Drivers Luc. Or Credit Card to go to the finance manager to check ,to check what,they now have control over you .you won’t leave without the item(s) they will get lost so you will sign any contract they put in front if you after a hour or so wIte.
When does statute of limitations begin? The last time credit card was used or when origonal creditor wrote off the account?
I had a car repossessed in 2014. I made arrangements to pay back some. Then my husband died in 2017. I recently got a letter demanding the amount I owe. I am a widow and a Senior citizen. I have nothing, no property,nothing. Can they come after me after this long?
Consumers seldom benefit from misleading sites that collect all your information then sell it to multiple other companies who will bother you for a long time to come. The dishonest nature of an info collector/seller is a bad way to attempt to begin any business relationship.
MYTH #5: Have to disagree, John.
I was a credit and collections manager for years, for a very large CA. If people want to move on with their lives, let them do so with their money in their pocket, where it belongs. Just because a debtor has made a mistake, it doesn’t mean making another one by paying greedy and predatory collection agencies. 25 years in the business.
Hello All,
I have been with the Credit Solution Program since 2012. I must say I am quite honoured to be able to have ” doors ” open to me that were unattainable in the past.
I read all the information Mike sends my way, through The Credit Solution Program and he is a genius !
The tools he enables you to use at your convenience, and time frame do work. You must put forth the effort to he,p yourself as well.
Listen to his wisdom of Credit, Banks, Mortgages, and especially your Credit Report. These subjects are his maven. He has proven, time and time again, to me anyway, that if you follow his instructions, his advice or his ” storues” ( which are fabulous examples) you will be in a great position to raise your Credit Score.
I’ve been with the Credit Solution Program since 2012, as I mentioned, and I still find his advice valuable, interesting, and most of true.
My chapeau is off to all of you associated with the Credit Solution Program. 🙂
Thank you for keeping me abreast of the” solutions”, that various questions come across my desk. I am a life member. The Credit Solution Program teaches me something new with every e-mail I receive.
Listen and follow the instructions on how to increase your Credit score:)
Being one of the 43 million borrowers who paid off his $40,000 student loan, in two years, makes you kind of special, doesn’t it?
Credit One’s security stinks. I also have 2 cards with them and have been hacked at least 2 times and they have to cancel the card and reissue. I have never been late etc. and have had problems with them since day one. The problems are with the visa card not mastercard. They do up my credit limit but I always have to pay them to do that. It was $14.95 at first now they are up to $19.95. I have started saying no to this.
One thing I didn’t see covered was the fact that having a perfect record doesn’t mean lower premiums. Insurance co. see people with a perfect record as an accident waiting to happen. This was told to me by a State Farm agent.
I have paid loan for Firstcitizen s bank
But shows up my credit report change off un paid
Called the bank couple times they don’t even talk to me
I have all paper works
Shoul I go to court or what’s the best option
It’s damaging my business terribly
File a written complaint with all three credit credit bureaus along with copies of of your documentations. Also in the future you should make removing the negative it a condition of paying off the debt.
Can you point me in the right direction for rent to own. Sincerely, Thank you
I would like to know how to get my resort
I really liked your tip to question anything that may seem off or extra in your medical bills, because sometimes mistakes are made and you may be charged a bit extra. My son has been in the hospital since last Monday, and I am trying to sort out the medical bills. I will be sure to question anything that looks “off.”
The article Clearly states the THREE cards! Please Read Thoroughly people.
1. Best Overall Credit Card: Capital One Secured MasterCard
2. Best Credit Card for Rewards: Discover it Secured Credit Card
3. Best Credit Card with No Credit Check: OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card
I have been carrying balances for years. I am now 72 years old. I have paid my minimum due on time which paid my interest for most. I had a high interest loan that I took out 6 years ago and paid it off. Took out another one with the same company. I felt I gave them more than enough money in interests paying off the old and new loan. 3 months ago I ran into financial stress. Paycheck to paycheck. I stopped paying my credit cards and the loan. A so called attorney sent a letter. The loan is 3000 the interest is 3000.
I agree with Dr. Breeder. I agree. Credit should be based on how you pays your bills period!! All of these other variables are impossible to keep up with and most people don’t even know about them. Scoring credit needs to be simplified because the current system isn’t fair. I pay all of my bills on time but my friend who filed bankruptcy has a higher credit score than me because of credit card balances. Go figure!!
Credit shot up 32 pts just for being added as an authorized user on an established card higher limit card and it has 0 Utilization at the moment. It works!
I’ve been following your credit advice for several years. My spouse and I have been able to progress from a very poor 480 to now consistently grounded at 802. You have a few recommendation on how to get to 850 Club. We are moving I that direction Thank you for this live changing program.
The term “authorized user” is nebulous. I don’t know where you got your information, but many retail stores will not just simply add someone to an account. The account holder *may* pay for someone else’s purchase, but that’s about it.
It’s just another way to increase debt load, unless its paid off quickly. Very similar to a cash advance.
Recently two of credit bureau were sued for lying to customers and that should give you insight about damages this has done to a lot of us.Before i came across freedom_hacking [at]hot mail .com ,my recent survey shows that men with credit score challenges are more than women.
My ex wife till the divorce had her score too good before she took off,and since then i have do away with late payments but recently i got a letter from collection that im being garnished for her debt and the decree states she is solely responsible for that bill which made me put her on call and during the conversation i got to know she has been bankrupt, $9000 repo which will be settled by me.
i am with a mortgage of $970 that has been late,went into collections which has impact on my score,all this are set backs for a good credit achievement
i am indebted to Freedom who came to our rescue by shooting up my score,all payments paid,repo removed in a matter of days.
it can only get worst if you allow it,no one will be liable to your ignorance.whatever way or method used is not necessary but the result achieved.
Have you ever read the reviews on InboxDollars and Leapforce? They have acquired so many negs that one should carefully read them before applying. Maybe your readers would be better off trying their hands at blogging, as you do.
How far in advanced should you send the request of production?
I am being sued for a car that was repoed. When I looked at the contract I signed with the bank for the auto loan, instead of writing 14,850 they wrote 1485.00 so technically it looks like I should have only paid that. What do you suggest on doing after they produce the correct documents but still trying to fight that the contact is invalid??
We just bought our first car about a year ago. We had no idea what we were doing. We had just had a bankruptcy finalized about 6 months before we we bought this car. Well, they socked it to us alright. Whrn the contract was signed we agreed to pay about 17-19 G. We are still in contract with this car worth 10G ( I found out a couple months ago). Our payments are too high, out interest rates too high and we are beihind at least 1 car payment. We’ve had two reports of “over 30 days late” on our credit report. What is the safest way out of this. I’m so frustrated. Ty for any advice you can give, and if you can tell us what we did wrong.
So which luxury car is a Plug In Hybrid seats 7 and is a compact crossover suv ?
I’m a car guy and I have to say that I’m sorry, but your article just scares people. You obviously have very little social skills and just to let you know, Consumer Reports and Edmonds are the pessimists periodicals. Do you think for one minute that they allow you to haggle over the ad that you want to place in their magazine or that their writers work for minimum wage. I think not. My suggestion is wait until the end of the model year and you will get the best deal in the world. And as for extended service plans (warranties), 2000 is not very much to upgrade to a 100k plan.
Beth the best thing you could do is to get some friends and get out once in awhile and put down the pessimists friend magazines… just sayin
Man, these credit bureaus don’t give you a break, do they! They couldn’t care less if you have bad credit in the past. Two things really bother me. One is when a collection company sells your debt to another collection company, all the dates are moved up so it so recent even if it is over 7 years old. I had payday loans and I always thought that they would not do a credit check and just rely on your bank account. That is why it is called pay-day loans. But, to my dismay, these pay-day loans do check your credit and that does not look good on the books. It is even worse than regular collections. How do you rid of all that stuff?
MDavis
You can also save money on your water and electric bills if you are run the tap to get the temp of the water you want. Electric water heaters go on as soon as you open any tap.Have a 2-qt. water pitcher handy and put it under the faucet. Open the tap and put one hand on the faucet pipe. Run the water until it’s the desired temperature, then fill the tub, dishpan, or whatever until you have the amount you desire. Turn off the water. Put your pitcher on a counter to be used for drinking, cooking, watering plants, that extra boost you need to flush once in a while, etc. If you have city water, this will probably also save you some change on your water bill, as all that water won’t be going down the drain and draining your pocketbook. You’d be amazed at how that adds up, too.
I have saved about $30 per month this way. I wash dishes by hand- If you are rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, you might consider an experiment to see how much you are wasting during the pre-washing rinse. (Use a dishpan or bucket to measure). This has the potential to save you even more money. Perhaps combined, these two tricks could save you up to $60/month- which is $720 a year.
Regarding the electric companies, some states allow the customer to choose the company supplying their power. New Jersey is one of those. We have competition, but the rates are not always that far apart.
Our loan was sold to PNC and I did not find out until after the passing of my husband. He took care of the finances so I found out it’s in his name only. I was informed by PNC when they purchased the loan he was on it alone. We are both on the deed from the time we purchased the house, joint tenants. I never signed a quit claim deed to relinquish me portion of the community property. Now what? They put the loan in the estate of my husband. Do I have legal right here?
The real problem is not low drainage appliances like digital clocks and light bulbs, but the unregulated power companies that get permission to regularly raise rates. We need more competition, period. BTW, you forgot to mention fans–they use more energy than leds.
How many points do you lose if you make a payoff agreement vs. paying off the whole balance due on collection accounts?
I’m learning so much. Thanks.
I myself kind of feel this way as well!
Thanks for your comments!
Tia just wondering how your mortgage loan turned out. Did you ever get it straight?? It’s against the law to change from fix to variable. I hope you filed a complaint. I just got sent to another servicer and i’m a bit concerned because i am on a fix mortgage as well. I hope and pray that the new servicer is on the up and up.
Until Government reigns in the massive and pervasive up charging in the medical industry it will be unlikely we shall see an upturn in personal credit scoring.
Our family feels we will not be held hostage by these savagely greedy medical entities. With little left to battle, this industry our only real tool is non-payment of their unwarranted and unearned charges.
If we are fortunate enough to reach agreements with these people payments will only be made once we receive written understandings to remove all negative information from our credit bureau files. Without this, we will not pay them a cent.
This article identifies a state where economic conditions are booming and another region where financial conditions hinder the repayment of debt. I live in a community with little education and a greedy government. I can see people who live beyond their means and use credit to “Get By” whom lack the understanding of why Payday Loans drive people deeper into debt and the bank pushes services for their financial gain. The region you live in also affects insurance rates, so why does anyone believe credit score models are any different?
I use my credit card for almost all purchases, but I make payments on it generally once a week (*not* once a month), so I don’t have a huge bill at the end of the month, at it comes close to simulating using a debit card, but with the protection of a credit card. I also have set up all the bills I can to be paid automatically online, about a week before they are due. My credit score seems to like these! 🙂
your on a right path of paying your bills. and the best way that people don’t realize that works the best to improve credit works everytime counts 75% of credit improvement
I think this is the one thing I’m not doing, I have a credit card, but use it for only emergencies and usually replace the cash asap. For fear that I’ll get behind again, even though the stimulator tool shows me what monthly payments will do for my score over time. But I will certainly try and be patient. Thanks for the tip!
I’m Interested in this forum
This is good stuff. It’s about time someon expose these predators. I have never used hm but I have seen people lives ruined by them and payday loan
Good evening.This is Dennis Williams sr.I am working with a company Called Lexington Law to have them help me to remove negative items off my credit report.I started out with 90 negative on my credit.But they have gotten off 80 negative items off leaving only 10 left.But the last 10 are taking so long to get removed.I have a late payment of a 120 days late payment that’s hurting my credit.My credit score is 593. But the 120 late on my credit is from the creditor closing my account .So when I tried to make a payment The would not accept payment .So for the last 3 months that’s why my payment was late.I called and explained to them why my payment was late.But they would only start me off new with a 0% interest rate and put me on a hardship program paying $32.00 a month.But would not remove the 120 day late off my account .What do I do? Please help me if you can.
There are times when people need to buy insurance, open bank accounts, brokerage accounts, etc., and they will be asked to give up all information relating to their identity, including their SSNs. Federal law. So, let’s use a little personal discretion here and stop acting like alarmists.
The more I read the more convinced I become that every American needs your program. You have done a masterful job of explaining how credit works and how to use credit instead of credit using you! Well done ?
I have three credit cards which were charged cash advances over the limit due to payments which i was promised and all were returned. What can i do about this? I feel like i was scammed out of the money and now have bad credit hits. Previous to this my credit was nearly perfect. Any advice…
Thank you, this really changed the way I’ll use my debit card.
It did catch my attention when you said that banks check the borrower’s credit history before approving their bank loans application. My sister and I are interested in applying for a bank loan, and we’re confident that we have a good credit score. To make sure, we’ll be sure to get the report of our credit information to ensure that there won’t be discrepancies on it. Thanks!
I have the same question as Jodi Grzeczka. My bank card is an ATM Debit Master Card. The one time I had a problem, my bank covered everything, issued a new card and wiped out all of the NSF charges caused by the fraud. But, does the fact that my ATM card is also a Master Card offer me the same protection as using my Capitol One card?
Thanks for the information, I am starting all over again coming from and 821 to now a 517 is so hard to rebuild, recovering from surgery. I have so many collection and late payments, I can’t get any type of credit, where do I start?
Thanks Joann
Save some cash/money as soon as possible, try for about $2000.oo or more that you will leave “frozen ” in an account for a while. The more the better but if it is too tight to save more, Do Not Wait ! With the $2,000.oo approach banks in your area for one that
is willing to issue a “secured ” card to you.
You will probably run into some “bonehead ” bankers who will tell you they don’t issue secured credit cards because of the “risk”. Two (2) things to do with these banks : 1) ask them to explain the details of their “risk” ; they’ll probably sound nervous or make
up a sketchy story or just stonewall you 2) Take them off your list of banks you will ever want to do business with (unless they someday come up with a super incentive,
like a free Corvette for opening a savings account with a $190.oo balance…you don’t need a bank like them ! )
When you get your new credit card ( one without junk fees ) and you will if you are just a little bit persistant, DO NOT rush out and buy a bunch of “stuff ” you don’t really need. Keep your spending to things you need, like food and other “needs” that you are presently paying cash for because you have to. Treat the cash you didn’t spend because you used your new credit card like a valuable treasure (it is) and use it to pay the full “statement balance” on your new credit card the day before it is due by phone or online from another account, other than the one you used to set up the “secured” card account…being secured means the bank holds the money as security in case you do not pay the balances you accumulate. You will qualify for better ,more flexible credit and that will happen sooner than most people think, IF you stick to the plan and
do not ever make a payment, even one day late. I know people who have received offers for larger credit limits within just a few months of starting a plan like this. You will then be on your way to a much higher credit score,.but you must keep up the good work and never let your guard down. I personally know a good friend who went from a
“score” in the 400s to over 760 in less than 2 years ; just keep on keep’n on !
ps feel free and welcome to send me an email about your experience following this
plan or anything else related.
Also, although I didn’t use the “Credit Solutions Program ” myself ( I already had
long term experience in the “credit field’ ) I can tell you from my reading about it on Mike Roberts emails and website , I would highly recommend it to anyone who is experiencing any of the bad effects of a not so good to a bad credit score and is confused and or mystified about the why’s and what to do’s. I have met people who have suffered the bad effects of bad credit from marriage to retirement, never having experienced the benefits of a desirable credit score during all those years…Very Sad !
Paying off debts makes sense only if you need to purchase a home or auto. Lenders will want all open collections paid up before approving you for a loan. I was a credit and collections manager for more than 25 years and never saw a credit score go up simply because a debtor paid off collection accounts. Keep the money in your pocket where it belongs, live with your mistake, and pay cash. Your family will need that money.
I don’t see the list of states. Where are they???
Patrick,
This is a multi-page article. You have to click over to the next page to see the rest of it.
My new mortgage company has increased my payments in every way, even though I have a fixed rate for 390 months. My original payment was only $511 a month,but in just 6 months they have raised it to $960 a month. And now their saying my escrow is (1,700) in the negative. I have done the math and gone over every document and state I have gotten since I bought my house and have found multiple mistakes in their numbers. I know there wrong, and I have proof, from their own statements. But they still are not willing to listen. I’m at at loss and out money. I feel that they are intentionally trying to make me loose my house.
Now they’ve put a mark on my credit when i was late (for the first time ) by 12 days. They are intensonally not filling on the day they accept my payment then charging me for it, plus they charge me just to pay my mortgage now. I’m at a loss I don’t have the money to fight but I do have the paper work and the harassment statements they’ve sent saying I’m in mitigation. I am currently up to date and paying what they want. It’s only a matter of time before my two boys and I lose our home to these thieves. I’m not quitter by all means just ask my doctors. I’ve beat cancer broken my back three times and still went to work 50 to 60 hours a week so my boys grow up better than I did. Not asking for anything just doing some venting but if anybody has any advice for me I would be appreciated. Ps.not much of a writer
Always thought if I lived right,raised my boys right,everything would be right,boy was I wrong.
Sincerely not giving up Ronny G.
Venus tx.
id anybody see that top secret credit secret we were promised ???
Hello, I had the same problem with Credit Pros of non communication and limited assistance. I will try Lexington Law and see how that works. Thank you for the information
I used Lexington Law years ago. They did absolutely NOTHING, except take monthly payments. Hopefully, they have changed.
I had the same experience. They set me up saying they will only dispute 2 a month because the agencies will not do more.
what about canadians do you help canadian credit
Great job! Rent is throwing away money. You guys were smart to start your investment early. I wish I was as smart in your age group.
