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Back in 2010 I applied for USAA AMEX Cash rewards card and sadly wasn't approved for that but they did offer me a USAA Classic Credit the with a limit of $1500. Fast forward 1 year and I call in for a Credit Limit increase and was told that THIS particular card was not available to receive a CLI and would NEVER be given a CLI. I then applied for the AMEX Cash Rewards card again and thankfully I was approved this time. I just sock drawered the Visa only using it every 6 months for gas. Last week they sent my replacement cards for the VISA and I seriously was considering canceling it. Haven't even activated the cards yet when I got a letter from USAA yesterday. In NUT SHELL they said, CONGRATS, based on your excellent payment history USAA is pleased to upgrade your card ending in XXXX to the following features: No annual fee (didn't have one to begin with) USAA Cash Rewards program (That was new) Low variable Annual Percentage Rate of 12.900% (I like it, I like it a lot) Ability to make Cash Advances and Balance Transfers with your account (That's new) You have a USAA checking account, you can use your card for overdraft protection (new) We've increased your credit limit from $1,500.00 to $14,000 (Holy Cow, I'm speehless) Your account number is the same, This upgrade doesn't require that you activate a new card, so go ahead, take advantage of these great features and your new credit limit today! So, that was all out of the blue and totally unexpected. I NEVER thought they would upgrade this card because as you know when you get a secured credit card wtih them it will NEVER be upgraded. Wife has had one for 4 years and her scores are higher than mine and I just made the 800 club last week and they've NEVER upgraded her card. Of course we KNEW this when she got the secured card. I just figured they would not upgrade this one. for those of you out there that apply for a product and they offer yo a lessor one, "TAKE IT".

I have a charge off from HSBC that was listed on my report on 12/1/2004. IT has apparently been in collection for about 8 years, without ever being paid. In light of trying to get a mortgage, I have been trying to get this paid for the past 18 months!!!! I keep getting the run around from HSBC and Capital one and they can never find the account listed anywhere. Back in February, I did finally get someone to find it, made the full payment for the account in the amount of 580.00 and sent it to the address specified. Here I am 7 months later, they have never cashed the check, and they can not find the account. I am diligent in calling every month trying to figure out how to get this resolved and removed (or marked as paid) so that I can get this mortgage! Can someone please give me some advice as to what I can possibly do here. I am at my wits end!!! Oh, and they also marked my account as FP on all three bureaus in February, for the first time since 2005 as well. It dropped my score 60 points! Help!!

Hey Everyone, Been away for a bit - but I am back, hope you all are well . Just wanted to share my recent CU app-o-rama results, especially for those with BK histories. I am a little over a year out, and I am having good results - Got Discharged in 7/2012. Also to share some insight into a few of the popular CU's and trends that we hear about. Before 1 year Mark: Nfcu Nrewards Secured: 1K - 7/2012: This was AUTOMATICALLY unsecured unbeknownst to me at the 12 month mark. I know we have all heard stories that they do, and then we have heard that they DONT. Well, they did for me. It was when I called to find out who I could speak to about starting the process, the rep was like "sir, your card was unsecured 2 weeks ago and we have deposited your Funds back into your savings. Needless to say I was shocked Apple FCU Secured Visa: 1K -9/2012 - I just this week got this unsecured and transferred to a MyRewards Visa They use TU98 Fico, which they said was 643. Toyota Financial: 0% APR 3 months out of BK, said Auto-Fico TU was 650 at the time. Barclay Apple Visa - 2.2K - 1/2013 - They did not increase me at the 6th statement, but I don't want to push them too hard just yet. First unsecured card 6 months Post-BK. Nfcu CashRewards - 2.5K - 3/2013 - They started me at 2.5K, my second unsecured card 9 months out, and recently as last month upped it to 6.5K, at the time last month my EQ Fico was 649. My recent Results: SDFCU (State Dept) EMV Visa - Took a chance with them since they use EX, waiting for this month's PSECU Fico, but they said it was 663 today. They do seem to be fairly BK friendly, I know they can be hit or miss, but they just called as I am typing this and gave me 3K to start. American Heritage FCU - Another EX puller, gave me 3K Card to start, and 2K PLOC and also said my EX was 663. They want to take it slow they said, but feel confident it will increase within a few months. GE-Walmart - Applied in store last week and had to call in, they approved 1.5K and I am waiting on the card. FUNNY thing with this one is, I applied in February and they declined and pulled from EX. In December they pulled from TU and declined as well. THIS TIME, and almost 10 days later, still no INQ on any of the bureaus, but instant approval and it is already reporting on all 3 bureaus? Oh well, I will take it Overall 1 year later: all Ficos are close to or over 650, and I have lower APR cards then before BK when I was in the 700's, plus more overall credit.

