27 replies to this topic

[HelloKitty]

I can't remember how I found credit boards or even why I was looking for it. I had my head in the sand for so long that I can't imagine what made me break out of my blissful avoidance. I had spent years figuring I would take care of my credit reports "later." And "later" became the day I found this board. At first I read, and read and read. The courage to pull my fico scores came one month later: Here were my starting ficos and # of collections-

10/30/04 I was always too embarrased to post these here.
Transunion 534 (19)
Equifax 497 (15)
Experian 502 (13)

Those negatives don't include my student loan mess. I started to rehab some of my loans right after I joined this board. I finished my rehab in September. Now I didn't owe a lot of money on those collection accounts, almost all of that was from utility bills and stupid little stuff because I moved so often. I dealt with the nastiest of the nasty CA's (I still have one I haven't bothered with yet and want to make certain I'm out of SOL on before I work on that one. It will be ugly because the JDB is the ugliest of them all)

I decided to actually *do* something the day I realized that all the reading here had finally sunk in. Here is what happened: I had gotten a letter in the mail from a notorious JDB pretending to be a lawfirm. Normally this would have freaked me out, but after one month of hanging around here I felt EXCITED. I knew the letter the had sent me and the "law firm" stationary was a joke and immediately DV'd them. That was how I started and didn't stop until most every thing was removed. I still have a some negatives on my reports, lates that won't come off etc.

Today I pulled my FICO to find that CA's from my SL's were removed.

11/9/05
Transunion 648 (2) +114
Equifax 629 (4)+133
Experian 669(2)+171

I don't have many credit cards: FNBMarin, Target, Walmart, Macy's, and secured Wells Fargo.

Here is my advice after one year of this-
1. read and learn the Federal Laws: FCRA, FDCPA, FACTA
2. read and learn your state laws (if you have them)
3. read the newbie section, read it again. read this board and ask questions if you need help.
4. NEVER, and I mean NEVER use the phone or talk to a CA on the phone
5. Start from the beginning, don't try and jump ahead. Your paper trail is very important. It will take a while, but in the long run you will have better leverage.
6. Be patient. You didn't get here over night, you won't get out over night either. But, you will get out, you will.

I haven't been posting much in the last 6 months due to excessive work, but I still read everyday. I'm not done yet, but after a little over the year I think I have been successful and I owe it all to credit boards. Thanks to everyone who has giving me advice- Sassy, Pryan, Whychat and every great post I every read that helped me move forward and FIGHT THE FICO POWERS!

[Limitation Lady]

That's so great! Definitely an inspiration, so thank you for sharing!
By the way, my 5month old daughter's nursery is Hello Kitty!

[urbanflower]

WOW!!! Great story...keep up the good work

[snowboardprincess]

LOL I love your little kitty signature - LOL...

[evieroxc]

Congrats!!!
That was very inspiring....great advice!

[tomurphjr]

Thanks for the thread Kitty......keeps me motivated.

[aescutie]

I noticed I hadn't seen that little kitty around lately...

Congrats on all your success....and I definitely agree about being patient... that was definitely a learning process for me!!!!

thanks for posting your success story, now go up to the success stories sub forum, if you haven't already...and post it there too.......

[breeze]

Congrats on your success! Moving this to success stories, you can update from there.

[Sultan]

I can't remember how I found credit boards or even why I was looking for it. I had my head in the sand for so long that I can't imagine what made me break out of my blissful avoidance. I had spent years figuring I would take care of my credit reports "later." And "later" became the day I found this board. At first I read, and read and read. The courage to pull my fico scores came one month later: Here were my starting ficos and # of collections-

10/30/04 I was always too embarrased to post these here.
Transunion 534 (19)
Equifax 497 (15)
Experian 502 (13)

Those negatives don't include my student loan mess. I started to rehab some of my loans right after I joined this board. I finished my rehab in September. Now I didn't owe a lot of money on those collection accounts, almost all of that was from utility bills and stupid little stuff because I moved so often. I dealt with the nastiest of the nasty CA's (I still have one I haven't bothered with yet and want to make certain I'm out of SOL on before I work on that one. It will be ugly because the JDB is the ugliest of them all)

I decided to actually *do* something the day I realized that all the reading here had finally sunk in. Here is what happened: I had gotten a letter in the mail from a notorious JDB pretending to be a lawfirm. Normally this would have freaked me out, but after one month of hanging around here I felt EXCITED. I knew the letter the had sent me and the "law firm" stationary was a joke and immediately DV'd them. That was how I started and didn't stop until most every thing was removed. I still have a some negatives on my reports, lates that won't come off etc.