What kind of credit score do you need to assure being able to replace your closed cards ?? !
Also it seems the opening and c would hurt your credit score ?
It’s real simple: It all has to do with cash flow. If you have the money to cover the anticipated bills each month, then do it; less to think about. I don’t like companies that charge the payor to use a credit card–it’s like being penalized for doing a good deed (saving them from having to bill). The other issue is trying to live beyond one’s means. If you can’t truly afford to buy with cash, make sure you’re gonna keep the object of interest long enough to pay it off without going under. And that goes for refis as well. There’s a whole new crew of homeowners who don’t recall the housing collapse in 2008.
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Regarding the closing of a card, I have had the Credit One card for over 5 years. Of course as many others, I have been paying the $8.25 fee for fear of dinging credit. This card has had a zero balance except for these horrific broken down annual fees, for a while now. I have read frightening reviews of others trying to close account, with no success. I am ceasing all activity regarding this card, (except for these fees I continue to receive), although at a loss as to closing it.
Great points, another thing I now look at is the ability to pay any additional amount towards the principal (in the easiest possible manner). Some lenders have a program to break your mortgage payment in half, so you pay half of your mortgage biweekly – this can shave years off of your loan. The one disadvantage is that that normally means it MUST be an automated payment. My lender sold our mortgage to another provider who is testing the biweekly payments out but doesn’t have the program in place yet. Unfortunately, they only allow you to make extra payments online, but nothing is applied to the mortgage until you call in and tell them to apply it to the principal – any unapplied funds.
If you can swing making at least ONE extra mortgage payment per year it helps to shave off years as well. Don’t wait till the end of the year, just make an extra $100/per month payment if you can swing it (or whatever monthly adds up to one whole payment by the end of the year)!
A Service contract is worth its weight in gold if you purchase a used Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet etc. service contract on your used Chrysler Ford or Chevrolet that you purchased from the same name new car dealer. I have found from personal experience that some “non factory aftermarket” warranties are headaches. They have many ways to “fine print” disqualify your claim.
Eric,
Thank you! thank you! thank you! I did my research, followed your advise and just walked out of the court victorious and owing nothing. My heart was going to beat out of my chest. I was approached by the lawyer representing the lawers who were representing the collection agency before the case. He asked if I wanted to settle, I replied, “no”. We went into court and I answered truthfully that the credit card was mine and I had received the montly statements. I thought for sure I was going to loose. The judge asked the Plaintiff to produce documentation of the sale from the credit card to the collection agency. The documentation was insufficient. The lawyer admitted that it was a bulk sale. The judge ruled in my favor.
Eric, you’re a hero!
My question deals with a bankruptcy. Three of the banks continue to report 30-90 day past due payments even though the bankruptcy was discharged over two years ago and they have zeroed my balance. Those late payments still show up even though they are no longer being used. Is that fair?
Your articles are always so insightful and to the point. My wife and I have been trying to manage debt our whole lives. In other words, we have been living beyond our means for years. However, our house mortgage will be paid off in the next 3 years, we are both still working but looking forward to retirement. I’m not endorsing that it’s okay to have credit card debt but if you have it, have a plan to pay it off.
This works. I would like to know more!
Excellent topic. Shame and debt. I do not see much written on the power of shame to inhibit progress. Thanks for your thoughts.
Do not talk to debt collectors. They are all professional liars. Do all debt collection correspondence in writing. It annoys them because it’s more work and also you have a trail. Also, keep a sports air horn next to the phone to blast calls that are not yours, or calls you have stated should not continue. I add all of our phones to the “no call list” about once a year and it’s a joke. Means nothing. One blast from the air horn right in the phone and NO one calls me offering “free vacations” any longer.
If you can’t live in a home without having to cut corners that way, you probably should have waited and just moved to a higher class rental community. Homeowners typically wind up borrowing against their line of equity, or refinancing later, either of which still leaves them out of the loop of true home ownership.
One important issue that no one has brought up yet is checking whether the carrier’s customer service operations are U.S. or Canada based. I changed from Verizon to Sprint a year ago only to find out that almost all of its customer service operation is based in the Philippines. About half of the customer service reps don’t speak understandable English (emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAable and limited vocabulary usually) and don’t understand American English very well either, making communication difficult, lengthy and tedious. If you ask for a supervisor you are likely to face the same problem. I am getting rid of Sprint mainly for this reason. Saving some bucks by going to a second tier carrier is attractive but not if customer service is based in a location where the reps are likely to be difficult to communicate with.
Very interesting no feel if you are a. Nonwhite applicant credit accepted has been a problem trying yo are hain my verify score zzYhsk I will try it and let you know si have been approved. Thanks.
You mention it is easier to get credit cards from the retailer who offers them. If you have a poor credit rating, the chances are nil to a possibility of having the merchant will approve it. I gather the merchant will still check your credit as they don’t want people with poor credit. Most always, these stores will have it either as a Mastercard or VISA. Very rarely will you find a store having their own credit as in the past. I remember in earlier times, stores like Sears, Buffums, Mongomery Wards, May Co. and the like started out with their own credit. I bet it is a rarity to get cards like that now, them carrying their own credit.
in addition to looking for the best offers, you have to be careful of the anti-churning rules that each bank uses. i use bonuspit.com to keep track of all my credit card and they apply the bank rules automatically so i know which bank i can open a credit card with without violating those rules.
How about percentage of revolving credit used? My limits are dismally low, a joke, as I have credit cards for repairing credit. Don’t use them and you get dinged, use them too much, get dinged. Max them out and pay off in full, get dinged. No matter what you do you get dinged. My score just dropped 59 pts for using too much revolving credit, they make sure to report your balance before you pay. Every time you adapt, they adapt just to make sure they can get you for something negative. They want to keep you down so they can keep you paying high interest. I have a credit one card that is especially bad. I pay all but a few dollars every month but they still charge me tons of interest because they charge it daily; I wasn’t aware of this until a day ago….also, I was a few days late paying (a complete accident, I somehow paid 1 card twice within 3 days, unintentionally), and once I realized the mistake, they had already reported it. I immediately paid it. So now my credit report shows paid on time, but they didn’t update the balance, so now it looks like I’m irresponsible and don’t pay my bills. It’s rigged. It’s designed to keep people like me paying high interest for as long as possible. 1 4 day mistake undid 6 months of progress. When they finally update the balance to reflect reality, they’ll give 10 pts or so….. maybe
Can you please email me the link to you 2 morning nite assessment?
That was supposed to say “ can you email me your 2 minute assessment mentioned in the article?”
Here you go, Adrienne: https://www.thecreditsolutionprogram.com/quiz/
Well at least you offer the concepts of being generous with time and talents. Unfortunately most churches are only interested in cash. Tithing is an Old Covenant command and not for the Church. Give what you can. No pressure. No curse for not giving.
If your comment is “awaiting moderation” it means they are getting ready to strip it from the website as being bad for business. Come back in a week, and you’ll see.
The whole system from FICO to Credit Repair is designed to keep you ignorant, in debt, and paying fees and interest until your family goes into debt to bury you.
Remember, figures don’t lie, but liars figure, It’s a huge industry and takes brains and good judgement to avoid. Good Luck.
Hi Phil,
All comments are now being moderated to prevent spam, as we have been inundated with it lately. Comments will be approved within 24 hours during the business week.
We appreciate your understanding and patience, and thanks as always for your thoughtful insight into our articles!
You are simply WRONG good sir…i paid my cc balances down to ZERO and within one week my ficos dropped from EXCELLENT/VERY GOOD/ GOOD ..down to POOR ! I called each bureau and they ALL SAID yes sir thats the way it works…gor instance in order fot me to rrgain my TRANSUNION 777 i need to be at least $5000.00 in debt..a 25% of my debts…Equifax 18% …EXPERIAN 9% !!!!
If you use your “rights” under Free Annual credit Report” or whatever the real law is called, you will get what the credit agencies call a “summery” about 3 pages long. This is the minimum they can do under the law because they hate that law, and can avoid any attempt at enforcement by providing it. If you sign up for one of the reporting agencies or FICO’s “good deal” programs for $45.00 or more a year, they will send you a detailed 35 page report of your entire credit history and offer you lost of other “opportunities” to raise your score. On the real report you will likely find some errors you can try to fix, and will probably be able to jump through enough hoops to do so. But your actual FICO and other scores will not go up. The only way to do this is to get into barely manageable debt, make the minimum payments on time and stay there for the rest of your life. Then you are a “good” consumer and probably a fine American. Now the whole system is making money on you. Welcome to the 800 club. It’s easy. And if you fall behind, pay the “credit repair” industry. They will help you get you the “right” level of debt, for an ongoing fee. Pay off your car, credit cards, house and store cards and you sir, are a deadbeat and will be treated accordingly. You’re practically a communist.
“Awaiting moderation” is code for “if you do or say anything to reveal how the system works, we will block it”. It’s bad for the credit repair industry.
We have been receiving a lot of spam lately so we turned moderation back on 🙂
As long as people aren’t spamming dangerous links, their comments will be approved. Just like this one.
I explained exactly why the above comment is correct, tried to post it and got a message; “Looks like you’ve posted this before” Which is typical of the whole crooked system. Looks like you’ll have to analyze the above statement on your own.
Be aware though that the comment is correct, but the credit industry doesn’t want you to know why or how to avoid it. So, like usual, you’re on your own,
I am doing the snowball effort, it was working well until I lost my job now I’m unable to pay anything.
Yep tried the pay off the highest “payment” amount credit card first, minimum on the rest. When the first is paid use the amount that I am not paying anymore and start on the next highest. When done use both payments on the next and so on. Since the payments come out of your budget you don’t notice when you keep on “making” the payment. Since it compounds the next card is paid much quick etc. etc.
ALL YOU GUYS ARE LIEING BECUSE I USED LEXINGTON LAW AND THEY ARE GREAT CAUSE I HAD 8 NEGATIVE ITEM AND ALL REMOVED LEXINGTON ROCKS
I was taken by two firms. 1) A credit repair firm that said it could raise my “debt income ratio” when I gave them $1,200…..results…”nothing”! 2) A collection firm that said it could get back the $35K spent on home remodeling when contractor failed to return to finish job. I hired an attorney and went to court to get settlement in my favor, yet only 3 payment were made by contractor of which collection agency took 40%. I got several calls from the collection agency stating they could take contractor to court and if he did not show that their legal team would move to have him arrested for failure to appear in court, but wanted an additional $1,750 of which I lost as they have not collected. What can/should I do in these cases.
I had this business idea but couldn’t get the needed startup loan due to a low credit score setback by a few late payments and foreclosure. I was looking for a way out online and to my amazement I saw comments in different forums about how they employed the services of ethical hackers to increase their credit score. I was shocked but desperately seeked one, then there was the problem of which hacker of the many referrals to contact. I lost money to the first without a result, the second didn’t reply me anymore after I provided my info. I contacted another Robert Morris who assured me of sure delivery and behold in approx. 2 days. My FICO score went up an amazing 815 and he helped me to remove my late payments. He was a savior sent from God. I felt the need to put this word out there for people whose credit score need a miracle. You can get in touch with him through his mail: Robertmorriscyberservices@gmail.com.
There is a simple and foolproof way to stop all online card fraud (except 1 and that’s the fraudsters have a gun to your head)
And it can be implemented without much effort.
Please tell me more about how you think paying to be an authorized user on someone’s credit card is bank fraud. If i am added as an authorized user to someones card there is no fraud happening because I legitimately am an authorized user and as long as FICO accepts this as part of their scoring model then it is fair play. To look at it from another angle you are suggesting that because someone has the privilege of knowing a person or having rich parents with good credit who can add them to their credit card that they deserve a higher credit score.
This article is not insinuating people that you know or even family adding you as authorized users. It is referring to companies who charge you a fee to use a “stranger’s” identity. Go back and read the article. That is fraudulent. You do not know the people in any form. And, credit solutions is trying to keep you from spending thousands of dollars and possibly going to jail.
I will advise you all to contact Aaron Swartz for your credit repair. My uncle introduced me to the credit specialist called Aaron Swartz that is capable of solving my problem then i get in touch with him. To my surprise, He help me removed 5 collection items on my report and raise my credit from 420 to 830 excellent within 72 hours. He pay off my mortgage loan, I will forever be indebted to him as I wouldn’t be a proud owner of a home and a comfortable lifestyle if not for him. Get in touch with him via aaronswartzcyberservices At Gmail Dot Com
I need help
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit. I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy & problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAINIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleaned my credit records and boost my credit score within just few days of knowing him. Everyone having credit problems should reach him a t creditbrainiac.repair (@ g ma i l . com).
How? This can’t be legit.
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit. I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy and problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAINIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleaned my credit records and boost my credit score within just few days of knowing him. Everyone having credit problems should reach him a t creditbrainiac.repair (@ g ma i l . com).
I don’t have much to say. Just in case you need help regarding your credit score, I know a specialist that can help, I’m a living witness of his good job because he has helped me before and I was able to acquire my house through his help. You can message me privately on my mail which is GHOSTVIRUS@WORKMAIL.COM, I don’t mind giving you details on how I went about it and direct you to the specialist if necessary. I’m sorry I can’t drop the specialist’s contact here for some reasons including that of security reason.
Ok, some weeks ago, I watched a video on YouTube telling us to never pay a collections debt that was old and not to respond to it. Now, she’s telling us not to ignore it. Conflicting info on the same site from two different perspectives. Who should we believe? I always heard that anything over 7 years should be removed and now she is saying to try to settle with them. I think this is very bad advice.
Statute of limitations is 4 years. After that collection is a moot point.
I filed for chapter 7 in 2016 and was discharged in 2017. Before receiving my discharge in the mail, I received no fewer than 10 offers for auto loans for a new or used car. I secured 2 new credit cards through companies that have good credit building approaches of offering a low ($700) limit that doubles after 6 months of payments. These cards have no memberships fees. I secured an auto loan for $25,000 through Navy federal Credit Union within a week after bankruptcy discharge. They approved my loan in less than a minute. My credit score was around 600 then and now is over 700 a year later.
Hi,
It surprises me to see the Indigo and Credit One cards listed here – I’ve only see negative reviews about these two cards!
America’s court system and the credit system sucks very unfair ….it is like being on a roller coasters …..up’s and down’s
You are pretty much ..at ..a ..loss no matter what you do….
Speaking of Courts, Who if anybody ? Regulates Credit Reporting Agencies and should we not have a right to have a statement of our own explaining why and how some negative information got on our credit reports, Sort of like if you are a seller on Ebay or Amazon and a buyer gives you a bad report for everyone to see, Where you get to explain and in my case ask all prospective buyers to look at my last 450 very satisfied customers in the last year.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
You do have rights under the FCRA. The credit reporting agencies are not following the guidelines when reporting consumers information. That is why the dispute process is available. Until the information is verified, under the law it should not be placed on any credit reports. These agencies ignore the laws.
Author of Credit Jail How to Break Out.
I agree 1,000,000 percent 😀it’s up and down ‘ up and down up and down and it’s apparently what ever u try don’t work and really sad part they don’t in account sometimes u job is lost might have to go and get major surgery so and so on who’s cares if u can’t work or something major happens I u gonna get behind on u bills not everyone but a lot they don’t care
America’s court system and the credit system sucks very unfair ….it is like being on a roller coasters …..up’s and down’s
You are pretty much ..at ..a ..loss no matter what you do….
Hello me and my roommate both are disabled and are on Social Security we have been trying to buy a house and neither one of us had credit I’ve been working on mine and the store should be showing soon together we make 2000 a month and wondering if there is a program to help disabled with minimal credit and minimum down payment cuz being on Social Security we live month-to-month is there any kind of programs or help for us Our Hope cuz we don’t make three times the rent. The way we’re saying is if your on Social Security you left out
I’m in that situation – on Social Security and disabled. I get $15 for food stamps. I have $1,000 from S.S. Trying to get on my own —- I don’t see any way to be able to get a home. my credit score is 650 from Equifax and 643 from Trans Union. I’m slowly paying off bills on my credit report and I pay bills on time.
First Premier is the worst card on this list. They charge fees for everything and it’s really hard to close the account when you are able to get an unsecured card.
A creditor can not by law agree to immediately remove your colkections from butmreau once paid .also paying all of your ccs down to zero balance destroys your ficos
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy and problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 two broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAI NIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleared my bad records and improved my credit score. Everyone having credit issues should reach him a t creditbrainiac.repair (@ g ma i l . com).
“Best Experience EVER!!! In a matter of days I had 16 items removed from my report leaving two creditors on three reports! Now to set up my husband for credit brainiac!”
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had poor credit, a old bankruptcy & problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAI NIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleared my bad records and improved my credit score. Everyone having credit issues should reach him a t creditbrainiac.rep air (@ g ma i l . com).
WHY GIVE US CREDIT IF THEY EVALAUATE HOW MUCH WE USE?
Have been battling my credit scores and repair companies for awhile , my lack if credit management ill say affected the choices i made with my credit history, i needed my credit score improved from 580 ,511 and 573 ,i needed my score to be in the 700 plus A colleague told me about (Gary McKinnon) , well have lived all my life in bad credit ,i had nothing to lose ,to my surprise after giving the required information i was informed to my understanding about the process, ALL my late payments, inquires ,collections and public record were completely removed from my credit report and in less than 48hrs ,i watch my score grow to 752,720 and 708.if you’re in this too, you can hit him up on his working email (garymckinnoncyberservice At Gmail Dot Com)
I saw someone leave an info under comment section on helping to repair credit I was interested in knowing more and if the hacker still does this. I had bad credit, a old bankruptcy & problems with getting approved for a apartment due to 2 broken leases from the past which I explained to CREDIT BRAINIAC when I made contact to him. The hacker cleared my bad records and improved my credit score at a good cost. Everyone having credit issues should reach him at creditbrainiac (@ gmail . com).