I will try to make this as to the point as possible: A number of years ago, a lot of stuff happened and I ended up getting screwed over by family which caused me to run up a lot of debt. Then a couple of years ago, I had a high amount of debt on one of my American Express accounts. The catch with this account is that it has to be paid in full every month. So I was paying $1,000 a month to pay this card off, but because that wasn't the full amount, I was getting hit with a late payment to my credit score every month for 6+ months. I called and talked to them when this first happened and at first they told me, "Don't worry we'll have those removed in 3 months." Then after 3 months they told me, "I'm sorry someone told you that, we'll actually remove them when the card is paid off." Then I was told once it was paid off, "Those should be removed within the next 6 months." And then I was finally told, " I'm sorry you were told that, but we cannot do that." Or something a long those lines. Long story short, my credit, which had previously been very good, has been crushed by a card requiring payment in full every month, even though I was paying $1,000 every month. Is there anything that I can do about this? Thanks

Got a few tradelines backed by the generous CLI-happy GECRB (like Amazon card, Walmart Card, PayPay Smart Connect, Chevron/Texaco Card, etc.)? According to this CNBC article (from 2 days ago), GE is considering getting out of the the retail card business: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100999070

This is my DW's upgrade I'm talking about BTW. I had always assumed that when your Wal-Mart credit card got upgraded from their store card to the Discover Wal-Mart card that it would be the SAME Trade line. But this wasn't the case. In fact now she has her WM CC card with that CL be and when she called in to activate her WM Discover card they gave her a different CL. I just figured that they would CLOSE out her WM Store care but now when she logs into her account it shows the 2 different cards and you can click on to which ever one you want that you need too and also shows the different CL's and different balances. Kind of Cool that she keeps the WM Store card (for the uti) but with them adding a new TL her AAOA took a small hit and dropped her TU score by 3 points. No biggie as I'm sure she'll get that back soon. But didn't everyone else think that the upgrade would be on the same card and same Trade Line?

Hi all, First time posting, but here's the deal- a few years back I hit a few life bumps and the ol' credit report took a beating. Not that it has ever been all that great, but that has all changed. I am being responsible and taking care of business. I laid low for many years and just let the dust settle and the slate be wiped clean- suffer for my previous mess ups but learned good lessons. I currently have two CA's (non-paid) lingering out there- one is a CC that is due to drop off in 6/2014 the other is an old checking account due to drop off in 12/2014. There are 4 more accounts out there dealing with 2 student loans with Nelnet. When I was out of work in 2009 and couldn't pay and had used up all my available deferrals- they showed 120+Late and sent them over to the state government insurer who promptly put in a wage ganishment when they learned I had started back to work. At the end of that garnishment my employer stopped taking out the payments at the amount of the original garnishment. Only thing is- there were real small balances of accrued interest (less than $20 each) that I was not aware of and I don't recall ever being notified of. After about 6 months they wrote these off and closed the accounts reporting as Settled for less than Balance, 120+Late. I tried to dispute the student loans in 2/13, but not sure what to dispute because yes they are mine. Now, the Nelnet says - Transferred to Government 2/13- when they were transferred in 6/10. In the mean time I have started rebuilding on my own- I applied for a Capital One and was approved for a measly $300 in 2/13 and enrolled me in the credit steps program where in 6 months I would be eligible for CLI up to $500. I gardened that account just using it and paying it off each month. Saw my scores start climbing little by little. Then just 5 months after opening the account Capital One gave me an automatic CLI of $3,000...YEAH SHOCKED to say the least- but wildly ecstatic!! So total CL of $3,300! Scores are up about 90 pts all the way around from where I started 6 moths ago. Still in mid to upper 600's- (640-680). I did have a really OLD CA report on TU last month, but I knew that I had paid that bill 3 years ago to the OC. I disputed and within 24 hrs it was deleted!! Then I applied for a pre-qualify notice with USAA. Was approved for a CL of $5,000. WOW I think to myself- I am doing great. Then they report first thing yesterday and scores are down about 45-55 across the board.... Hope I didn't just mess up this good thing I got going on... Anything I can do about the baddies? Any thoughts on what else I can continue to do to grow the scores? Like I say- I have got it started just need a little extra momentum.