Today I pulled my FICO to find that CA's from my SL's were removed.

11/9/05
Transunion 648 (2) +114
Equifax 629 (4)+133
Experian 669(2)+171

I don't have many credit cards: FNBMarin, Target, Walmart, Macy's, and secured Wells Fargo.

Here is my advice after one year of this-
1. read and learn the Federal Laws: FCRA, FDCPA, FACTA
2. read and learn your state laws (if you have them)
3. read the newbie section, read it again. read this board and ask questions if you need help.
4. NEVER, and I mean NEVER use the phone or talk to a CA on the phone
5. Start from the beginning, don't try and jump ahead. Your paper trail is very important. It will take a while, but in the long run you will have better leverage.
6. Be patient. You didn't get here over night, you won't get out over night either. But, you will get out, you will.

I haven't been posting much in the last 6 months due to excessive work, but I still read everyday. I'm not done yet, but after a little over the year I think I have been successful and I owe it all to credit boards. Thanks to everyone who has giving me advice- Sassy, Pryan, Whychat and every great post I every read that helped me move forward and FIGHT THE FICO POWERS!

HelloKitty, IMO, you certainly know you're stuff, you are sharp and solid, so great of you to share you're success. Congrats.

[mamiof3]

I can't remember how I found credit boards or even why I was looking for it. I had my head in the sand for so long that I can't imagine what made me break out of my blissful avoidance. I had spent years figuring I would take care of my credit reports "later." And "later" became the day I found this board. At first I read, and read and read. The courage to pull my fico scores came one month later: Here were my starting ficos and # of collections-

10/30/04 I was always too embarrased to post these here.
Transunion 534 (19)
Equifax 497 (15)
Experian 502 (13)

Those negatives don't include my student loan mess. I started to rehab some of my loans right after I joined this board. I finished my rehab in September. Now I didn't owe a lot of money on those collection accounts, almost all of that was from utility bills and stupid little stuff because I moved so often. I dealt with the nastiest of the nasty CA's (I still have one I haven't bothered with yet and want to make certain I'm out of SOL on before I work on that one. It will be ugly because the JDB is the ugliest of them all)

I decided to actually *do* something the day I realized that all the reading here had finally sunk in. Here is what happened: I had gotten a letter in the mail from a notorious JDB pretending to be a lawfirm. Normally this would have freaked me out, but after one month of hanging around here I felt EXCITED. I knew the letter the had sent me and the "law firm" stationary was a joke and immediately DV'd them. That was how I started and didn't stop until most every thing was removed. I still have a some negatives on my reports, lates that won't come off etc.

Today I pulled my FICO to find that CA's from my SL's were removed.

11/9/05
Transunion 648 (2) +114
Equifax 629 (4)+133
Experian 669(2)+171

I don't have many credit cards: FNBMarin, Target, Walmart, Macy's, and secured Wells Fargo.

Here is my advice after one year of this-
1. read and learn the Federal Laws: FCRA, FDCPA, FACTA
2. read and learn your state laws (if you have them)
3. read the newbie section, read it again. read this board and ask questions if you need help.
4. NEVER, and I mean NEVER use the phone or talk to a CA on the phone
5. Start from the beginning, don't try and jump ahead. Your paper trail is very important. It will take a while, but in the long run you will have better leverage.
6. Be patient. You didn't get here over night, you won't get out over night either. But, you will get out, you will.