Please explain this . oh and the bureaus did confirm that this is wgat they do when you pay down to zero balances. I called. So how can i get into the 800 club across the board ?! It seems impossible .
The Best credit card balance for a high credit score is zero…not so. When i paid all of my cc accounts to zero balance .. Within just one week my ficos dropped from ..for example…777 transunion down to 654 and the othet two down from equi very good to fair and exp from good to poor..TRANS says i can get my 777+ back once i am 25000.00 in debt again..i infer the other two will still be a problem as each prefers a certain amount of debt / cc utilization. Paying down my bills was a bad move
Creditkarma.com has some new offerings in addition to bank card credit scores from Trans Union and Experian. Now they are also offering free Auto Insurance scores and Tax preparation online. MIGHT BE WORTH CHECKING OUT!
Who can deny any of these cards are excellent but there may be better cards on the market for consumers today.
Consider Bank of America’s Cash Rewards card or Discover Card’s latest offerings BOTH ARE EXCELLENT. Both are well worth checking out and comparing to the cards listed in this article. You may be well surprised at what you will find.
Hello, recently found out that a judgment was entered against me 20 years ago in Florida. My mortgage company notified me that they received a subpoena for information on my loan application. I purchased a home last year 2017. After researching I found out that I was sued in 1996 for $6000 for the balance owed on a car that i purchased when I lived in Miami. After moving to NY in 1994, had financial problems and made arrangements for the bank to pick up the car. I did inform them that I had no means to pay them. At that time I was a 24yo student looking for work. Never heard from them nor received any court papers. I called the law firm on the subpoena which also turned out to be a debt collection agency who purchased the debt. They say I now owe $30,000 which includes legal fees and interests. I am trying to get a copy of the summons because I do not recall ever being served. Had I known, I would have addressed this years ago. This has never shown up on my credit report and when I purchased my home nothing showed up. They are threatening to garnish my pay, bank acct, and put a lien on my home. Does anyone’have any suggestions?
All debt has a statute of limitations in which they can come after you for the old debt. If it is over 7 years old in most states, they are not allowed to sue you over this debt and after 7 years it cannot show up on your credit report. You need to speak to a lawyer about this, someone is trying to scam you. Also ask the debt collection agency to send you the actual loan papers you signed before you agree to any payment or even agree that it i your debt.
These eleven points are really valid and I must say I was not aware of few of them. Thanks for pointing them out.
I have found that the rules defining credit worthiness need to be standardised. The way I see it is that as long as each financial institute can “make up” their own rules credit scores are going to continue to be arbitrary at best. What it really boils down to is “they who control the money make the rules”. This is certainly obvious when you receive your credit history from the “big 3” that contain the same information and your scores may vary by as much as 100 points. As many people forget, this country is a republic, not a democracy, and republics are run for and by the people with money, lots of money! Or maybe I’m just a “glass half empty” type of person, lol.
But..when you pay ALL your cards down to ZERO balances..your ficos get screwed within a week down from for ex. Trans 777 down to 654 SIMPLY FOR PAYING MY CARDS DOWN TO ZERO BALANCE ! Each bureau has its own preferred utilization rates..you have to play the hands ..find out which pulls from who and concetrateon that bureau for that card…IF I GO OUT TODAY AND GET 25% of my total limits combined in debt again ..i will grt my Trans 777 +- back ! In essence YOU GET PUNISHED FOR GETTING OUT OF DEBT
Wonderful for a Government home buyer program.
I know a program that requires NO DOWN PAYMENT, has interest set at one of the lowest rates available and the is NO PMI INSURANCE REQUIRED. This program is available to anyone who can commute for a few meetings to one of their offices around the Nation. It is offered through a group known as the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA).
To find out more about this BETTER HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM you can goto http://WWW.HTTPS//NACA.COM . Note: They also have a program designed to help buyers who want to reduce their monthly payments for any number of reasons.
One thing I should add. NACA will require you to submit a lot of paperwork and a family budget. THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO HAVE GOOD CREDIT AND DO NOT RELY UPON CREDIT SCORES TO MAKE THE LOAN. This is possible through prior arrangements NACA has with multiple lendors t hat allows them to verify ability to pay without having to submit good credit information to lenders. I know people who have successfully used this program but be ware they require a lot of paperwork and it can take several months before they have everything in order and will submit you to their lenders.
In this case PATIENCE PAYS OFF if you want to save all the PMI insurance money and not make a down payment. 🙂
Lastly do not let the paperwork requirement get to you. You will have to submit much of the same paperwork to conventional lenders anyway. Nonw of it is hard to get or to complete, most of the paper you need can be downloaded to the NACA website or carried into an office. Most of the paper you need will be things like bank statements, income tax, credit accounts, bill payments and etc.
The only real pain to any of this is setting aside a few hours to collect everything and submit it to NACA. None of this is really hard to and I like to refer to it as SIMPLY ANNOYING.
This is when it is good to remind yourself that many things in life are SIMPLY ANNOYING. Anyone can find time and patience to complet this process with NACA if you are really wanting to buy a home you could otherwise not qualify to purchase.
Hello my name is Senithea. Jones and I am the eldest of eight children I am still desperately trying to purchase the home although my credit isn’t of part, I I would love for it to be however I do pay now for rent a one bedroom of $908 plus all my utilities and it seems to me that I should be able to pay that money towards something that I could I would I wish there was someone that could help me find a house in the Montgomery Illinois area I would love that so much for my grandchildren
WHAT IF YOUR HOME BEEN SOLD 5 TIMES WITHOUT A NOTICE. FILE BANKRUPTCY AND YOUR HOUSE WAS INCLUDED WHAT RIGHTS DO YOU HAVE
I got taken for a ride by a used car company. I did my home work and googled the car then drove it home. I took it back next day. I found out first hand the car would get me KiLLED! I also found Others had complained to HONDA, and I LOVE HONDA, Who blew them off!! The sales man had hustled me. I stood my ground, and in the end, FORD
Stood up and did the right think, they gave me every penny back! I now drive a used RAV 4 I bought from Another FORD dealer. I think
my age may have helped, I would like to believe it was ETHICS!!
One thing I found during my LONG
TORTURE NOTHING has changed in the treatment and attitudes by car dealers when it comes to women, if any thing it is WORSE!!
There is no amount of money that you could give me to get me back at a car dealership, new or used!! I pray this car can be good enough to be my LAST!! The BOTTOM LINE in car sales will ALWAYS BE, ” MAKE THE SALE AT ANY COST!!
I would like to thank the author for this article. It hit home in a few areas. Thank you Mike Roberts, for bringing out this article. Thank you for your column. I wish I could afford the program. A fixed income is very difficult as you have most likely heard from many seniors. Again, thanks to both of you.
Hi John
I had business failure back in 2008 due to the price of fuel and lack of freight. I had an expedite business. File bankruptcy chapter 7 in 2010 discharged in March of 2011. Was just getting back on my feet again until Thanksgiving of 2014 I got food poisoning. Did a early morning delivery on Friday the next day made it back to the yard. I had my fiancee drive me to the hospital. Was there Friday and released Monday. The next day I had worst leg cramp and no feeling in my right foot. Went back to the hospital they kept me under observation until after midnight. They sent me by ambulance to another hospital downtown Cincinnati. This is now December 3rd 2014. They operated on leg said it was a blood mass. I was in that hospital for two months. December 3 to February 5th 2015. I was off work the of that year. My bills was over $250,000 which my insurance paid $189,000. Which left me in serious out of pocket debt. Because of the most famous fine line in between crease clause. Above and beyond Customary and reasonable charges. Which is a very large gap. My credit score was in the toilet 419. I hired National Debt Relief to handle a charge card tiring to sue me. Barclay not mention any names. I received a letter from them and their representing Attorney. They were going to pursue a judgement. I faxed all the information to the NDR company. The representative assured me it would all be taken care of. 30 days later I get another letter in the mail stating that the awarded a judgement to the firm out of Cleveland Ohio.
NDR said I faxed the information to the wrong number.They even charged me an extra $12.50 for their legal team services up beyond the negotiated $254.00 I was already paying. I called the Law firm and they wouldn’t talk to me until I released NDR from the debt process. When I called NDR to fire them they said most of all the
monies I had paid them went to the legal for their negotiated services. The extra fee was 25% from the original amount in the first. Knowing what I know now I would be
better off taken the law firm’s first settlement offer.
Now which leads me to Chapter 2 of my story. Trying to improve my credit score and rating. I employ Lexington Law at $99.00 per month plus introductory fees. Had them about 7 months hoping I could get this judgement off and previous bankruptcy. After paying off the judgement I got the release letter from the law firm and personally took it to court house. Thirty days later it was off my credit report . However still medical collection’s and another bills still outstanding.
The credit bureaus that’s Chapter 3.
My score got up to 640 but now it is down to 609 due to some inquiries and close to making out my credit to pay some more bills.Still working on cleaning up my credit it just takes time and good pay record.
Yes I am in for how the credit bureaus control our lives due to the FICO scores.
Horrendous needs to be a change.
Thanks for reading
Bill n debt.
Forgive me if you already are aware of this. But there is also the major factor of utilization ratio (percentage) of credit used of what is available. Be conscious of this, as most assume, it’s ok to use most of it if you have it available to you. Nope! Keep it under 18% if you can. Start small and build accounts. Pay them down. Every 6 months request an increase if you this you’ll get it. Raise your credit lines whenever possible. This will help your score by lowering your ratio. If you need to purchase, keep it under 30% and pay it down quick.
Hello I’m in
I’m in !
Very interested in joining this action suit.
I am writing this to thank global view for re-scoring and restoring my credit! and to reach out to those who might have similar problems like i did. email him at firewallbreachexpert’at’gmail’dot’com to fix your credit. Next week I will be closing on a house. I was approved by Bank of America (a bank, I might add, that wouldn’t even let me open a checking account in 2006!) The house is exactly where and what we wanted. Thanks to you, a dream is coming true. My credit scores are now where i want them and my late payments, all erased. I feel brand new.
Hi Bessie,
Is it possible to get your email, I have some questions. Thanks
Thanks once again,now i can refer more people to their services
I would like to join the class action lawsuit.
How can you help someone who’s
Majority of debt is already written off and in collections?
And what are some solutions to catch up on your HOA Fees when they been set to an Legal Debt Collection Agency, who’ s placed a
Lien on your Home?
I have already paid $804.00 towards the Total bill of $1120.00.
Now there telling me it’s $1120.00,
Including the attorney fees!
With this plan I will lose my home!
I am disabled and struggling to keep this up! I have already sent a letter explaining my situation and emailed & faxed to my Case Manager. My home is only 4 yrs. old, and I was only 3 years behind $600.00 + there Legal Fees!
So, my request was to pay off my pass due without the Legal Fees. Within two minutes they answered,
declining my request!
Can you please send any suggestions to help me keep my Home ?
Sincerely ,
Jeanine Thomas
thanks elizabeth, this was very helpful. the more info a person knows the better.
Will it effect my daughters score if she puts me on her 30 year old credit card, must protect her score
just discovered they charge 100.00 per year to add someone.
Will it effect my daughters score if she puts me on her 30 year old credit card, must protect her score
As an irresponsible homeowner who is in a ton of debt and lives pay check to pay check, it was a hard decision. It was so overwhelming knowing my $5k wasn’t really going to make a dent in really any one area, I thought I shouldn’t stress over it. That being said, I booked a Caribbean vacation for my family. I’m hoping a little R&R will clear my mind to do the right thing next year.
Is there any reason for a landlord or money lender to even file for a judgment in the future?
It appears now there is no negative to reneging on a debt. Am I incorrect?
04.16.18
Nope if you owe him money and he has proof he can get a judgement against you .
Filing a Judgment will extend the statue of limitations on fines/citations.
If the agency has not managed to collect outstanding debt, the will renew the judgment to extend the statute of limitations on the debt.
Great work David. Your report is encouraging.
Using my credit cards in strip clubs was not a great decision. Those fees! And you get nothing lasting for all that money you’re charging…you’re basically going into debt and throwing money away for nothing other than a very short term few minutes of pleasure that sometimes isn’t even that pleasurable to begin with. If you go to a strip club, and you should rarely go to one, then carry a set amount of cash and don’t spend any more than that! Leave those credit cards at home!
Credit One actually HELPED me build my credit. After I got their card, my score rose super fast. So I’m not against them. I’ve never had any issues with them, and they have increased my limit several times. I have a Visa and a Mastercard with them, and no issues whatsoever. Maybe the people who are bad mouthing them or giving them low reviews are the ones who are late on their payments and are being contacted by Credit One or being charged the late fees.
Have to agree. Never had a problem with Credit One! Also Capitol One! Help me with my score, no problems with either.
Do not close it. It will affect your score. Lenders today are looking for three tradelines for 24 months depending on the loan. Some will look at alternative credit like insurance, phone bill, gym membership , and others. Get a head start before you start looking for a home and be pre-approved to submit with your offer.
Happy Househunting!
small woman owned and operated driving school! Just muddling around and around. Need to expand! Need funds.. HELP?
if your credit score is poor and you want to increase it ,i was referred to netsolvetechnology AT gmail.com who help me increase my score and he remove negative item from my report,he is a professional in credit repair,i recommend him for those who need credit help ,tell him i refer
The first record of a tithe in scripture was when Abram tithed once to the King of Salem, Melchizedek, from the spoils of war (which included captives). Abram returned the rest, minus a small portion for his troops, to the King of Sodom. Some history buffs have noted that this type of tithe was like a tax and was an Arabic custom of the time. There is no record of Abram ever tithing from his own increase before of after this account. There is also no record of anyone else actually tithing until the Israelites, who were under Mosaic Law. (Ref Gen 14)
The Israelites were commanded to tithe from the food produced in the land of Canaan. They tithed to the Levites, who in turn tithed to the priests. They also tithed to the needy and they tithed for a festival where they ate the tithe.
Some speak of tithes being money, but there’s nowhere in scripture where God ever commanded a monetary tithe even though scripture from Genesis forward indicates the people traded with money (see Gen 47, Deuteronomy 14, Matthew 17, Matthew 22 for examples). The tithes God commanded were always food (Leviticus 27:30).
Many err and don’t divide scripture correctly when they reference Malachi. They teach obedience in tithing carries a promise per Malachi 3:10. However, one needs to read Mal 1:1 and 2:1 for context. This was written for the Israelites and their priests, who were under Mosaic Law. The blessings of rebuking the devourer and curses in Mal 3:10 were for the Israelites – not the Church as we are not under the law per Gal 5 and other NT scripture. Additionally, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13), so the curses don’t apply either.
Many also err when they states the Lord calls US (the Church) to “prove Him,” in Mal 3. Again, this was not written to the Church, it was written to the Israelites who were under the covenant of the law. The Church is under a new covenant are we are free to give as we purpose in our hearts and not of necessity (2Cor 9:7); however, we reap as we sow (2Cor 9:6). And God does promise to care for our needs when we give (2Cor 9:8).
Another error is think Jesus is speaking to the Church in Matt 23:23. Jesus is actually chastising Pharisees who are under the law. Note also that they were tithing food even though they certainly had money (Matt 17:24-27 and 22:15-22).
In short, although we’re under no command to give any specific percentage of our income, scripture does encourage us to be generous and to take care of the needy (Matt 25:33-46). Further, God should always be first in our hearts and next to that we should love our fellow man (Matthew 22:36-40 and Galatians 5:14). If we place money before God, we are serving money and we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
I closed 2 credit cards that have not been used for a couple year. Last year I got a charge for the annual fee of $29.00 for each one adn when I got an email and opened it to tell me about the charge it was over 30 days and I could not get it reversed. This year I caught it in time and closed both accounts before the 30 days was up. I figured if I was not using those cards and there was a yearly fee I may as well close them. I could not negotiate removal of the fee to keep the cards. I hope this does not affect my score in any way.
I had a score of 500 Within 1 year I have a score of 750 But there keeps popping up a medical bill which gets disputed and they change there name and pop up again and down goes my score I don’t know how to hande this
How come one report has 100 difrence in my score
Is refinancing a mortgage a bad idea if the present mortgage account is the oldest account on my credit history…? The other oldest account is not even 2 years.. What do you suggest i do in this matter?
I was always taught that if it sounds too good to be true- It usually is! Buyer beware!
The biggest mistake I’ve ever made besides loaning money to friends is I bought a timeshare many years ago. I probably paid on it for five years and what a waste of money that was. It was in Mexico and I never heard from them since. Jeanne in California
I totally feel your pain
The biggest mistake I’ve ever made besides loaning money to friends is I bought a timeshare many years ago. I probably paid on it for five years and what a waste of money that was. It was in Mexico and I never heard from them since. Jeanne, California
Some of the info is good but usually driving it back to the dealer or leaving it in a lenders lot will still need a repo company to pick it up. Call your lender to see how a vol surrender is processed prior to making this decision.
How do get a eviction off my credit who do I contact for this problem
Wells Fargo sold my loan knowing that the deed said it belonged to someone. A public adjuster sold the home in a foreclosure sale. The property tax department has name the public adjuster as the owner but they continue to escrow my loan. How can you sale a loan with a dispute of ownership?
thank you so much??❤?
What Dave Andrews said
“As a former banker,” Eric regrettably did not express what kind of DTI ratio banks are looking for when granting various types of loans. Obviously, income plays as large a part in loan granting, as does credit history.
How do you get closed accounts off your credit history.
Where in South Jersey shore area are there any top Credit Unions?
