Thank you creditboards!, accomplished a lot, thanks to all for the help! Options

[p$ycho]

I'm writing this to both document my sucesses in credit repair & rebuilding, in addition to a thanks to everyone here on CB who has has helped in my situation.

I started my original credit repair process sometime in early 2005, after only being able to be approved for a car loan at 21% through a buy here-pay here place. I think my score was around 500 (maybe less) but I didn't bother to check. Furthermore, the knowledge that my credit wasn't going to be good enough for a mortgage was a huge incentive for myself to start repairing my situation.

I stumbled around at first, paying off a few CA's, starting where I left off in paying old debts. I disputed a few random tradelines, essentially blindly trying to deal with my situation without really knowing how to accomplish that. Luckly a few TLs fell off, and I was able to get one TL to report correctly -- still very negative, but at least it was corrected to be less negative than it reported as.

I finally found CB a month or two after starting my original mission. Many late nights were spent reading and going through thread after thread. I was able to add Orchard and Total cards to my First Premier, my first credit cards in several years. The majority of my bad debts were all judgements at this point. Unfortunately the majority of the knowledge I gained about how to deal with CAs went unused. Through everything, the majority of my CA TLs fell off, and a paid PR here and there.

I hit one major snag after being here for several months. I was a little to aggressive with trying to negotiate PFDs with a couple of the CAs that had judgements against me. I made payment arrangments I wasn't able to keep, and a couple garnishments caused everything to fall behind. I also had an ex- default on our mobile home loan, adding that to the plate as a deliquent item. I was able to salvage Orchard, the FP and Total cards had 2x30's and 1x60 day lates reported. Eventually I was able to straighten everything out, fix an employment situation that bit me in the midst of it all. I was lucky, the Total card was shut down and they deleted the TL. The Orchard card never was 30 days late, thus keeping it as a perfect TL. The FP lates stuck, a lasting reminder to tread carefully.

After dealing with the judgments earlier this year, I pulled my annual CRs and FICOs, disappointed at what happened but determined to fix everything. I negotiated with the CA for the mobile home OC for a settlement that released myself only from the loan, for only 12% of the balance. I was able to get the last of the CA's and PR's off my reports. Probably 15 baddies were removed from each of my reports since early last year. The mobile home TL was deleted from all three, and this left just a handful of baddies left, which remain to this day.

With the raise in my TU FICOs to near-650 range I decided to go for a somewhat selective app spree. I was approved for 6 new TLs, and was able to settle my last judgment (not reporting) for several hundred off through a loan. It is high interest (from American General) but I have the option of paying via BT for 0% now. My CLs are higher than they have ever been, even before getting myself in this mess.

While I still have a few baddies left, they are paid and old enough to not cause me a major problem anymore. I have accomplished what I set out to do and things will only get better. For now the age on my TLs are what will cause difficulty for more approvals. In 6-9 months I should be in great shape and have established multiple relationships with worthwhile financial institutions which will lead to higher CLs.

Regardless of where you are in fixing your credit, just remember you will get there. I once thought I was in a hopeless situation with very low scores and (relative to my income) tons of debt. My stack of paperwork related to old unpaid debt was staggering. I worked through all of it and managed to pay everything off and reestablish my credit at the same time. It can be done, thanks to Creditboards!

[Googie]

[dd50]

That's great! Thanks for sharing.

[stefer1215]

Congrats and thanks for sharing your story. I love to read these threads, because it proves to the rest of us that it can be done. GOOD JOB!

[ittech]

P$ycho - What a great story. Congratulations and good luck in all your future endeavors.

[p$ycho]

Thanks!

[Colbiz]

Thank you for sharing! I'm where you were when you started and it does get very frustrating and I loose patience already. Posts like yours give me hope. No matter how many countless hours I spend on here, everyday I find a new strategy or something new I was not aware of. This place is great! Big Congrats to you!

[pfluffy]

Great success !!

[MarvBear]

congrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrats

[mamiof3]

I'm writing this to both document my sucesses in credit repair & rebuilding, in addition to a thanks to everyone here on CB who has has helped in my situation.