I haven't been posting much in the last 6 months due to excessive work, but I still read everyday. I'm not done yet, but after a little over the year I think I have been successful and I owe it all to credit boards. Thanks to everyone who has giving me advice- Sassy, Pryan, Whychat and every great post I every read that helped me move forward and FIGHT THE FICO POWERS!

HelloKitty, IMO, you certainly know you're stuff, you are sharp and solid, so great of you to share you're success. Congrats.

[wally]

I have been lurking for some time and stories like these are what has inspired me to take action.

thankx
and
congrats to you Kitty
;-)

[wingwalker]

Congratulations to you, Kitty! I am so pleased to see this update from you!



(and thank you for telling me about CB. I am more grateful than I can even say.)

[jzajzz]

I can't remember how I found credit boards or even why I was looking for it. I had my head in the sand for so long that I can't imagine what made me break out of my blissful avoidance. I had spent years figuring I would take care of my credit reports "later." And "later" became the day I found this board. At first I read, and read and read. The courage to pull my fico scores came one month later: Here were my starting ficos and # of collections-

10/30/04 I was always too embarrased to post these here.
Transunion 534 (19)
Equifax 497 (15)
Experian 502 (13)

Those negatives don't include my student loan mess. I started to rehab some of my loans right after I joined this board. I finished my rehab in September. Now I didn't owe a lot of money on those collection accounts, almost all of that was from utility bills and stupid little stuff because I moved so often. I dealt with the nastiest of the nasty CA's (I still have one I haven't bothered with yet and want to make certain I'm out of SOL on before I work on that one. It will be ugly because the JDB is the ugliest of them all)

I decided to actually *do* something the day I realized that all the reading here had finally sunk in. Here is what happened: I had gotten a letter in the mail from a notorious JDB pretending to be a lawfirm. Normally this would have freaked me out, but after one month of hanging around here I felt EXCITED. I knew the letter the had sent me and the "law firm" stationary was a joke and immediately DV'd them. That was how I started and didn't stop until most every thing was removed. I still have a some negatives on my reports, lates that won't come off etc.

Today I pulled my FICO to find that CA's from my SL's were removed.

11/9/05
Transunion 648 (2) +114
Equifax 629 (4)+133
Experian 669(2)+171

I don't have many credit cards: FNBMarin, Target, Walmart, Macy's, and secured Wells Fargo.

Here is my advice after one year of this-
1. read and learn the Federal Laws: FCRA, FDCPA, FACTA
2. read and learn your state laws (if you have them)
3. read the newbie section, read it again. read this board and ask questions if you need help.
4. NEVER, and I mean NEVER use the phone or talk to a CA on the phone
5. Start from the beginning, don't try and jump ahead. Your paper trail is very important. It will take a while, but in the long run you will have better leverage.
6. Be patient. You didn't get here over night, you won't get out over night either. But, you will get out, you will.

I haven't been posting much in the last 6 months due to excessive work, but I still read everyday. I'm not done yet, but after a little over the year I think I have been successful and I owe it all to credit boards. Thanks to everyone who has giving me advice- Sassy, Pryan, Whychat and every great post I every read that helped me move forward and FIGHT THE FICO POWERS!

why not talk to a CA on the phone??

[fred333]

Thanks for the update Kitty.

[Jazzy Bmw]

GO Kitty

[removeIT]

Congrats! Very Inspirational! Shows that it can be done! I just need patience and inspiration to improve! Thanks for sharing.

[ryan07]

Well thanx for the updates kitty nice post ..

[Emperess]

You and many others here are an inspiration to keep working toward the 'elite' status in terms of credit. Keep up the good work!

[vnewton]

Very inspirational thanks for posting that... I'll soon be joining the ranks of the elite.

[klaching]

This is so great to read. I've been a member for years, but just now have decided to get my head out and start repairing my credit properly. Can't wait to see the results you have.

[movinonup2850]

AWESOME!!!!!

[CleanFreak]

Wow!! i read your story and Im amazed and being a buisness owner I had no idea about doing any of this and Im on the right path I think ..
Thanks for posting your story.

[biznerdjm]

Congrats on your success! Keep us updated.