I have a BofA credit card and have a 786/803 credit score and they keep jacking up my interest rate to 17.99%.
I want a really low interest rate. I would really dig it if i get a lower rate. I called and asked about it and they told me that cannot do anything about it. Then they offered a higher amount of credit. I asked them to take $4000.00 off my credit and give me 10% interest…hehe. They refused that thought.
Credit unions offer the lowest interest rates on credit cards
So how does a buyer determine the costs that make up the difference between the interest rate and the APR .
I’m in such a turmoil right now because of my own spending behavior. Credit cards, and late payments. I was going to ask my mom to co-sign for a $5K loan to get everything caught up, but I hate rejection. So I’m going to have to figure out a way to catch up everything, step by step. With God’s help, I’m going to make it right. I may lose a credit card or two, but I must make it right and build my score back up.
The solution to your problem is Dave Ramsey look him up on YouTube the man really helps wish you luck
I recently applied for a $8k personal loan. My credit scores decreased from “excellent to good”. I received a good rate & term(3yrs). I don’t understand why. I used the funds borrowed to payoff credit cards with higher balances. Granted, I expected them to go down little but NOT as far as they did. Just goes to show that these financial pitfalls don’t always give you the end result that you have achieved.
Erica I think I can change my life with your information. Thank You
Credit Obe is also a horrible credit card
Correction Credit One
Wells Fargo is hands down the best credit card for rewards. You get a $200 sign up bonus and 2% cash back on everything you buy,I love this card!!!
I do like that your article suggests some places where the readers might be able to get a loan. After all, it can be pretty difficult to secure a proper loan to use for buying a car, especially if you have bad credit. However, many of the services that the article lists are usually willing to work with anyone to ensure that they get the car loan that they need.
A great help
In the past 15 years, I have been the excellent, best customer, they know me by hearth, I know the the 3 or more business managers of three “Pay Day ADVANCE” Stores, I HAVE KNOWN TO HAVE CALL THEM “STORE A” , “STORE B “, “STORE C”,
THEY have help me with paying bills!!!. Better than USA Banks, :Thieves, nice in front, but cruel with their business practices, They don,t think that a time limit is expect on credit reports. To BE correct, at times mistakes are notice, but it is my
time to fix the problems. not theirs. Keep your favors, I looked for Non USA Banks, and different currency to get over on the US Dollar. I will buy “KIA” cars, foreign merchandises. and say hello to process to those who know that fair is when the everyone should get the same interest rates to get out of debt.
and the will to get out of debt will not be in my life.
My mortgager has my principle balance 10k
More than it was when I bought the house for, I’ve lived here 20 years.. Wells Fargo,
Never took equity loan
Sold to SLS?
Tell them to send you any documentation with your signature on it showing that the card is yours. If they don’t have any proof they are bound by law to remove it immediately.
Can you elaborate on that? I have been dealing with BofA regarding the “signature” proof approach and their written response has been that this was an online application and that is “proof” that the account was made. I have a charge off that I have been challenging for almost a year now.
How about writing an article on how to eliminate debt faster? Do you have some suggestions?
hmm. Here’s how I would write it:
1. Hide the credit cards. You can’t pay them off fast if you keep using them.
2. Take a look at the bill. Going ‘paperless’ is no excuse, log in to your account and find the digital copy of the bill. It will tell you how much interest you are paying on that debt and how long it takes to pay off at minimum payments. Those are both very important pieces of information to have and it could be a bit of an eye opener.
3. Make sure you know the difference between transactions, balance, and interest. Transactions are when you actually use the card and that creates a balance debt. Interest is charged based on that balance. Even when you stop making transactions, the interest changes the balance as well.
4. The only real way to eliminate debt faster is to pay it faster. That usually requires either having a strong income or significantly low expenses. Since most of us can’t instantly get raises I suggest taking a look at your expenses.
5A. Do you get more satisfaction from several little successes versus one big success? Paying down the smallest balance card first will motivate you more in that case. You’ll see one card have a zero balance and that small success will inspire you to do it again.
4B. Would you rather have one big success than lots of little ones? Paying down the card that has the highest interest rate first would be better for you. You are of the mindset that interest is ‘throwing away money’ and paying down the highest interest card will throw away less of it, thus ensuring you will have a bigger success when you reach your goal.
5. Always pay more than the minimum payment. Minimum payments include interest owed and that majority of it is actually the interest. It takes forever to pay off your balance because most of the money never goes to the balance owed, it mostly goes to interest owed. I would strongly suggest paying at least the minimum plus whatever interest has been charged the previous month. That way some of the money is for sure going to the balance owed and paying the debt off.
5. Always make at least the minimum payments on each card on time! Most cards carry a ‘default APR’ which is fancy talk for “if you pay late, we increase the interest significantly.” It is extremely difficult to get out of the jam it creates when the interest owed doubles overnight.
6. Most utility bills will let you pay them late without a ding to your credit score. (at least with today’s scoring models. Credit scores do not include utilities but there is talk of changing this.) This means that if you absolutely must juggle money around to pay your bills, juggle the utility money toward the minimum payment on your card. You’ll owe a late fee on the utility bill so don’t do it if you don’t absolutely have to juggle bills.
7. Are you in dire straits? When life gives you lemons you are supposed to make lemonade but sometimes even that is too expensive. Plasma donations are usually good for 20 dollars and you can do it 2 times a week. 40 dollars should cover a minimum payment or maybe just buy gas for your new uber/lyft/doordash job. The pay isn’t the greatest but the neat part is that your earnings can be be cashed out in less than 24 hours. Some temp agencies pay you immediately after you complete the day’s work. That’s a real big help if you are trying to pay bills due within days. Yes it’s all grunt work, it’s all not fun. Take the 60-100 dollars or so per day, get yourself out of dire straits, maybe then look for a weekly or monthly pay job that pays better and then focus on fun.
For the record, yes I was in dire straits. I did Uber Eats and I stayed taking deliveries every day until I earned enough money to pay the bill that was due the next day. Sometimes it took all day (24 hours) to earn that money but I cashed out my earnings and paid my bills on time. It took two weeks before I caught up to where I could pay the bills with money that was not last minute. It can happen this way. I then focused on getting a better job and now that I have it, I currently pay 100 dollars plus interest for each of my 4 cards. I estimate I will be debt free on May 1st. Yes it can be done.
Jessica,
I’ll pass this along to our writers! Look for an article on how to eliminate debt faster in the coming weeks.
-Sam
I added my granddaughter to a couple of my credit cards as an authorized user while she was in college. She has now graduated & I want to remove her as an authorized user. Will removing her affect her credit and/or credit score? Thank you so much!
We do save big at Costco for a family of four. I have one issue and it is consistent with every Costco store nationwide, that is the terrible tasting carbonated sugar water down drinks. they are so diluted, I stopped drinking them. I wish they would taste the difference, if they need a larger profit, then charge an extra 10 cents to make the drinks taste like real soft drink like your Arby’s, Carls Jr, etc.
I am a family of one and I love Costco. Even shopping for one I save money. 5# bags of chocolate chips, nuts and other baking items during my baking season. Not to say the money I save buying my gas there, even though I have to drive 40 mins to get there, it is right around the corner from the VA Hospital, so it’s on my way and I fill up and shop. I like the larger quantities of chicken, fresh salmon and tilapia, which I freeze in servings. This saves me lots of time shopping and saves me money. I stagger the months so I only have to but one kind of meat per month, but I always have a variety in my freezer.
So saying that it isn’t a good deal for a single person or a couple is wrong. If you plan, you can save a lot.
Very good article and advice for small business owners. Build business credit under the business EIN and DUNS number.
You completely missed one of the biggest reasons to join Costco. The gas prices. I have a Volkswagen with a 22 gallon tank that takes premium gas. I save anywhere from .80 cents to $1 per gallon vs my local gas station. Or roughly $20 on every fill up in my car. Filling my tank 3 times pays for my membership. For those who don’t need premium, the savings is still about the same.
This article left me hanging in no mans land! Wheres the ending??
No ending is correct. If you shop at Costco on a regular basis and take advantage of the other savings they offer, you can save big time. I received over $ 100.00 via Costco and by using the Costco visa I recently got back nearly another $ 400.00 from Citibank.
Very good article asking a very good question. Basically, I see it as the total cost of your annual spending at Costco would need to be greater than the annual membership fee in order for the membership fee to be justified, unless there are other indicators that makes one feel validated other than the savings.
Thanks for sharing
Helpful indeed! You have explained the short sale process in a very simplistic way. Thanks!
Yes….could cut two ways; only if you let it and you lose control. Should never, ever attempt to bye anthing you can’t pay off in full or have at least controllable affordable monthly payments…
Thanks….
What I find mind-boggling is how anybody this clueless can purport to represent oneself as a “financial expert.” The mind reels…
Hello I’m used before Lexington for couples months and nothing happen so you guys know other company I can used and not wasting my money than you
I used them to wasted $1200 a year later nothing happened. They r thieves
This is all you pros could come up with for “side jobs”. For all the wonderful credit information you provide, this is a joke. Uber? Would you consider putting some work into this subject and trying again to provide much better information. This could be a very important subject to many thousands of people.
Thank you for these info. Starting today I will work on these steps. I’m a first time buyer and Im planning to purchase a home this year.
Where’s 1of4 no where to be seen??
Are you really advocating on-line pay day loans as a solution? Look at the interest. It’s over 800% and just sets people up for failure and bankruptcy. Do you research before advocating this again, please.
I was sold a car with MAJOR preexisting problems that were not disclosed. the engine light came on 24 hours after the initial lease started, they said they would fix it Saturday all they did was turn the light off. light came back on hours after leaving the lot again. i got the car looked at officially by a professional mechanic now that i know what is wrong the dealership refuses to fix it, or even let me trade the car for a different one. the cars ecm was switched out to try and hide the fact the car was totaled. i dont know what to do. i cant afford the 400$ a month, due to not being able to work.
yes i have a medical bill from a heart attack that the VA was suppose to have paid, but it appears the civil hospital didnt send it to the VA in time, so they arent paying it and its back on me now. They sent it to a collection agency and now they are coming at me for 23000 dollars. I
I have 2 secure cards and my score went from 450 to 654 on equf, and 670 on exper. and 620 on tu. That one thing brought my score down again to 594, 606,.and 590. Any suggestions?
[…] credit card or take out a loan in the future, make sure you do it sensibly. There are some healthy credit card habits you can adopt, but if you don’t trust yourself to manage them properly – it’s safer just to cut them […]
You should pay off your credit cards from lowest to highest regardless of interest.
Hello people,
I am in the process of repairing my credit. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHALLENGE EVERYTHING ON YOUR CREDIT REPORTS. It won’t affect your credit, you want to make sure what is on it is what is suppose to be on it. CHALLENGE!!
Best of luck to you all
What’s the point of having a good credit score if the creditor still review your credit report before making a decision? In the process lowering your score. Isn’t the credit score reflective of your risk. Seems like the credit system is stacked to monopolize the borrower at both ends of the spectrum. They need us as much as we need them. Someone kindly enlighten me?
thank you for this valuable information. I trying hard to increase my credit score. I paid my house loan off and they put charged off. this decreased my score by 100 pts. this was incorrect it was changed to paid in full/charged off still my score is low because of this mark. what can I do?
Dispute the account, as the wrong information posted on the account, make sure you send the dispute in a certify letter form…..
The statute of limitation clock begins on the date of first delinquency. The exact day you went late. I don’t know why everyone gets this wrong.
What if the debt gets resold to a different collection company? Does that start over or is it only when it leaves the ofice of the original creditor?
It’s on the next page. Scroll down to find the next page arrow
What did I miss?
I do not see the list of states or the information that was to be included.
right, wheres the states info ontime???
Very helpful information thank you.
where is the list of states and their respective limits etc?
Jim
I filed bankruptcy last year and I have four collection accounts that are still listed on my credit report even though they have a zero balance.
have they been removed off of your credit yet
Thank you i enjoy your articals.
[…] the dream, right? Pay off your debt without accruing a single cent in […]
Trying to figure out how to cancel the $9.95 monthly billing from CSP. Please advise.
Hi Jerrilyn,
Please send an email to support@thecreditsolutionprogram.com and they should be able to help!
Sam
I have a question: since I can use my debit card as credit or debit, does using it as credit afford me any protection as you’ve illustrated?
No.
A debit card is attached to your bank account.
It doesn’t matter how you use it.
It’s still a debit card
Tengo èxfinity de comcast y me llego una factura de 1.438.87 de un mes por usar la data creo que están tratando de robarme
I have METRO PCS. 2 lines 0f everything for $92.00 a month. $12.00 Is for insurance ($6.00 each line) Cut my Bill in half – literally. Been with them almost a year and am VERY happy!
City (Citibank) is one of the companies that offer a “nice credit cards” but when it came to you for not payment they do not care if you are daying. Chase, take advantage of your financial situation and raise your % from 12% to 29% just to get you into more trouble, and the sad part is that this great country does not help it people with financial problems and there are Financial gurus who recommend these products.
Lexington Law firm did NOT help me AT ALL! Was with them for an entire 12 months. After paying all that money and hoping for their honest help, I was STUNNED to find my score was LOWER than when I started! Hummmmm,,,how does that happen? Ive never used any credit, just kept paying down what I needed to! Just be careful. Those who have had good luck with this company maybe had minor credit issues.
I was wondering if there is a chance to get approval for a mortgage with a score around 635. I am still trying to improve it, and paying the $40 a mo. for Lexington Law. They have taken some stuff off, but I have a fixed income (disability) and a $55,000 medical bill for when my, then, 17 yr old son fell through the ceiling in the house we rent and broke his thigh bone in half. I feel like I couldn’t pay that in a million years!
Can someone tell me about my mortgage question
And about the medical bill issue?? Thanks 🙂
Yes it is very possible. Remember there are other factors in purchasing other than credit score. You need to be sure your debt-to-income ratio is not too high, plus show a cashflow funnel through deposits and bank statements. Go search types of loans and the credit score they accept – FHA is as low as 500. However, there are other factors they will consider.
Are you sewing the owner of the housie you rent ? Is there a City or County agency that is responsible for doing inspections and issuing certificates of meeting safety standards on rental properties ? It sounds like their insurance companies or their self insured status needs to work out a financial settlement with you. Also I had to go through bankruptcy 15 years ago to get rid of a $100,000 County Hospital Bill after an auto accident, To protect an inheritance that I knew was eventually coming, Maybe you should look into that also ?
Does anyone have any wisdom on getting inquiries and a 4 year bankruptcy off your report?
I couldn’t find any value with Lexington Law either I started off 480 score 18 months ago. 90% were medical bills that went to collections. I took it upon myself to contact them, negotiate a payoff amount and request they immediately removed from my credit when I paid. They agreed. I was able to purchase a home 5.95% interest. I then opened up 4 “bad credit” credit cards and made sure the balance was less than 30%. Within 6 months of paying my mortgage on time and keeping my credit card balance low my score went to 720 where I was able to refinance my mortgage at 3.5%. It is not an overnight process but to go from refused a mortgage to your mailbox being filled with refinance offers in 18 months feels great. Now the second I get a medical bill in the mail it is paid! Also make sure you have 3-6 months worth of bills in savings. Now you can sleep peacefully
What percentage of the Collections Bills were you able to get them to reduce them to and agree to remove them and what type of legal document (If any ?) Did they give you insuring that they would Remove the Collections items on your credit report, Before you paid them ??
Equifax is not the best credit reporting agency .. I had a lawsuit against them and won. MH credit score kept going down dings left and right . I checked my credit and old creditor I had kept reporting late charges but I had already paid that specific debt off. I reported to all credit reporting agencies which included Equifax, Experian and Transunion. The only one I had issue problems and concerns was Equifax.
I sent them over 15 demand letters to investigate the situation , after each inquiry Equifax continue he to say it was reporting the finance company as still open with no payments being made. I reached out to the company which took like 3 try’s due to change in management and the office manager wrote a letter of me paying off MH debt like several years previously and Equifax still report negative remarks . I’m at my wits end at this point so I sued them . The other two reporting agencies seen the issue and corrected the problem within the 3 months of me being concerned… good luck!
THEY TOOK $129.00 FROM ME AND DO ANYTHING.
@Beth Trach i was able to find good information from your blog posts. I was always confuse with deductible, after reading this article my confusion has been cleared. thanks 🙂
I was contacted by Collection Agency on an old credit card debt that I stopped paying 4/2010. They state they will not sue me, but the opening date on my credit report shows 2013. Should I go ahead and send them a validation letter?
Thank you!
LexI grin law I got ripped off by them also. I paid hundreds they never got one thing off my record
i am being ripped off by lexington law what do i do
Can oregon state Dept. of Revenue have a statute of limitations ? Over 18 years old
I agree with you, There are number of excellent websites and apps to help you find the lowest prices on anything you could possible want to purchase. There are certain things that almost always cost less from electronic retailers. Thanks for the information..!!
What’s the point? They extend credit to but they don’t want you to use more than 10% of it. What is their game?
Thanks for the great advice!
This is terrible advice I agree for any debt past the SOL (statute of limitations) check your state each is different, some SOL’s are only 3-4 years and you can no longer be sued so long as you haven’t restarted the clock by making a payment during that time, that’s right the SOL can restart all over again once the collection folks get a payment of any kind out of you. Once the debt is 7 years old it should also be removed completely from your credit report. Her advice is good for fresh collections, however terrible advice that can actually hurt your credit even worse if you follow it for anything past the SOL date and especially if it approaching the removal date nearing 7 years old. Check your state laws where the debt was accumulated.
Let me add yet another thought to you collection above.