Hello.. I found this article on Yahoo Finance and just seeking some feedback from anyone who might be familiar with the site removedbyadmin.com Also some guidance from those with more wisdom about using to build credit? Thanks Abril

I called my bank to ask about foreign rates. I wanted to know how I can withdraw cash for free in another country. She offered to check and told me that I needed a high yield bank account. She needed my bank account number which I did not know. I told her that I have my debit card number. She said she can't use that to check what account I have so she asked for my SSN. I was dumb enough to give it to her and right after knowing my SSN, she asked for my Debit card number. I thought it was weird why she asked for my debit card number when she didn't want it before and that she couldn't check up my account with that? Have I been scammed? I want to put fraud alerts on my credit. How can I do this? I am not exactly sure what fraud alerts are, can someone clarify? Also should I sign up for all three credit bureaus? Equifax, transunion, and experian? Which is better. When I call will I be speaking to a robot or human to put fraud alerts in my credit? Should I give them my SSN? Should I check for virus before entering my private information? Any other advice? I was thinking of doing the lifelock stuff and the kroll service which is now changed to prepaidlegal. Any advice guys? I am new and it is my first year in college. I should not have any credit history.l never even worked before.

Can anyone remind me which cards will usually give you instant credit approval at checkout? I think Buckle was one? Also, do these report on the credit bureaus as revolving like any other credit card? tahnks in advance. Will they also help to lower utilization?

Hi Everyone, My goal was to get my Lexus however, I decided on a 2010 Acura RDX/Technology package. Sweet, sweet, sweet car. Love it!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been working on my credit only for only two months however, I decided to give it try and apply. I got it. I got 2 collections removed and an inquiry. Credit score was 585 at 12.48% but I will continue to work on my credit and refi in about a year. This site have given me the courage to work on my credit and apply for this car. I have gotten a few positive TL and I have a lot of work to do when it comes to credit repair. I am on the right road with this site. Thanks everyone for the wonderful contributions to the site.

Do mortgage brokers "shotgun" your application similar to applying for an auto loan? I'm getting ready to obtain a preapproval and I don't want my reports littered with inquires. Is applying directly with a preferred lender a better bet? What are the true advantages of using a mortgage broker? Thanks!

So EX will not remove an old address associated with an account. I disputed this account and recieved a reply by mail explaining that they will not re-investigate this unless any pertinent information is recieved. What other avenues do I have? It does say on their report that it is schedule to continue on record until JUNE 2015. I guess, that's not too horrible.

What is the most efficient /best way to increase your available credit (without applying for a new line of credit)? Not counting paying the balance down quickly. Trying to get down to 1% utilization. Thanks.

What other types of accounts would help with the depth and overall score on your credit reports besides credit cards? I notice a lot of conversation about credit cards but not much on other types of credit like loans and such. Any suggestions or insights? Anyone? Thanks.