I started my original credit repair process sometime in early 2005, after only being able to be approved for a car loan at 21% through a buy here-pay here place. I think my score was around 500 (maybe less) but I didn't bother to check. Furthermore, the knowledge that my credit wasn't going to be good enough for a mortgage was a huge incentive for myself to start repairing my situation.

I stumbled around at first, paying off a few CA's, starting where I left off in paying old debts. I disputed a few random tradelines, essentially blindly trying to deal with my situation without really knowing how to accomplish that. Luckly a few TLs fell off, and I was able to get one TL to report correctly -- still very negative, but at least it was corrected to be less negative than it reported as.

I finally found CB a month or two after starting my original mission. Many late nights were spent reading and going through thread after thread. I was able to add Orchard and Total cards to my First Premier, my first credit cards in several years. The majority of my bad debts were all judgements at this point. Unfortunately the majority of the knowledge I gained about how to deal with CAs went unused. Through everything, the majority of my CA TLs fell off, and a paid PR here and there.

I hit one major snag after being here for several months. I was a little to aggressive with trying to negotiate PFDs with a couple of the CAs that had judgements against me. I made payment arrangments I wasn't able to keep, and a couple garnishments caused everything to fall behind. I also had an ex- default on our mobile home loan, adding that to the plate as a deliquent item. I was able to salvage Orchard, the FP and Total cards had 2x30's and 1x60 day lates reported. Eventually I was able to straighten everything out, fix an employment situation that bit me in the midst of it all. I was lucky, the Total card was shut down and they deleted the TL. The Orchard card never was 30 days late, thus keeping it as a perfect TL. The FP lates stuck, a lasting reminder to tread carefully.

After dealing with the judgments earlier this year, I pulled my annual CRs and FICOs, disappointed at what happened but determined to fix everything. I negotiated with the CA for the mobile home OC for a settlement that released myself only from the loan, for only 12% of the balance. I was able to get the last of the CA's and PR's off my reports. Probably 15 baddies were removed from each of my reports since early last year. The mobile home TL was deleted from all three, and this left just a handful of baddies left, which remain to this day.

With the raise in my TU FICOs to near-650 range I decided to go for a somewhat selective app spree. I was approved for 6 new TLs, and was able to settle my last judgment (not reporting) for several hundred off through a loan. It is high interest (from American General) but I have the option of paying via BT for 0% now. My CLs are higher than they have ever been, even before getting myself in this mess.

While I still have a few baddies left, they are paid and old enough to not cause me a major problem anymore. I have accomplished what I set out to do and things will only get better. For now the age on my TLs are what will cause difficulty for more approvals. In 6-9 months I should be in great shape and have established multiple relationships with worthwhile financial institutions which will lead to higher CLs.

Regardless of where you are in fixing your credit, just remember you will get there. I once thought I was in a hopeless situation with very low scores and (relative to my income) tons of debt. My stack of paperwork related to old unpaid debt was staggering. I worked through all of it and managed to pay everything off and reestablish my credit at the same time. It can be done, thanks to Creditboards!

Congrats...I know the feeling, it can be done!

[pandora174]

Thank you for your story. I am starting my long road. I pulled my CR & the horror. So I'm talking one account in collections at a time. I'm tired of changing my number & cringing at every voicemail. I was recently sued by Capital One & that was my wake up call after years of stupid decisions. Today I made a big step, called the Cap One attorney & agreed to a payment plan. In 3 months that account will be paid off ! Today I received a collection letter from Target offering 50 % to settle my debt. I did NOT throw it away. I put in my new folder. When I pay off Capital One I will pay the Target account. I think Wal-Mart is next because the attorney's office / collection atty told me they have that account but they can make payment arrangements when I am ready. So after Target I will tackle that next. I'm not going to be perfect. I hope some fall off my CR, I checked & some are supposed to fall off in 2011, 2012 & 2013. But your story makes me feel so much better. These last 2 years of feeling like I destroyed my family's financial future led me to a deep depression that I still take medication to stop the anxiety attacks. I feel like I'm not the only one who made some bad choices & there is a light at the end of the tunnel !