In the case of folks with debt in collections and who are receiving income that is protected from garnishment, Social Security or Disability. Should these people place as much concern over potential lawsuits as others should consider? I tend to think not in some cases like grossly up charged medical bills that are nothing more than legalized theft from consumers.
Presently my wife has 2 collections accounts due to up chargeed medical bills. I am on Social Security and the bills are not in my name. My wife will soon be on Social Security so I have told her it would be in our better interest to ignore these vultures and let them fly above as long as they desire. At some point in time we will request from them itemized invoices and proof the bill actually belongs to us. They are all part of a single hospital emergency room visit that lasted less than an hour total.
I feel consumers should be protected from multiple collections entries in their credit reports simply because the care is being billed under different entities. THIS IS SOMETHING OUR CONGRESS NEEDS TO FIX FOR CONSUMERS.
I need to explain my reasoning behind why we ignore grossly up charged medical bills in collections.
Our reason for ignoring those collection accounts are simple. No collection agency will remove anything from the credit reports until the account has been satisfied. There is no reason we should wrangle with these vultures for hours on end day after day to only get them to accept a partial payment as satisfaction on the account. We have tried this in the past only to find they will not remove the collection from our credit report files. Given this problem and the FACT WE REFUSE TO BE BILKED OUT OF UNEARNED MONEY along with knowing there is no way they can can file a suit and collect (income source is protected) we simply ride out the collecions entries on our credit report for a while until we feel safe requesting information they will very likely not be able to provide in time to continue the collections entries on our credit reports. THEY ARE SCAMMING US AND WE ARE SCAMMING BACK. (AN EYE FOR EYE APPROACH)
This advice is terrible. She doesn’t utter a syllable about statute of limitations.
On deletions: The actual deletion of a collection, upon PIF, may violate the agreement between the agency and a CRA; however, many still do it to collect their 29-34%. Why do debtors want pay an account off in the first place? Generally, to qualify for an auto loan or mortgage. Even then, it may take months to see any improvement in a credit score. 25 years as a C & C manager.
Read the bill carefully. There should be a paragraph in tiny print stating that they cannot collect, or even take you to court due to the date of service being so old. Also, if this statement is not on the bill, write to them demanding proof of and date of original service. Send by certified mail with signature receipt. Bet you never hear from them again.
Credit bureaus suck
They leave an account negative even after was paid. This us not right at all.
When me and husband split he never paid the remaining balance of the electric bill which was the only bill he always paid.
I did not know till I was applying for a gas credit card that was denied. I then called to check my credit and my score has dropped tremendously because of this. I went and paid that balance immediately, but 4 years later I still show a late payment in my report, and I have disputed thus left and right fir no reason, they still have it there. yES tHey SUCK
But the fact remains, you WERE late on that payment. Paying it eventually doesn’t erase that fact. The bureaus try to predict your likelihood of paying on time in the future and even though you made good on it, you have shown you have been late in the past. Does that make sense?
Lost everything eventually do to the stock mkt collapse in 2008… 3 homes dumped, a 2006 Dually Ford, a John Deere tractor, a 2001 Lexus LS, 4 horses etc… now I am older and have started a new company –
Income is now the problem, mostly SS.
It sounds like with this current credit you mention here that you should be able to get a credit card without putting up a deposit ?
Very Informative I needed this info
Thank you
A bunch of idiots (to answer your question).
If you have a Master card with all the cash available from using an ATM Machine with it has been used up, But money to buy items from Walmart etc. is still available ! Just buy some small inexpensive thing that you would be buying anyway, Like liquid dishwashing liquid and the charged to your card and get $50 to $100 in cash instead in ask the cashier if you can get an extra $50.00 or $100.00 ? I have heard that doing this also makes it look like to your credit card company that you actually bought something and did Not get Cash from your card ! ? Go do a search for, How to get Cash out of credit cards and many of the first articles will list 50+ store chains that will give you cash, From your Master Card etc. cards, Like Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, and Dollar Tree Dollar store Nation wide chain dollar store !! (;^))
Generally you are better off paying cash for items, never using credit and avoiding credit reporting agencies. The agencies basically work for banks and banks are in business to take your money.
In my situation, they object to the number cards and the total balance unpaid, but also the fact that 60% of the available credit has been consumed. They ignore the size of the aggregate amount available for use. In my case, it’s more than $50,000. As balances mature for payment, I utilize the some of the $50,000 availability. As the maturing balances are paid, I open fresh availability within the cards paid down. I avoid the double-digit rates which occur when cards become past due. My aggregate actual rates are about two basis points above the prime rate. What’s wrong with that for unsecured debt?
Stephanie, can a mortgage servicer hire an attorney to contact homeowners,(without their permission), to offer loan mods that have higher monthly payments, and/or big balloon payments? Also, is it legal for the offers to be tied to the requirement of signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement?
Who or what gave a bunch of number crunchers the right to evaluate our credit ? Based on numbers that used to be illegal to have in your possession about other people’s finances ?? They can literally destroy people so badly that they commit suicide or end up divorced etc. ??? Was this ever decided by the U.S. Congress ?? ! Or anyone else elected or appointed ?? !!
I am looking for a reputable part time at home job opportunity to fill the gap of lost income.
Check a consumer catalogue and many problems can be helped by a good debt management program.That was what I used to get out of debt.Mak sure it is a legitimate program and also you want be able to use your credit cards for a lengthy period of time.I was over $45,000.00 in debt when I enrolled in this program.Please make sure that you keep up your stated payments andyou will be relieved of thi credit card burden.Be blessed.
I got charged with a DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) during summer, started classes that cost 1900$ and I had to give the court 2400$, life became frustrating at a point I was filled with so many questions. If I’m guilty, will I become a felony conviction on my record, I almost lost my job during the whole mess then a coworker who had his criminal records expunged told me about webzz. It did take some days to talk him into fixing my DUI records and to my very surprise he fixed both my DUI records and increased my credit score in a way I didn’t understand he removed all negative entries from my credit report back when I had bad credit. So I recommend contacting him “Darkwebzz@null.net” cease applying for new credit card always and build up some positive credit history, he will make you have zero hard inquiries on your credit report and maximize your credit score.
I applied for a home loan few weeks ago but did not qualify. The last time I went through my credit report there were all sorts of things on my record including messed up addresses,bankruptcy and tax liens to dispute, and the companies all dropped it off my record. After searching through the internet for help i found this email address on FHA blog..( computerworm.hacker (at) hotmail. com ), The goodnews is that this man fixed my credit scores to 758, removed tax liens, eviction and bankruptcy off my report, he increased my credit limit and credit leverage. Still surprised at how Its just so fast and easy to push the dispute button at the credit agency website with this hacker. He just did mine and asked me to check back in 5 days and i confirmed already my credit score is at 758, the negative and derogatory items fell off. You can contact him and worry no more on buying a home with low credit scores. Hope that helps everyone looking for help.
Unfortunately I’m pretty sure if people with bad credit had been doing all these things in the first place, they wouldn’t be dealing with bad credit now. But I suppose it’s never too late to change your ways.
Some people didn’t have the tools or knowledge to know they were getting themselves in trouble. Not for you to judge. This is a crap comment.
We agree, Tracey! Not everyone is born with the tools to take care of their credit, and not everyone has someone who will teach them. That’s why we came up with The Credit Solution Program in the first place 🙂
I agree, too!
Jimmy, your comment proves your youth and ignorance! Cancer, job loss, critical illness (heart, Parkinsons, etc. . . ), car accidents, businesses closing, lawsuits, death, bad banks that the government bails out and not the people they affected and things you don’t even see coming can affect your credit scores. You can have all the tools in the world, but when life throws you a complete curveball with something completely out of your control, family, not money, comes first. You can rebuild credit, you can’t rebuild corruption and death.
Amen to that
I signed up for credit repair several months ago and I have been trying to not use my credit cards for Christmas presents,
Leland Waterman you are grossly incorrect as Obama wasn’t even in office in 2008 when you chose to retire. Take responsibility for your own failure(s) and stop blaming others …..
If someone has a few credit card debts in Canada that are over 10
Years old, are you still legally responsible for them? I had a mixture of cc debt that totalled about $50,000. At the time , I was unable to pay and didn’t go BK. They have all disappeared from
my credit report and I am slowly starting to build up my ctredit again. What I really want to know is if someone stiffs Amex, Royal
Bank of Canada, and a few other majors, would they ever allow
Or approve an application for a new credit card after all years?
Or basically, do they keep a STIFFER LIST. Would really appreciate
Your feedback, cause I really want another Amex card and I’m scared to apply. Thanks in advance for your help. BTW love your site and all the info you provide. Have a great day.
I’m in the same boat as Steven, November 28, 2017 at 6:52 am, but I’m in the US. Wasn’t there an answer for Steven, and likely for me?
I’m very interested in an AE card, also. In case you can’t find Steven, here’s his post:
If someone has a few credit card debts in Canada that are over 10
Years old, are you still legally responsible for them? I had a mixture of cc debt that totalled about $50,000. At the time , I was unable to pay and didn’t go BK. They have all disappeared from
my credit report and I am slowly starting to build up my ctredit again. What I really want to know is if someone stiffs Amex, Royal
Bank of Canada, and a few other majors, would they ever allow
Or approve an application for a new credit card after all years?
Or basically, do they keep a STIFFER LIST. Would really appreciate
Your feedback, cause I really want another Amex card and I’m scared to apply. Thanks in advance for your help. BTW love your site and all the info you provide. Have a great day.
[…] hit your credit report. But then again you’ve witnessed this first hand. You’ve watched your credit report crash and burn, from delinquent payments, to charge-offs, to collections, and possibly even bankruptcy. Now […]
I would like more information
I ran a major credit and collections firm for more than 25 years. Debt settlement does nothing to improve your score. These days, paying off debt has become more of a moral issue than a legal one. Just demand that all further contact cease and desist, and document that request; any licensed collection agency will abide by that request. Statistically, there is only a 1-2% chance a collection agency will sue, and then, only if the amount if high enough (typical bank cards need to be at least $5,000). Going to a CRO won’t prevent them from suing, if they really want to. And don’t worry about the 1099-C. IRS Form 982 will discharge you from any financial obligation, if your net worth is less than the reported 1099-C debt. Finally, keep your money in your pocket; your family will need it when you use your debit card or pay cash.
Hooray for IRS Form 982. I used it a few filings back when I unexpectedly got “gifted” with a 1099-C on December 31. What timing. Coincidence? I think not. It took me hours of research to find this form but my mantra was: Rich people do not pay these penalties, therefore, there must be a form. That was also the first and only year I hired a tax professional to do my taxes. He looked at me and asked me why as I had already done it all correctly. I replied: peace of mind. If I’m going up against the IRS I want a major company to be my front man!
Thanks!
I managed a national credit and collections firm for more than 25 years. If you have a lot of derogatory items on your file, it makes sense to initiate a clean-up, just to remove the easy ones. The tougher ones may take a few letters and up to six months to see any real improvement. Ask your CRO if they have a legal team that will assist or go to bat on your behalf, if a federal lawsuit needs to be filed.
My “pets” are my plants. They need only sunshine, water and occasional plant food.
Credit One and other financial institutions get away with all this, due to anti-consumer policies and practices, established by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency. Having only one open account, even with exemplary paying habits, may land you a 700-750, but it may not be enough.
I personally applied to Merrick Bank to rebuild my credit. After 6 months of ontime payments they doubled my credit limit. I like this card.
They require a yearly fee and automatically add this charge on your bill whether account has a balance or not. Only way to stop paying fee is to close account.
How would credit card settlements will hurt my credit?
They will stay on your credit report for seven years if you only pay a portion of what you owe! I did it with credit solutions of Dallas . 7 year mistake and even tried 2 other fix your credit card debts, over $1700 to one and $350 to the other plus the $5600 to credit solutions put me out of play for seven years,
Don’t Do it if it is a product of Synchrony Bank. They are unreliable, expensive and your credit limit is unstable. If you don’t use the card for a few months they will close the account. The Amazon Visa is GREAT!
bank of America 3% cash back on ALL related travel expenses. I have booked all my family vacations. travel by air, land, rent a car, whatever hotel motel whatever. its all 3
% cash back.
I have a First Premier card. It was the first card I got 13 years ago. I keep a zero balance and do not use it. I have been debating on closing it, I am about to buy a house I wasn’t sure if it would lower my score by doing so before I qualified.
[…] a little older doesn’t mean you’re exempt from following the rules. You still have to meet the minimum credit score requirements for the loan you’re applying for. Your debt-to-income ratio has to match up with what the […]
I Love the POLICE & FIRECREDIT UNION I Use the. 1 in BensalamPA.& WarminsterPA.
Although property insurers have made great strides in overall customer satisfaction over the past several years, the areas where they consistently see the lowest satisfaction scores are price and direct customer service,” said Greg Hoeg, Vice President of U.S. Insurance Operations at LNC insurance provideres. “Those two areas in particular will be under enormous stress as insurers address losses from the recent hurricanes.”
Navy Federal Credit Union added veterans and their families last spring! Please add this! Phil
What if the CA agree to a settlement but refuses to remove it off your credit report?
I’am screwed big time 6 payday loans I watch them eat my rental payments up now I’am four days on a five day pay or else notice.
I make 18.50 hr. but I’am 65 years of age 12/17/1952 birthday.
US Navy Vet.
Now it looks like I Am facing a possible major illness, VA jesse brown want me to come in a talk about what found X-ray lungs abnormal, pelvis abnormal, kidneys somethings growing it really fast. Bad luck comes a looking.
File ch13
good comments. I had 2 accounts where I was an authorized user only. not a co-borrower. I had those removed by simply stating, that I have not signed anywhere on theses debts and I am only authorized user. This person listed me as a nice gesture, to show I have more available credit. when his credit was good, then he defaulted and it was hurting my score. He got sick and hospitalized. they removed them. I did have to write all three credit agencies. did online.
good comments. I had 2 accounts where I was an authorized user only. not a co-borrower. I had those removed by simply stating, that I have not signed anywhere on theses debts and I am only authorized user. This person listed me as a nice gesture, to show I have more available credit. when his credit was good, then he defaulted and it was hurting my score. He got sick and hospitalized. they removed them. I did have to write all three credit agencies. done online.
[…] low income, minority or disaster-impacted communities. In that way, it’s similar to the USDA loan program, which is meant to help lower income buyers who are shopping around in rural […]
are the same rules here in canada
I’ll like your house programme
I refinance my mortgage and with the extra money, they gave me I pay all my debts after buying down on most of them. I managed to stay debt free for a while but then, because of the mortgage refinancing, my home is in foreclosure. Had a car problem, got a credit to fix the car, and back in troubles again. because of the foreclosure, which still not done after 4 yrs, I got a payday loan to help me with my bill payments and rent every now and then. Finally, I got a better job, but I still behind of some debts and don’t know how to fix it.
Facetiously brilliant!
This is so amazing,i was doubting this service from the start not until it happened like magic, i had all negative collections removed and permanently deleted from my credit reports,dejatech007ATgmailDOTcom is the best, he did a wonderful job for me , he boosted my credit score as high as 800s and he also increased my credit limit,he fixed my credit score permanently , now am free from all debts and loans ,i was able to get a new house for myself and my niece,i guarantee you if you have similar problems he will help you out immediately , i promised to tell people about his wonderful works , kindly tell him from Michelle .
I agree with every point, except #8. As a credit and collection manager for years, I’ve never known a single credit score to improve after paying write-offs. This business of paying off debts has turned into a moral issue, not a legal one. If you owe a lot of debt, but are working, keep the money in your pocket where it belongs; your family will need it. Use the cash to buy what you need and wait out the two clocks. Start fresh (with no bankruptcy), and move on with your life.
How Do you get dismissed bankruptcies off your credit report
I really don’t want to leave a comment that can be read by everyone, but here it is. Ten years ago, I had a complete breakdown. After several hospitalizations, etc., it is only about the last six months that I feel clear minded and have a desire to see what my credit scores are. That sounds crazy, but I was and I did not recover overnight! It has taken almost a decade to get into an emotional position to even face life! Not funny, but very true. Anyway, I was horrified. I am 67, but don’t like feeling like a loser and would now like to be able to move into a respectable apartment (I moved into an efficiency because of a limited income) but when I checked my credit reports, I was flabbergasted. Most I did not understand or remember. One was definitely wrong, as I do remember the circumstances. I know I am rambling, but I really don’t know where to begin. I have a report from the 3 credit bureaus, but they are 606,527,532. I pay my rent, utilities, and credit cards on time, but it doesn’t seem to have much difference although my cards are all maxed. I don’t know where to go to begin to straighten things out. Any suggestions?
WHAT IF YOU ARE DRAWING SSDI AND IS ON FIXED INCOME
I have been using your information to raise my FICO scores from 705-740 up to 753-802. Why is Experion 40-50 points lower than Transunion? Is this normal? I changed bank for checking account to Chase Bank. Using Bill Pay, I set up recurring payments on all credit cards to cover minimum payments. When I get my invoices, I change amount to pay if balance is lower or if I have extra to pay more. Therefore, no late payments. They also give FICO score information for 7+ categories that make up your FICO score. You can also change information to see how paying down or increasing debt, increasing credit limits, etc will affect your score. When I pay off all credit cards my FICO will be 823. Great tool.
Thanks for sharing this tips 🙂 Such a great blog. Investing is a very hard thing to but with the right
[…] you money, a secured card is a way to begin building a positive credit history after bankruptcy. A secured card is “secured” with a deposit that you make when you open the account. For example, the credit […]
if you want to best cash rewards credit card facilities then you should visit this http://www.updatesbank.com/best-cash-rewards-credit-card it’s very helpful for you..