Hello Credit Boards, I recently came across a house that sparked my interest in buying a home about 6 months earlier them I intended. It is a foreclosure up for auction at a ridiculous price. So I went to Chase bank to sit with a pre-qualifier. They pulled my credit report and the score I saw on Free Credit Score .com was very different. While my Kroll report numbers were different and my consumer online KROLL : Trans: 637 Equifax: 602 and Experian: 551 FCR : Trans: 595 Equifax: 629 and Experian: 629 All this with 91% credit used and only one collection or less then $500 which can be paid off in 30 days. So my Journey begins. I paid off my Credit Card within 95% of the balance. it is 6/13 and my balance is reported to the credit bureaus between 6/15 - 6/20. Consumer reports say that will boost my score 20- 30 points. This may help the middle range to get up to 640 or higher which is the standard for FHA, Chase and other Loan companies. Being that there is that 30 day window where you can go to as many mortgage brokers as you can without it looking so bad on your FICO score. Given my situation: 1- Should I go shopping like crazy for a Mortgage being I have had one pull done already? 2- Being that the numbers are so different will the Kroll numbers be different within 30 days? meaning do they change rapidly? 3- Is there a change with this timeing game and numbers game to get pre-qualified in time for the auction 6/30? (I don't know how auctions work) 4- would it be best to go back to my 6 month plan and look at the end of the year? but then all my mortgage inquiries will show on my report...? SMH 5 - DO I shop like crazy for a house and mortgage since i know it is not that bad and I just have to find the right program/broker to work with. Help me I know a lot but I am having trouble putting the pieces together. D~

I am trying to have 2 mortgage company remove 1 foreclosure and one charge off from my credit. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. After legal separation from my ex husband, he had the terms of the primary and secondary mortgage changed without my signature or knowledge. In regards to the primary mortgage, he exercised an option to extend the Interest Only payment that was set to expire after 5 years. The option was to extend for an additional 5 years. Which he changed during a legal separation. On the secondary mortgage, the payment was based on principal and interest, he changed to interest only without my signature or knowledge. Additionally I was never notified of the foreclosure in writing by either lender. Does the terms changing without my consent and while I did not reside in the home help in getting this foreclosre removed? Or is there any other way to fight this with the lender or credit reporting agencies? Thanks!

Hi CBers I was wondering how many INQs does AMEX consider too many? I currently have two (mortgage inqs; May/June 2013) and I was thinking of using about three more (AMEX BCE, Chase Freedom & Citi Dividend, Citi invited me to apply) for a total of 5 INQs and then back on ice EX goes. Thoughts?

PLEASE CAN HELP ME CREDITORS THAT FROM EX. I HAVE NO CREDIT PULL IN A YR ON EX SCORE 790 MY RECENT APPROVALS: NFCU MASTER: 25K NFCU VISA: 25K USAA AMEX: 20K USAA VISA: 8.5k USAA MASTER: 9K PEN FEN: DENIED THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!

Greetings. I'm new to credit boards and looking for advice for my new business. I'm starting a real estate whole selling business and I need about $15000 to start up. I've been looking into a few personal lines of credit and loans but none are at the amount I need to get started. Also the APR seems to be to high. Are there any recommendations on how I might be able to secure this start-up capital for my business. Thanks.

So my TU credit score is 684. My CC utilization is 10%. I have car payment that has always been on time (2.5 years). I have zero negative items. Just 2 hard inquires and I just got denied a Citibank card. I also asked my Capital One card that I got a long time ago (but only $500 limit) for an increase because I could really use some more credit right now since I"m getting married in a few months. My credit score used to be bad but I've done everything I can over the last few years to make it better. i finally thought a 684 would be good enough. Also I make over $100k and only owe $9k in student loans. Any thoughts on why I'm being denied? I'm so frustrated right now. Any opinions or advice would be much appreciated.

Hi all, newbie here trying to wade through conflicting information from a mortgage broker, bank lender and online information. My fiance and I are looking at purchasing a home. Income isn't a problem, and neither is her credit, but as the lower of the two, my credit is. Mine currently sits at 599/583/537. My question: What is the minimum score for an FHA loan and what's the best way to go about raising these quickly? Items affecting score: $90 medical bill: COLLECTIONS. Trying to pay for delete. $146 Verizon: COLLECTIONS. Trying to remove. $2,005 on $2,000 credit card: PAID OFF IN FULL. