Repairing Our Credit

[danelleo]

My husband and I have horrible credit. We did a lot of things when we were younger that were stupid. We have realized that and since the beginning of the year we have become debt free. Jan. 1st we were $13700 in debt and now we are FREE of that. We still have our truck payment and student loan, but those two will soon be gone too!

We pulled our credit reports at the end of January and they didn't look too hot. We are going to pull our reports tonight to see where we sit and to see if the new collection we got is on my dh report. Wish us luck! I hope to see a little bit of an improvement hopefully.

[Trish]

Well you are definitely headed in the right direction! Congrats on being almost debt free. That's very hard to do for some people.

Once you get your reports, if you want, you can post how they are being reported (just be sure to leave personal info out) and then we can take a look at them to see if they are reporting correctly and help you form a game plan. :D

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

[danelleo]

What info should I post here? I'm sorry for the questions, I'm new to all of this!

[Trish]

It's ok. :D I understand.

You can cut and paste if you have your CR available online....
Or if not, just type in the negative acct as you see it on your CR.

Here's an example of a derog TL as it appears on my triple report:


EXPERIAN

Account Name: xxxxxxxx
Account Number: xxxxxxxxxxxx
Acct Type: Collection Department / Agency / Attorney
Acct Status: Closed
Monthly Payment:
Date Open: 4/1/2003
Balance: $66.00
Terms: Unknown
High Balance:
Limit:
Past Due: $66.00
Payment Status: Seriously past due date / assigned to attorney, collection agency, or credit grantor's internal collection department
Comments: Account in dispute-reported by subscriber

I edited out the CA name and acct #. If you do not wish to disclose the CA, that's fine. Do not list any personal info (like acct numbers - even if they are truncated). CAs do lurk through these boards. You do not want them identifying you.
Also if it's reporting on more than just one CR and it's reporting differently, you can post those as well. That way we can take a look and make sure it's being reported correctly and figure out how you should try disputing it.

Does that help answer your question?

[danelleo]

Thanks Trish!

Here are my list of inquiries. I am disputing most of them because I don't know who they are:
March 06, 2009 Wheelcity
March 03, 2009 Credco
March 03, 2009 Chase
January 20, 2009 Krollfd
September 23, 2008 Cap One
July 29, 2008 Cb Marshal
April 09, 2008 First Usa
March 25, 2008 Rvrcolrec <--- this is a collection agency that had an account of ours but why would they need to know our credit score?

[danelleo]

Here is an account we paid off before I found out about all these PFD PIF blah blah blah. Is there a way we can bargain with them to get it deleted?

Status as of [?] Feb, 2009
Date opened [?] Aug, 2006
Date of last activity [?] Nov, 2006
Date closed [?] Not Reported
Account number [?] XXXXX
Loan type [?] Not Reported
Largest past balance [?] $4,053
Terms [?] Not Reported
Account Type [?] Installment
Account holder [?] Joint
Scheduled payment amount [?] $128

Descriptions [?]
Charged off account
No contact information provided

[danelleo]

Another one we paid off and would like off our report. Is it even possible?

Status as of [?] Jul, 2007
Date opened [?] Mar, 2006
Date of last activity [?] Jun, 2007
Date closed [?] Not Reported
Account number [?] Not Reported
Loan type [?] Not Reported
Credit limit [?] $1,663
Largest past balance [?] Not Reported
Terms [?] Not Reported
Account Type [?] Revolving
Account holder [?] Joint
Scheduled payment amount [?] $96

Descriptions [?]
Charged off account

Also, here is a collections company. I sent them the $10, but again it was before we got this site info, and the OC sent me my check back stating the account was paid in full and I foolishly cashed the check and threw away the paper trail. Do I try paying them again or do I leave it alone?
Collection agency [?] 613yc00000
Original balance [?] $117
Current balance [?] $10
Status [?] Unpaid
Date assigned [?] Aug 01, 2006
Date reported [?] Nov 01, 2007
Date last active [?] Dec 01, 2005
Date paid [?] Not Reported
Date closed [?] Not Reported
Original lender [?] Not Reported
Account number [?] XXXXXXX
Type of account [?] Not Reported
Account holder [?] Individual
Type of credit [?] Not Reported
Payment status [?] Not Reported
Largest past balance [?] Not Reported
Amount past due [?] Not Reported
Account descriptions [?] Not Reported

[Trish]

Originally Posted by danelleo

Thanks Trish!

Here are my list of inquiries. I am disputing most of them because I don't know who they are:
March 06, 2009 Wheelcity - Did you finance tires?
March 03, 2009 Credco - this is for a home mortgage - have you applied lately?
March 03, 2009 Chase - apply or have an acct with them?
January 20, 2009 Krollfd - ?? I googled this and it is Kroll Fraud dept - any ideas?
September 23, 2008 Cap One - apply or have an acct with them?
July 29, 2008 Cb Marshal - have no idea
April 09, 2008 First Usa - apply or have an acct with them?
March 25, 2008 Rvrcolrec <--- this is a collection agency that had an account of ours but why would they need to know our credit score?

On the very last CA, if they have an acct.......they have every right (unfortunately) to pull your reports. They don't see scores......but they will see where you currently reside, phone numbers, employment history.......how your report looks so that they can see how well you are doing (you may possibly be able to pay the debt) CAs will monitor your reports periodically. They do this to keep track of you and get info on you.

On the others - notated in red.....if you did have an acct or apply with them, then they have permissible purpose as well. You will have a tough time getting those off of there.

You can dispute inquiries......but IMHO, it's just not worth the time and effort. Inquiries really only impact your score in the first year they are on your report.......and then after 2 years, they drop off. I wouldn't worry too much about them unless you see a company that pulled your report and truly did not have the authority to do so.

[Trish]

Originally Posted by danelleo

Here is an account we paid off before I found out about all these PFD PIF blah blah blah. Is there a way we can bargain with them to get it deleted?

Status as of [?] Feb, 2009
Date opened [?] Aug, 2006
Date of last activity [?] Nov, 2006
Date closed [?] Not Reported
Account number [?] XXXXX
Loan type [?] Not Reported
Largest past balance [?] $4,053
Terms [?] Not Reported
Account Type [?] Installment
Account holder [?] Joint
Scheduled payment amount [?] $128

Descriptions [?]
Charged off account
No contact information provided

Was this an OC? (original creditor - not a CA)

[Trish]

Originally Posted by danelleo

Another one we paid off and would like off our report. Is it even possible?

Status as of [?] Jul, 2007
Date opened [?] Mar, 2006
Date of last activity [?] Jun, 2007
Date closed [?] Not Reported
Account number [?] Not Reported
Loan type [?] Not Reported
Credit limit [?] $1,663
Largest past balance [?] Not Reported
Terms [?] Not Reported
Account Type [?] Revolving
Account holder [?] Joint
Scheduled payment amount [?] $96

Descriptions [?]
Charged off account
This one should be reported as paid.....Are the dates correct?
If so, then what you should do is dispute it with the CRAs (via US mail CMRR) stating that there are multiple inaccuracies in the way it is reporting and to please investigate this. By doing that, you are not just getting them to report it as paid, you are hopefully getting it removed.

If that doesn't work, then you may have to go directly to the reporting party......but try disputing it first and see what happens.

Also, here is a collections company. I sent them the $10, but again it was before we got this site info, and the OC sent me my check back stating the account was paid in full and I foolishly cashed the check and threw away the paper trail. Do I try paying them again or do I leave it alone?
Collection agency [?] 613yc00000
Original balance [?] $117
Current balance [?] $10
Status [?] Unpaid
Date assigned [?] Aug 01, 2006
Date reported [?] Nov 01, 2007
Date last active [?] Dec 01, 2005
Date paid [?] Not Reported
Date closed [?] Not Reported
Original lender [?] Not Reported
Account number [?] XXXXXXX
Type of account [?] Not Reported
Account holder [?] Individual
Type of credit [?] Not Reported
Payment status [?] Not Reported
Largest past balance [?] Not Reported
Amount past due [?] Not Reported
Account descriptions [?] Not Reported

I would try a 1 2 punch on these guys. Dispute it with the CRAs as "no knowledge or records of this acct" (don't say "not mine" or you chance getting a fraud report on your CRs)

See above in red. :D