I got the contact of a credit repairer from a friend whom i contacted and who helped me remove all negative items from my credit and also improved my score to excellent level. i guarantee this credit repairer, he’s the best and I’m recommending him to everyone who needs to fix their credit to contact him for his service, you can contact him on creditrepairtechnologies (AT) gmail (DOT) com
I got the contact of a credit repairer from a friend whom i contacted and who helped me remove all negative items from my credit and also improved my score to excellent level. i guarantee this credit repairer, he’s the best and I’m recommending him to everyone who needs to fix their credit to contact him for his service, you can contact him on creditrepairtechnologies AT gmail DOT com
Well, look at the fine print when you authorize the merchant to do a credit check. You’ve often authorized them to check your credit any time in the future after this transaction – often times leading to multiple pulls you thought you hadn’t authorized.
So right it happen to me from a car dealership
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The credit agencies are generally run by financial institutions. They take security very seriously.
A hacker would have to be able to access their systems, make a modification and then delete all evidence that the modification has been made. Possible, but not easy – it could easily be months of work looking for a security flaw, and they would still need a way of ensuring the change was saved. Most hackers are low level ‘script kiddies’, and this is completely out of their league.
An insider in the agency or one of their data feed partners would have a far easier time. Assuming they had system access and the rights to make changes, they could add false information such as a fake loan with regular repayments, or wiping old missed payment information.
It’s unlikely they could get around the logging systems, so it’s going to be picked up sooner or later if they do it more than once, so not something you could do ‘for hire’. They would then be fired and face possible criminal charges, as it would be clear who they were.
HORRIBLE article. A FAQ with definitions would have been a better read. Devoid of any actionable advice. What is documentation we should show the credit reporting agencies, for instance?
I found after disputing each of the three(3) National Credit Bureaus three times, they will not remove your hard inquires. They send you this notice to contact the company’s and dispute with them. I know any accounts you can dispute, but they (NCB) are not doing their job. I have filed a complaint with Federal Trade Comn
After i get my credit report, how do i get them removed. For what reason do i tell them.Thank you
how many points if you remove a hard enquiry ?
Monty. The 13 point drop was likely a result of the inquiry AND the new account you where approved for showing up on your report. New accounts drop your average age of accounts.
It has grown much worse than the original 13 point drop. Now I am facing A FULL ON ATTACK on my credit score. I have gone from 785 to to 732 in 3 months time. Only one account has been opened and that is the only account applied for. My monthly balance runs about 10% of my credit limit. This is over a 50 point drop and there is no other information change on my credit report other than opening this single account.
On what basis may a consumer remove an inquiry from a company, which has no legitimate purpose to inquire?
I was preapproved with my bank for a car purchase. When I went into the dealership and filled out the paperwork. I told them I was preapproved for the loan with my bank. They told me I was eligible for 0% financing through the corporation. They asked me to fill out a credit application. I did and wrote on it for that corporation only….no others. Come to find out they checked 5 other banks and lowered my score some 50 pt. can I dispute these hard inquiries. This has happened to me a second time recently even though I have specified who they could check with.
Hi,
What are the best secured cards to build and boost credit fast!?
My old lender I was on a fixed loan now on the new I’m on a variable. How do they just put you on what they want you to have? I had a 15 year loan and after I paid 10 years they sell my mortgage to another company and they put me on a variable rate. Can they keep increasing my payments where I can’t afford them? I have 5 years left I don’t want to lose my home.
Tia just wondering how your mortgage loan turned out. Did you ever get it straight?? It’s against the law to change from fix to variable. I hope you filed a complaint. I just got sent to another servicer and i’m a bit concerned because i am on a fix mortgage as well. I hope and pray that the new servicer is on the up and up.
[…] to common opinion, opening a new credit card is not necessarily bad for your credit, just like cancelling a credit card is not necessarily good for your credit. In fact, opening credit cards can actually help you to improve your credit score in the long run. […]
I would like to use you guys in helping me with my credit if it can be helped also what is the cost even if you take over my creditors
Mike What makes your program from Smart Credit to which I pay 20 monthly and It didn’t come with form letter just a book with directions on how to do it yourself or pay more for auto pay forms.
Only caveat to this list is that NOW (as of July 2017) Tax Liens are no longer listed on Credit Reports.
I have a $2000 Tax Lien and it is still on my Credit Report?
oh yes. they are
everyone i boomed my credit score for cheap price only $47 i went to over 690 from a low pathetic 610 in 60 days go check out smart money secret.
They have a FB group also that help you send out letters and remove any zombie debts or bad reports that killed your score.
Now i was able to refinace MY car from thieves santander who wacked me with an outerspace 18.7% interest rate my car payments was $278 a month now guess what it is for final 3 years. $175.85 MY Bank got me in at way lower % of only 9.5 %
YOU have rights use them get the smart money secret DO NOT pay lexington law or others high fees and starup signing huge fess also. They aint that good.
Thanks for the information!. What is the smart money secret? A book?
you are right about Lexington Law, the only thing they did was collect there $ 40 fee every month from your credit card, use them for about 4 years. Had only one item removed from credit records and that was one that just dropped off because of statute of limitations law!!!
All they did was run of my credit card bill to about $2000 and that’s the only thing this particular card was used for!!!
When you first sign on with them they said they would work to repair credit reports for you!! So beware some of the items you can have removed your self by checking your credit reports and talking with the credit bureaus and trying to dispute an item !!$
Lexington law is a scam company. They can’t even remove simple things that I did over the telephone myself. They tell you that are working on your credit but when you call the credit bureau They tell you that there is no activity whatsoever with your account. Stay away from that scam firm. Once I called them and they told me how their parents have credit problems and how they are having a hard time Well if these people have so much success why are their parents having credit issues?
I ran a major collection agency for 25 years. Paying off collection accounts does NOTHING to improve one’s score–it’s a myth (for now). FICO is based upon risk, not goodwill. Over the past three decades, the matter of paying debt has become more of a moral issue than a legal one. You have many legal rights; use them. Keep your money in the bank, and out of the hands of collection agencies. Trust me, with bad credit, you will need that money one day when the time comes.
I HAD NOT SEEN YOUR COMMENT BEFORE I JUST POSTED MINE. THANK YOU FOR ADMITTING IT AND TO AGREE WITH WHAT I SAID
The rules have changed regarding Tax Liens as of July 2017. These will no longer be listed on credit reports.
Wow! Great information. Thanks for that.
,” when revolving credit card debt is paid off with an installment loan, your credit scores are going to improve. Credit card debt is considered high risk, while installment loan debt is considered almost benign”.
This is the best- kept secret ever! Understanding the discipline and control needed to make it work is very important but if done properly, what a blessing for past bad choices.
OMG!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!??? I have been SUFFERING with a TAX LIEN on my credit report for YEARS!
I’ve tried numberous times to tell them that it really belongs to my ex-husband but nothing has changed!!! I will notify them again, THANK YOU SO MUCH xoxo
I have a question: if you have taken out a consolidation loan and want to take advantage of the 0% by transferring to a credit card can you do this?
Tax delinquency is no longer reported on CRs as of July 2017. However, they will make it so you don’t have the ability to pay your bills by taking everything in your account! So, even though it is not reported, does not mean it cannot affect your situation.
Credit Bureau will never reveal to you that your info have been hacked.
What are the “mix of debt types”? I understand them to be mortgage, bank loans, credit cards. Are you hurt if you only have credit cards?
Although I DO believe everything you stated in your report, heaven forbid the credit bureaus actually live in the real world. Gee the credit bureaus would never never make a mistake and not properly safeguard our personal professional private information like loose our information to hackers. Still, we’re scrutinized as if we live in a perfect world. Things happen – a medical bill never got properly routed to me. The hospital even admitted the error was theirs. I only learned of the missing bill because it was reported to the credit bureaus as a non-paid bill for collections. My credit score was slammed and the credit bureaus never once bothered to confer with me first to confirm the validity of the bill or whether it was even valid. So, how again is this actually an aboveboard system with ANY validity or integrity whatsoever? Plainly it is not one!!
A debt collector has notified me with a bill I know was paid 15 years ago. He insists it was not paid in full. In all these years I have never once received a letter telling me this. After all this time I have no proof I paid it. Is this a new form of fraud? What do I do.?
Yes it is and you should have them investigated.
Often our dear to heart Doctors offices will have billing companies audit their records and demand payment from patients whom they have no record of having paid.
This has happened several times with our family and in every instance the collections are for visits which are very old and that the doctors office requires co-payment in advance of being seen. Yet they still hire companies to bill us anyway for charges we have paid long ago. Many times there is no proof of payment available given the years of time lapse between services paid at time of service and later billed by the medical billing company.
OUR MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CONSUMERS AS ARE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. If the public outcry becomes loud enough Congress will be unable to ignore these problems as they have in the past up to present time.
In less than 4 days of working with ZEUSHACKERS01 at OUTLOOKdotCOM, my credit score has raised high enough to be able to qualify for a mortgage loan that I was not able to before. Besides that, he’s so professional and friendly and easy to work with that it made the whole experience quite enjoyable. I have already recommended him to several people and all gave me positive replies
[…] good place to start. Review them for any errors or inaccuracies, as well as any signs of potential identity theft. If you spot something that’s incorrect, you have the right to dispute it but proceed with […]
Do you help with Canadian Credit?
Is there a big diffrrrnce between how the two systems work?
you will find a very sound credit repair service if you visit creditkarmahackerdotcom. they leave no stone unturned and when they handle your credit, be rest assured all negative items will be removed. All changes made are permanent or your money back. reach out to them and get started, consultation is free
Interesting article. I like the fact that you provided a list of institutions that may be able to provide you a loan even if you have bad credit such as car dealers and finance companies. I don’t think anyone wants to have a bad credit standing but if ever I would be in that predicament, I would certainly take heed of your advice.
Hello I am thinking about consolidating my lcredit cards which I max out. I only want to lower the interest and pay off the balances. Question would that hurt my credit score? Thanks for your reply
I’m did my research years ago and the viop phone cost is too much for me. You have to have internet and the viop package, which would have cost me over 100.00 a month. I have gone with tracefone for the last 17 years and have not had a plan come close to it, the minutes rollover and sometimes I only pay 20.00 for up to 3 Months of use.
Totally disappointed. You should have explained the dangers of payday loans and how to avoid them at all costs. It almost sounds like you are encouraging people to apply for these.
Surprising to me NO ONE MENTIONED forgetting about cell phone service and using a VoIP home phone provider.
In days past anyone using a telephone used a landline. Today we have another variant to land line with our home phone service, is is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP works the same as wired phones but is much less costly.
Why expose yourself to an at fault accident, embarrassment during meetings, loss of appetite from interruptions, constant interruptions and a host of other similar difficulties? GET SMART GET A STATIONARY HOME PHONE AND TOSS THE DREAD INTERRUPTERS WE CALL CELLULAR PHONES.
The notion no one can do without constant availability to a phone service in our hands has been disproved by millions over centuries of phone use via a stationary phone. Who cares is the boss can’t call you while your in the middle of traffic or your spouse has to go to the grocery because she can not get in contact with you on the way home. Get rid of the cell phones and save even more than this article suggest.
In this day and age our cell phones are used for much more than just a phone. It’s it a mini computer in my hand. I use it for keeping in touch with clients via email or text. I believe in great customer service and that means being able to be reached and not have messages puked up. I use it as a map to get anywhere I need to go in the cities. I would have no way to know how to get around without it. We do have a land line but only for recording purposes for clients to produce testimonials or anything else for our radio station. I can go on, so just doing away with us just NOT feasible in this day and age.
Hi Rebecca,
Can you please tell me whether any of the business credit companies sending out pre-qualified mailers are a good idea? Our business does not have any credit currently, but we have tax liens, and are not sure we can get a conventional loan.
U. S. Cellular is 35.00 for iOS fone and 40.00 for smart fone unlimited everything. U can get Kyrocera or Samsung Moto E or G right now for 29.00 to 49.00 at Walmart. Excellent coverage.
I purchased a 2016 ford edge in Feb 2017 and the next month after the SUV needed to keep getting jump starts ,,,road side assistants was my new best friend it was not only embarrassing,but it was now an investment of something I really don’t want 4 attempts which is considered a lemon in the state of Illinois, I hired a lawyer and they want me to settle for 6,000 the car is 40k and 700.00 a month I was asking for a full refund and the lawyers seem to think this is a great deal I am an angry consumer who will never but or recommend this company to my worst enemy
Ford will STOP making most cars in 2009. Take it for what it is worth but I believe the resale value is going to plumit.
in 2009 ??? 9 years ago ?? !
I couldn’t possibly save thousands a year on my phone, and I don’t pay much more per year on my phone than I pay per month on my car. I have Republic Wireless, Moto E, and I get unlimited wifi and cell calls, texts, and Data (3G) for $25 per month plus tax, which totals $29.85 per month, charged automatically to my credit card on the 22nd of each month. That’s $358.20 per year, and since I have a QuicksilverOne, the cost is dropped down to $352.83 per year with my 1.5% cash back rewards. I also am not paying interest on this card since I use it for a large portion of my bills after making a payment to clear the available credit, and my total monthly payments are more than my credit limit, and as such more than my prior balance. More specifically, I use it for a total of $529.96 in bills each month ($500 credit limit), which saves me $7.95 per month, which is $95.40 per year. That’s like getting over 3 months per year free on my phone bill!
1st of all… My 23 years in the wireless industry has sought me that even though they use the same network, it does make them equal. Most of the “Tier 2” carriers you speak of are actually owned 100% by one of the “Big 4”. metroPCS is owned (and operated by) T-Mobile. Virgin & boost are owned (and operated by) Sprint. Cricket is owned (and operated) by AT&T.
However, the issue is not always the access to the towers… Rather it is the capabilities and features available on the network through the MVNO (mobile virtual network operator). Not all features are available from an MVNO… things such as Wi-Fi calling and MANY other features that we take for granted.
Also, the “Tier 2’s” data speeds are slower (generally speaking) than those of the “Tier 1’s”.
I currently use Verizon and for a family plan on unlimited, I pay the same per line as the “Tier 2” providers. If I only had a single line I “might” consider using something like “Straight Talk”, but there are many little features that a “Tier 2” does not provide.
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What is the best way or how is the best way to check your credit with out paying for it?
Join creditkarma.com, creditsoup.com or nerdwallet.com. All three offer free credit scores. As far as a free credit REPORT, you are entitled to one free report per year from each of the major reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), which may be requested through annualcreditreport.com.
It’s Credit Karma! Used for years.
It is not up to the other party to say they will start over or wait, the state picks it up and they don’t drop anything.
Joann in Atlanta
Overall a decent article. She did forget THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to do. Research the reputation of the dealership!!!
Glad to see fitting a bicycle in the car was included. That’s the first thing I consider when choosing a car.
2nd: is the steering wheel shape comfortable for hours-long driving (must NOT have a big fat spoke at the 6-o’clock position where my thumbs go!)
3rd: it MUST HAVE a compass. This is one of my favorite features. I use the compass direction to help navigate, especially here in cloudy Seattle.
#8 is the worst thing that you can do when trying to rebuild your credit. Consolidation loan, yes. Close credit cards, No, unless you want to drastically lower your score. Learn how to use your credit cards I’m not abused them. Once you get them down to zero contact the companies to find out how long they can be inactive with a zero balance before they close them and just purchase something small that you can pay off each month and then let him sit again zero.
What about the two cards I have that charge annual fee
Car insurance not only protects you and your car from accidents on the road but, depending on what type of coverage you have, can protect you against many other factors. Some types of insurance protect your car entirely, even if it’s stolen or damaged outside of a traffic accident.
I recently paid off my 3 year auto lease. I made all payments on time (if not early) and then at the end of the lease term I purchased the auto outright (cash). Nothing else had changed in my credit. Yet, my recent FICO score went down 20 points!! Ugh! What gives?
I have been study-ing credit myself for the past 4 years now and – from my observation not knowing your full circumstance – Credit reports like to see a mix (worth 10% of your score) of different accounts in your report. This may account for the downward spiral in your points. I agree makes no sense that I owe less – this is a good thing – but your credit reports like to debt on your report in my opinion – It took me 4 years but I lifted my score from the high 500’s to over 760 – my advice – Do your homework it goes a long way in building your financial profile
[…] realizing it. A $3 ATM fee every payday equals $72 per year or almost $3,000 over the course of your working lifetime. If you invested that $72 every year for 40 years in an S&P 500 index fund instead, you could […]
What is the best way to handle These ATM fees
I had my credit score increased to 800, after i reached out to the best credit repairer with great concept and reviews about credit, I reached out to him for both credit score increase and removal of all unwanted items from my credit, which he did in 5 days, I believe *** is the best,reach out to him today to help you fix all your credit issues
MODERATOR’S NOTE: The Credit Solution Program does not recommend using contacts you find in our comments to repair your credit. We have no way of guaranteeing they aren’t scammers. When in doubt, use a certified program. Here’s more information on how to spot scammers from the Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0225-credit-repair-scams
Is he legit, how do i know he won’t steal my identity.
Hi Liz,
Please don’t use the emails listed in these comments. We try to remove them as quickly as possible, but sometimes they slip through. We can’t guarantee they aren’t scammers. When in doubt, use a certified company (like Credit Pros.)
Hey Smith Collins, can you DM me the information of the guy you used? Please let me know, thank you
You have to get a lawyer for this situations. Have as much evidence as possible.
I have been trying to send an email to your firm at :
support@thecreditsolutionteam.com. The email bounces back.
Any suggestions ?
Hi James,
Our email is support@thecreditsolutionprogram.com. Not team 🙂 Hope that helps!
Mike, I wasn’t able to access your latest question about debt and does it expire ? It depends on whether it’s an unsecured debt or a secured debt. In most states, unsecured debts are subject to a statute of limitations. I live in Fl. so the statute here is 5 years. A secured debt has no statute and can be collected or repossessed by the creditor. For example, miss 3 car payments and your car will probably be towed to an impoundment facility.
Judgments have a 20 year life span [in Fl. ] but the judgment can be renewed after 20 years. Your clients should be aware that even if a debtor makes one small payment on an unsecured debt, the statute begins again for another 5 yrs.
I’ve been a subscriber for several years now and find your advice ,for the uninitiated, very helpful. Keep up the good work and ignore the negative reviews you occasionally get.
Hi James,
The article you are looking for is here:
Does Debt Have an Expiration Date?
Dear Sir money’s not the problem cleaning this low debt out of the way.
I went this lex law firm said that they would help me clear my debt they didn’t.
Less then 6000 dollars has me living a partial life.
Fining money for a house is not it I’am Vet.
I need help in cleaning my credit scores.
I did a dumb thing I went for some pay day loans when I really did not need them. Now with their high percentage they have me tied down.
I’am working full time.
With my low credit scores getting a loan to cover all debt’s with a low interest low is next to impossible.
What can I do help, help!
Edward H Crutcher
Hi Ed!
I hope you don’t mind me calling you Ed sir.
I am in now way associated with this program or the folks who work there. This is a program I have been following for many months, actually for several years now. I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE CREDIT SOLUTION PROGRAM and what it offer the community.
Now to what I wanted to tell you. Any program that offers to help will require some time from you and information you need to put together.
you have never said you did not do this but this is what happens with many people. They enroll in a program expecting results yet they do not take time to furnish the information required for a group to be able to help you get things fixed. ALL I INTENDED HERE IS TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THEY WILL HAVE TO DO A FEW THINGS FOR ANYONE TO HELP THEM CLEAN UP AND RE-ESTABLISH GREAT CREDIT. It is a small price to pay for the reward you will receive.
I just read the FAQs found here:
https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/homeready#
The required credit score is 680, not 620.
Go look at NACA.COM !
They do not require a down payment, do not use your credit to get approvals, they offer the lowest interest rates and YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR PMI INSURANCE. PMI insurance will raise the amount of your payments significantly, you are far better off without having to purchase this insurance.
“You have to be active duty or retired military, work for the Department of Defense, or be an immediate family member to someone who qualifies.” This is incorrect.
ALL Veterans and their family members also qualify!
Hi,
I have a debt reported on my credit for unpaid rent by FCO(collection agency). The debt was due to me being laid off by a company I was working for no more than 3 months in 2014. The company closed their location in California and laid off everyone. I was stuck with rent of $1225 that I wasn’t able to pay while looking for another job. I moved out without an eviction notice on my score, but now it is there as unpaid rent. I have been living with family ever since trying to get on my feet.
I was finally able to get a job in 2016 and have been with my company for 1 year and 8 months now. Cut to 2017…I have contacted the CA to and asked if I made the payment, if they would remove the debt from my report. I am able to take care of the debt now. But they have refused, stating that even if I paid whether i paid in full or took a settlemenent offer, it will remain on my credit.
I am in the process of looking for a new place and it has been a pain in the you know what! What are my options? Is it better to pay them and allow the debt to remain on my credit reported as “settled”? or should I not pay and wait for it to eventually drop and when they can no longer pursue me for the debt? Will it look better if the debt is paid and settled so when I try to find an apartment, management companies and landlords will at least see that it was paid off and I could stand a better chance of finding a place to live? Is there a way, I can get them to remove the debt, once paid in full or even settled for less?
I would appreciate your expert advice and feed back?
you will find solution to creditscore problems, just visit creditkarmahacker,com they are the best credit score repairers
I’m making monthly payments on a chargeoff, can that be removed from my report once it is paid.
So what to do when funds are so right? They’re all kinds of comments, what to, how to do, when you do, but what about the 1% of us that don’t have the access to move forward. How about real world honesty. I’ve bought the books read do this not that and, but I’m NO better off.
Has anyone here tested any of these and were you paid as promised ??
You can still get denied a secured credit card.
Jamal, you must look for the cards that approves everyone the secured Visa Sky approves everyone
how to get a paid collection removed
Its extremely hard to remove paid collections. There’s nothing in it for them to remove it.
BEFORE YOU PAY COLLECTIONS:
Always have them validate the debt first. If they can’t they have to delete. If they can validate, request a pay for delete but get it in writing.
Great article.keep up the good work
Can you delete inquiries before two years
No – Most entries in your credit report remain for 7 years.
I have too many inquiries can I remove those too
My girlfriend now my wife got me to sign a contract the guy said it was only a 1 year obligation it was 6 I didn’t read it I took it as though she did well she had to file chapter 13 she put it in her plan they sent it to collections on me it’s $3500 the collection guy said I can pay a lump sum of $1700 that I still don’t have he said I can make payment for the full $3500 and when it’s paid in full it will be removed from my report I ask would it show I’m making payments he said no can you give a little advice thank you
Good info BUT if you’ve already got a low credit score you won’t be able to get a retail card either unless they don’t run a credit check. I’m betting they will.
You’re right it is a hard inquiry and they will say too many inquires if you apply for just 2 or 3 different cards!!!
A company brought a repo of mine says when I pay half of it they will give me a letter of release but they don’t report it to the credit berry I will have to so you say it still is on my credit for 7 years anyway no need to pay them
I have used some of yr advice and have seen a difference in my overall credit score, changing, from a low 300’s to the high 600’s and then in the past year or so I’ve seen it jump to being even higher. So great job on giving this advice, we all need it, since our own habits can some time control us, im pretty sure none of us wants to be in this situation…
Ok so I got behind on my cards was able to pay off all of the cards except for one I traded my 2014 truck for a 2017 SUV that did move my score a 40 point dealership said 40-50 I was duo but my score keeps dropping I’ve gone through 2 credit disputing companies who didn’t do much of anything at all except take me money from me I need help fixing my credit but I’m out of money any real true free advice and if it’s get a secured card remember I’m broke now thanks
Great article on what not to do. I have done all of them except the title loan and I’m still in debt. So that leads to my question: is there going to be a sequel to this on what one should do?
Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, in a car deal is negotiable. The price, the term of the loan, the finance rate you’re being given, and yes, even the extended warranty. Don’t pay $3,600 for a 10 year, 100,000 mile, zero deductible, free rental car, bumper-to-bumper plan that you can negotiate down to $1,200.
And stay away from ALL fabric, rust, and paint sealant packages. Avoid dealer addendum packages that list nitrogen-filled tires for $300+. And “Market Adjustment Value” add-on window stickers of (example) $2,495. All of which are designed to add working room in the negotiation process and hidden profits. Last but not least, watch out for those notorious “Doc fees.” Another trick to build profit into the sale for the dealer.
Anyone that speaks to you inside a showroom is a commissioned recipient of your money. From the General Sales Mgr., Finance Mgr., and the salesperson. They all get a slice of the profit pie.
Have your credit union/bank/financial institution “pre-approve” you for a loan. Dealers will oftentimes match that rate because they will get a piece of the interest.
Rebates. Are there available rebates? Veterans, Owner Loyalty, College Grad, Manufacturer’s Rebate, Special finance terms, Uber (yes, upwards of $1,000 from some OEM’s) rebates. You don’t HAVE to be a practicing Uber drive, just enrolled as one with documentation to show. Some OEM’s will match up to $500 after 30 days on a deposit you make into an account for one of their brand models. But if you don’t buy that brand, you don’t get the $500 returned.
Buying a car takes work, research, investigatory skills, and lots of perseverance. And stamina. But keep the emotional baggage at home. If you walk into a showroom drooling over a vehicle, there’s a high probability you’ve already lost the battle and the war.
Just to add to what Richard said. I paid my way for my college education quite nicely by working at a dealership in sales. Lots of other areas to look for discounts. Where I currently work, we have business relationships with a lot of the German car companies. As a result we qualify for employee pricing from them. Check into relationships your company might have with some of the auto companies. In addition, I am a member of a few manufacturer car clubs. The loyalty discounts they offer are about 1k off a new car. Caveat there is you can’t typically sign up and immediately get the discount. Often you are eligible after a year. Another thing to consider is European delivery for some of the German car companies. There can be some substantial savings if you take your delivery of your car there. Fewer companies are doing this but for the ones that offer it it might be worth it. I typically combine this with a nice vacation and get to drive my new car on the roads were it was meant to be driven. Sort of nice cruising down the autobahn at 100 mph and not having to worry about getting a speeding ticket.
Do a lot of due diligence on your trade’s value. That is where I made most of my money on the deals. Have a very good idea of what it is worth but be realistic. I would suggest going to Carmax and getting a cash offer from them BEFORE going to wherever you plan to buy your car. Then you at least have some idea (likely worst case scenario) of what your car is worth. Carmax will buy your car on the spot and withing 7 days of the offer they make you. So if you have one near you, check them out. A few times I just sold my car there. Keep in mind though that most states credit you with sales tax savings on your new car when traded in you old car at that dealership. Savings can be substantial. In my current state, if I trade in my 30k valued old car on my 45k new car, I’ll save about 2500 in sales tax on the new one.
Take off any modifications on your old car before trade. The dealer won’t give you any extra money for almost any mods or tricked out wheels that you put on it. In fact they many penalize you for some of them. If you have the stock parts, and it isn’t a real PITA to put them back on, DO IT! Then sale your upgraded parts online and likely at least get 50 cents back on the dollar rather than nothing (like the dealer will give you). I once got an extra grand toward a trade because the dealer want to recertify my car and with the aftermarket wheels and tires the manufacturer wouldn’t let them if it didn’t have the stock wheels. I had the stock wheels and slapped them back on. I sold my aftermarket wheels and tires for 1500. I came out ahead 2500 overall on the deal because they were going to factor in at least 1000 to put stock wheels and tires to recertify it.
As for aftermarket warranties, I disagree to some extent with previous comments. There are some good companies but check their ratings. All an aftermarket warranty is an insurance product. The big problem I’ve personally had is they typically ONLY cover repairs at one of their dealerships. Break down in the middle of nowhere, and if no dealer nearby, tough luck. OTOH on one of the aftermarket companies I was able to get them to just pay for the repair over the phone at a local mom and pop shop. Keep in mind with ANY of these warranties to keep meticulous records of all the maintenance you have done and make sure it is according to the manufacturers schedules. Don’t skimp on even things like oil filters. Some manufactures will deny warranty claims, even while under the factory warranty, if you use parts they don’t deem to be up to their specs. FCA is pretty strict about this especially on their diesel trucks. Don’t let saving $10 on a cheaper oil filter for your diesel truck cost you 10k if their is a major engine failure. Don’t think it can happen. They’ll look for anything they can to deny your claim in these major repairs EVEN if your cheapo filter wasn’t the cause, they still will use it as a basis anyway. If you just dropped 50k + on your new diesel truck, don’t cheap out on the filters. That includes the fuel filters as well.
I am totally confused. which Card should I buy. I need Credit Card suggest me the best Credit Card so far
The smart way to lend to family and friends is to Not lend to families or friends !
But if you Must at liest consider it, Here are two methods to get you Out Of It ! First tell that friend who wants to borrow money that you just read an article by a Physiatrist that he just did a survey and that friends lending friends money was one of the largest causes of friendships breaking up, And that their friendship is Too Important to you to take that chance !! (;^))
Another way is while discussing a loan, Ask the would be borrower if he has a checking account ! He will no dought answer yes ! Then ask him to give you a check for the total amount of the loan he is asking for, Tell him you will hold on to the check until he tells you, You can cash it, If he hems and Haws over writing one or comes up with excuses, Say, Well you Do intend to pay back this loan Don’t you ? Then just tell him no, He is Not showing likelihood of paying the loan back ?
I live in NC, and tried driving with Uber for a while, day, night, airport, downtown on weekend nights till 5:AM., Nothing added up, day or night the most of the rides were $3 to $5 before gas!, Long distances trips $12. at the most., So, after driving all night or day, and less gas exp. my big earning average for the day, READY? $35.00 and this is before maintenance and repair. Just scary what Uber want to do with you and your property.
I’ve been driving for Uber in St. Louis, in my spare time since December. Typical Friday night/Saturday earnings are $250-300. I’ve had a couple of rides that were over $100, as they were going a long distance and round trip. Guess it depends on where you live, but I love it.
My friend showed me his pay tracker thing and on Saturday night her made over $500. He keeps up with the plane arrivals at PTI.
I unsubscribed to The 800 Club, which you did, but you said it was a 100% money back guarantee for any reason. Well I see where you took my money, but I don’t see where you gave it back like you said you would. Can you please explain why you are not keeping your word and refunding the $19.97 you took from my account?
Hi Bruce,
I’m sorry you were unsatisfied with The 800 Club. Please contact support at support@thecreditsolutionprogram.com to request a refund. Thanks 🙂
I been having the credit couch An I paied my money for the program I can not pull it off my phone as they said I could can’t down load it tried calling Mike all the crap they told me todo I have done An nothen I mean nothen !!!! Has helped me lower nor took place with this program!!!!!!!!!
I never signed up for the Credit program but I can honestly tell you and anyone else reading this that the information they provide in the program is excellent. When followed it will bring anyone back to full acceptance as a credit worthy person. The keyword is FOLLOWED and that means personal effort must be made to do the things this program teaches you.
That said we all understand any program alone is not the entire solution to keeping great credit once you achieve it. The only way to insure keeping great credit is for YOU to keep your credit clean, pay bills on time, only charge what you can easily repay and never go crazy charging up the credit cards you receive. Credit is something you earned but earning credit and earning money to pay for your credit are two distinctly different things.
Unfortunately aside from telling a person what should be done to keep credit clean there is no program that will do everything for them. If there were I would be investing heavily in the company selling that program because the returns would be huge.
When people fail to control their spending eventually they will have a reaction to their over indulgence. Like drinking to much alcohol the spending high will wear off and the lows of debt biting at their income will eventually set in. Then like a bad hangover everything else in their lives goes down the toilet of financial disrespect right along with the person.
We as people have to learn the insight to know that we alone must take charge of our lives completely if we expect any kind of somewhat care free life ahead. Even then life will never be completely care free but when our financial lives are in order every thing else we strive to achieve becomes much more reachable.
When a good life and future is in our sights we no longer have the despair experienced by those who ignored their financial health and the future looks pretty good compared to what may have been their old life of ruin in the gutter of debt. Nothing will be completely care free but it can be close enough to know every thing we reach for is attainable once our finances are in order and we are willing to do the other things needed to get us to our goals. This is what brings real satisfaction to life.
So is this sounds like you or someone you know please pass this basic knowledge on to them. There is nothing hard about keeping your credit clean, exert your ability to use self control, make a habit of it and you will be fine along with your future.
If 5 points are all we should see our credit score by upon a hard inquiry to our files then my question is “Which of the many credit scoring algorithms are you referring to?”. Many of us know FICO and Vantage the credit bureaus compete in this area with both selling credit scores based upon similar yet different methods to compute our credit scores. Within the systems to score credit there are sub areas that score credit based on very specific lending (Auto Loans, Credit Cards, Home Loans, Personal Loans, Ect.) bringing the total number of differing credit scores for an individual well up 20 potentially differing results for each person scored. This does not take into account other companies who are also in the business of credit scoring.
To discuss this in a meaningful way we have to be specific about how we are being scored. Otherwise people have no way to know if those mentioned 5 points a hard pull might take off you credit score is from FICO or VANTAGE and which scoring algorithm within those two are being affected by 5 points.
My credit is spotless but I only have about 2 & 1/2 years of reported data. There have been no bad marks of any kind on my credit report during this period of time and nothing but a completely clean report is what is seen when I review my 3 credit reports.
How do we explain a 13 point loss in my credit score because of a single hard credit pull that was approved for a Master Card World Card? After reading what is said here this is very troubling to me and sounds like it should not be as it is. Even after the 13 point drop in my Vantage score I expect to see a much large drop in my FICO score. (The two reporting methods weigh things differently.)
How can we consumers fix things like this? I have only 1 hard credit pull on my credit report. I waited over 2 years prior to applying for another Credit Card so the single past hard inquiry I had fell off the report. Now I am back to square one and the amount of credit history gathered in the 2 plus years seems meaningless where credit scores are concerned.
How can you help a person with a 784 FICO – 8 score, at 2 credit bureaus, escape this seemingly harsh degradation in my credit score at the bureau where the hard inquiry was submitted?
What are your thoughts on owner finance?
Is that another term for lease to own?
I’m wondering what are the pros and cons of taking a garage and making it it into a rental apartment? I know some of them such as the loss of my total privacy the cost of the construction etc. but i dont kow what are the real numbers at the end of the day? How long does it take for the income to cover the construction costs?
The big question is why do people even need to rack up such huge debt ? Habits are hard to change. Transfer, sure, but the odds are that the debtor will wind up owing yet another balance sooner than later.
Hi, we are planning on purchasing a new home, but we couldn’t get a conventional mortgage from a bank, we came across “owner finance “. Is this a safe way to get a house, do we get to keep the deed and be sole owners of the house we are trying to purchase?
I managed a large C & C agency for years and wondered why people pay at all. It does NOT help the score. It keeps the account alive for 7 more years. It takes money that you will need. Start saving! Pay cash or use debit. Never settle a debt. Keep the money in your pocket where it belongs Tip: Only people who need to get a car or home are virtually forced to payoff a collection account; otherwise NEVER DO IT!!!”
What doess C&C mean?
“Credit and Collection.”
I am having a hard time getting any loans my credit is horrible it not my fault I have low income. Capital one is my worst ever someone was help pay it backed fired
Capital took my card away from me
Talk about a screwed up deal.
Have you received any information from CAP 1 dated within the last 30 days?
If not, you can call them and request a current billing/statement.
When you have something that’s less than 30 days old, feel free to contact me. I don’t tell you here what to do next, because I don’t want you to spill the beans, so to speak, to CAP 1.
items that have been paid off but remain as negative items on your report can they be removed before their expected expiration date?
Gas guzzling SUV? Nonsense!
I have 1 credit card. I got in trouble in the early 2000’s and promised I would never get another after paying a ridiculous amount on interest. It’s balance is always 0. It effects my credit score but who cares. I have my home mortgage I pay each month, my car and my monthly expenses. You can very easily be drawn into a credit hole by your cards. Buyer beware!
Correction:
1) cleary = clearly
2) last = past
Truly Kristie is a knowledgeable financial entity; her observation that insurance, utilities and the like do not appear on the 1003 is almost brilliant. Although, lower credit purchasers who use alternative credit might have to furnish this info to the underwriter, Kristie is 99.9% correct – these budget items should be considered.
The only weakness in her article is a failure to cleary clarify the impact of ignoring APR in favor of lower interest rates – on the overall early loan termination; i.e. What cost adjustment/corrections occur on the financial end to a purchaser who finances 30 years and opts out at 5 years.
Kristie has inspired me to write a few articles about mortgages that I will provide for your program at a later date;this is based on last mortgage loan processor & officer training and past service as a loan underwriter & residential & commercial real estate broker.
I joined because I deem this program a consumer service
I make my credit card payments online and a couple of months ago one of them didn’t go through, I caught it when it was only a couple of days late.
I called them and they removed the late charge, but about a week or so later Credit Karma let me know that they reported the late payment and my score dropped dramatically.
I didn’t do anything about it, but after reading this I know that they shouldn’t have reported it since it was only a couple of days late.
What should I do?
Thanks!
It has to be 30 days late for them to report it on a credit report
I want to refinance my mortgage but my credit is poor I’m try to get it fixed paying a lot of stuff on my credit is getting up there goes up and down I’ve been paying my mortgage on time my mortgage is around 1700 and I would like to get it down from there a lot more down
What’s you answer? To the guestion
Hi and thank heaven for people like you. I have been in a debt validation program for almost one year. Most of my 13 creditors have sent me collection letters that been sold to third parties for payment. 3 of the creditors or collection agencies have NOT sent me any letters. Is there an expiration for the time the credits have to assign a collection company?
Thank U!
if you plan on buying your leased car at the end of the lease, remember you will be paying retail twice…never a bargain. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS buy a service contract if you are buying a used vehicle…get one that covers computer controls, power train, and bearings…if you think it’s expensive, ask yourself what peace of mind is worth. If you are putting yourself out there to afford the payment, you probably won’t be able to afford an expensive repair. My personal experience is I have always had a service contract pay for itself, and my professional experience is…you don’t want to be the person yelling at the service writer that your broken car is too expensive to fix when you were offered a service contract that would have limited your out of pocket expense to $100, and you were too cheap to buy it and turned it down. My current service contract cost $2500 rolled into the loan, and they have already paid out $4000…with 6 months left on the contract. Buy your car in the evening of the last day of the month, or the morning of the first day of the month to save big bucks…that’s when the sales incentives/quotas matter most and they will do anything to sell you a car. This information is based on a 25 year career in the auto industry.
I have been a hairstylist for the last 18 years, and have often thought of starting a business that would allow people to basically make appointments online with a licensed professional hairstylist who would be able to somehow bring the salon experience to them. Possibly converting small RVs into mobile hair salons. For those clients that are bound to their homes offer services to them as well that would allow them to still feel “human”, by getting a simple hair cut. Any suggestions on how to make my ideas a reality?? Finances are my biggest hurdle. I’m a single mom with 2 small children, I’m So extra money is not something that I have lying around.
I have been working on my credit report over 7 months now and I am so frustrated at the way its going. Before I started my score was over 620, after I started fixing problems the score dropped down 100 points,,,what’s up with that! I had collections on my report and recently made an agreement of payment with two of them for a payoff and supposed to be taken off my credit report. One account seems to be lost in space, after talking to at least 6 different people, no one can tell me where the account is or went but it still shows on my credit report. I have disputed some of the collections but the creditor does not agree, and I evidently still owe for a bogus charge, especially for a medical bill I do not owe. I have just reported a company to the CFPA for fraudulent charges and victimizing me while taking my rights as a citizen and a consumer, an investigation is going on for the company as well as Equifax and Experian, while Transunion should have also been investigated for allowing a false report on my credit. I am getting an attorney and hopefully someone is going to get sued for causing my integrity and rights to be damaged.
I am 77 years old and trying to buy a house to live in, while my credit score given, is causing me to be unable to have a place to live. This is wrong and Unconstitutional in this country. My rights have become whatever the credit bureau decides and it does nothing but keep me down along with millions of other people. I will fight this problem as long as I am breathing, hopefully more people will do the same and someone with integrity will step forward.
Rule #1 Never talk to a collection agency on the phone. GET IT IN WRITING.
Rule #2 All communications is written. This is proof of what is agreed too. Everything you want must be in writing. Just because they say their will remove something from a credit report does not mean they will unless you have it in writing. Make sure they agree to not use another classification to screw up your credit report. They say they will remove one thing but they will add another. They are tricky that way.
Rule #3 Make sure you understand the law. FDCPA, FCRA, Statute of Limitations for the state the debt created in and don’t forget to check state laws for credit reporting, etc.
Mr. Mike Roberts – The comments pretty much say it all. While Rebecca may be
doing her ‘best’ at writing, she has a lot to learn about ‘common sense’ and the
aging population with regards to “saving” money while most are struggling to survive. Life happens, bad things happen to good people who have limited incomes. Wealth is not only $ in the bank, but counting blessings -health, family, friends, and choosing to be happy. Adding joy to others who are less fortunate,
is the true wealth one takes with them to the end of their life’s journey…
Hi Dorena,
Thanks for reading! Unfortunately, this blog is about how to save money in a practical manner. In following with our blog’s content, this article is about saving money, not counting your blessings. Rebecca, who is an immensely talented writer and an asset to our team, offered pragmatic knowledge on how to do exactly that. If you’re looking for an article on counting your blessings, might I suggest a blog that offers that kind of advice instead? Point #5 was especially helpful for me 🙂
Yes, maddening funny article, funny gorgeous and clueless young blond! I’m beautiful, too. I worked all my life. I’m very bright. My retired nurse friend told me I need an investment counselor or whatever the hell. Ladies, YOU try to juggle exactly $1,188/mo. to pay HUD senior housing, eat organic, keep the car insured, get over the mountain for VA healthcare because Veterans Choice is a damned joke — and . . . save for cremation! Social Security has been the same for two years. I have a dental estimate of $3,800 and brake work of $400 — plus two hand surgeries I may have to get in the troubled civilian world. As for this immature notion of prioritizing, I am proudest of having gradually lost — all on my own — 60 pounds! And that is why I’m wearing too-big, somewhat odd thrift shop put-togethers just now. I syringe-fed baby chipmunks two nights ago and hustled to clean the bear house, put out food for three bear cubs who will be wild and free next spring. I wore 15-year-old New Balance tennis shoes to do this! I do my own manicure — short, for playing the piano, a Steinway. Maybe in 50 years this silly girl will understand about manifesting the Good Life on a shoestring! Right now, her mug shot ruins her credibility.
I signed up with a debt relief agency a year ago as this process was new to me. The company established a savings account for me and negotiated with a company for me to resolve an account through negotiations for an amount considerably lower than the actual debt. They also paid themselves handsomely for the negotiation process which was almost as much as they resolved.
They did not negotiate to my benefit. My credit report was hit costing me 43 points, as the Collection company reported an open amount of $2000.00., although they had a written agreement to settle the initial bill in the amount of $2700.00 for $1000.00. How do I get this off of my credit history?
Stasie i have an old wells fargo secured credit card acct i was paying on it each month than got into sone minor but nevertheless legal trouvle where i was locked up for 6 months i asked my christian lady friend to resolve this with the bank but she didnt so even though the bank had the money in escrow they still liat ir as 60 days past due this was 4 years ago the acct has been closed since 2013 listed as paid but every tine i go fmto apply for credit i get a ding for the past due acct saying its past due what do i do its killing my credit
When I start to rent to own I was marriage now I am not. I am still in the home keeping everything going on time but my income is only 1350 a month and i am working with my credit score it is 550. What can I do I want to keep the home the people that owner the home want help in any way
I have Midland credit And portfolio services.. whatever they are called..and SYNCHRONY is on my credit report.. and I don’t have actual ACCOUNT w them. SYNCHRONY bought GE CAPITAL BANK CARDS, AND THESE ACCOUNTS ARE ALMOST AT 7 YEAR MARK GE AND SYNCHRONY WERE SUED END OF 2016 .. $225 MILLION.. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF ACCOUNTS BEING BOUGHT BY SYNCHRONY, SYNCHRONY HASN’T CONTACTED ME, AND I STOPPED GETTING EMAILS IN 2013. WELL DURING SAME TIME FRAME I BECAME ILL, AND IT EFFECTED MY BRAIN AND MEMORY. SO I WOULDN’T HAVE KNOWN IF I DIDN’T PULL CREDIT REPORTS. ALSO HSBC SOLD OUT TO CAPITOL ONE.. AGAIN RECEIVED NOTHING AS FAR AS NOTIFICATION.. MY HUSBAND’S ACCOUNTS A FEW OF THEM ARE ON MY CREDIT REPORTS. THEY ALSO HAVE ORIGINAL DATE OPENED AS IF THEY WERE JUST OPENED
ANY ADVICE? I HEARD MIDLAND AND PORTFOLIO ARE BRUTAL AND HAVE BEEN SUED.. SO IM ANXIOUS. DOESN’T CBR HAVE TO INFORM YOU IF TERMS OF CREDIT AGREEMENT CHANGES, AND THERE WSS MULTIPLE INACCURACIES ON MY EXPERIAN. AND THE CREDIT BUREAUS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THE REPORTED INFO IS ACCURATE.. AND THEY CLEARLY DIDN’T.. I REQUESTED DEBT VALIDATION, AND THEY DIDN’T..
If you requested debt validation and they didn’t, it should be removed from your credit report
I agree, but in my case my score does not matter, I am retired, my income is soc sec only and at 900 a month, I don’t gualify for any type of credit…the average senior is like me…my credit was good until I could not work any more, 2 hip replacements.
USE YOU HEAD WHEN YOU PIGGY BACK!
I would NEVER do anything illegal to help my credit score or another’s. I have piggy backed my wife (added as an authorized user) on one of my credit cards boosting her credit score overnight by more than 200 points. Her credit was not bad she just didn’t have any established credit while I had better than great credit and have had it for a while.
Here is why you should use your head when you add an authorized user. Let’s take a teen you want to see get a good start but that teen has been making bad decisions. OK, so you decide to add the teen as an authorized user but cover yourself by keeping the card assigned for his use in your possession. Great this covers you from loses but might still come back to haunt you IF another company issues the teen credit based on the improved credit score he developed from being a user on your account.
We have an ethical and moral responsibility to lenders who allow us to add users to our accounts. It is to add only those people we believe will not take advantage of a lenders generosity by scamming another lender via their enhanced credit score.
I have no idea if this scenario has gone to trial in any court but it sure seems to be a reasonable claim a lender could make if they are able to satisfy court rules and establish the card holder as a participant in lending fraud. USE YOUR HEAD BEFORE YOU ADD ANY USER.
What I would do if I had to do it all over again with the knowledge I have now. I would have bought the ebook credit secrets and used the letter to stop all the 30 collection agencies that hounded my phone at work and home. Very embarrasing with them call my work and my personnel headquarters to track me down. I would have joined Lexington Law and Credit Repair dot com a lot sooner. I waited over 6 years to do anything. The collection letters stop the calls. But a lot of calls ended because in my state, they can’t sue you after 5 years so you are hard to collect from. Then the closer to the 7 year mark, the stuff starts falling off your credit reports anyways. I learned the hard way. I will never screw up my credit again. I do remember having a score as low as 434! Now I am up to a 732 depending on what fico score rating I am using. Have 3 high limit cards and most of my loan debt paid. Going to buy a property next year using VA loan. But I will have zero debt when I do it. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Get educated and take action and don’t listen to negative fools about Lexington.
All the insurance companies in America are very greedy!! We have already paid them in advance to protect us when we have an accident. Instead, if there is any kind of accident, big or small, we pay them more whether it is our fault or not. What other business in America can get away with that? Reason behind all this is pure and simple , the fault of Congress and lobbyist! Insurance companies pay representatives and senators big money to lobby for them in Congress. With big contributions coming into their pockets from insurance companies, what politician is going to vote for changes!!! It is high time we stopped all this. Congress should represent the people, not the insurance companies!!!
This is the same dilemma people face today with the Department of Education’s monitoring of student loans. It’s time for serious reform. Notwithstanding that, the three major credit bureaus appear to have removed most, if not all, negative information relating to these unpaid loans, at their discretion. Perhaps that’s their way of tacitly disapproving of the undue burden placed upon these victims. Another reason to periodically check one’s credit reports with all three bureaus.
Your site has improved my credit, thanks! Which score is more important, FICO or Vantage?
FICO is used more widely (much more so) by creditors. So, while the Vantage Score (typically found on the free credit report sites like credit karma) is a good gage, it is not the score used for those looking to grant credit.
What should I do if I never receive notice from my old bank but a new company has already started sending me statements and requesting information?
There are two distinct problems with tier 2 providers. The first is roaming. As an example, Sprint and Verizon both work on CDMA technology and have roaming agreements (meaning you can use Sprint towers as a Verizon customer and vice versa). Further, many (if not all) of the phones are now cross compatible with the GSM networks and can therefore be used in many foreign countries (call your provider for info). Tier 2, however, is usually tied to ONE network (ex: Boost and Virgin are Sprint network only).
The other issue is internet. If you use a lot of bandwidth, it will be slower on the prepaid (think of this as premium service vs regular). The idea, of course, is to keep the big guys in business (seriously, tier 2’s own no towers! If tier 1 providers go under, there’s no service for tier 2’s to buy!).
Having said that, if your credit is not good, you just don’t NEED the speed, or you rarely travel, tier 2’s can be a good option.
How do I defend myself against a debt buyer got info about a charge off from an old bank account? I was going to work for a major company they run background check. Mine showed the bank charge off THEFT BY CHECK. PENDING
The profession. I’m in. This was a death knell. O was already moving to another state when this info stops everything. The bank kept allowing an online crook keep grabbing money from my account after disputing this. Trying to cancel this never ending purchase now what can I do? I have started the dispute process but I don’t feel good about my chances. I got robbed plus no credit check was supposed to happen. Please help
Baffles me why anyone would pay $200 a month for a phone bill. Straight Talk costs me $45 a month. Works with any phone you want, even iPhone. ( iPhone 6 is $199 at Walmart right now) same EXACT service as a contract phone. No brainer.
Amen
who can I go to for a named non-owner insurance policy as I do not own a vehicle presently. But am in process of getting CAlif. drivers license. And may need to drive someone elses car at some point.
I received a letter from a collection agency telling me that I owe a debt from a credit card that I never had. I never received statements from this credit card, nor did I ever receive phone calls from the company to try to retrieve the debt. When I called them to explain this to them, they said they would investigate it. A week later I got a letter in the mail stating that the debt was mine. Now what do I do? I refuse to pay someone else’s bill!
Request a copy of :
1)all statements that and 2)your signatures as they appear on each purchase alleged and
3) validation documentation of your alleged card activation.
#StayBlessed
I went to my credit union to get a credit card and when they ran my credit they denied my because they said my debt to income ratio was 5% higher than it should be to get a card. Sooo, they said they would see if i could get a $500.00 secured loan that i was approved for. Thing is, when it was approved and did it i did not know they ran my credit AGAIN and i didn’t know they did until i looked at my report. Questoin 1- Why would they run it 5 minutes after they just looked at it and Questions 2-HOW DO I GET RID OF (if i can?) 1 OF THE INQUIRES THAT HAS THE SAME DATE??? PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN… THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. ..
Legitimate debts stay on the report, UNLESS a professional knows specific ways to lawfully remove them. As a credit and collections manager for more than 25 years, I often wondered why anyone pays any collection account, except to possibly buy a home or automobile. Paid collections will not increase your score by even one point because there is no benefit of available credit to lighten the debt-to- credit ratio. So, if it’s going to stay on your report anyway, DON’T PAY! Live with your mistake, and keep your money in your pocket, where it belongs. Your family will need it!
tMister K that doesnt make sense to not pay. They can take you to court, sue you, garnish your wages, and more. How do you simply not pay? Legally? also, I am aware that paying it does not increase credit score, but on the other hand, not paying it keeps it around forever. If you are truly a professional in this area I would really like to know how to avoid paying an almost $19,000 debt without getting sued, or other legal action…thanks!
I am being solicited by several companies that tell me they can eliminate all the negative items (past late payments) and can guarantee that they will have my dismissed bankruptcies removed even though they are less then 5 years old. Is this possible. They $1500 to accomplish this. I am a bit skeptical to say the least. Is what they are saying possible?
Stasie: i acquired a Visa Rewards
Card (secured) from my bank and every month I charged on it .
I paid it off in full each month for
3yrs, and my bank unsecured my
card and said they would increase my credit line. A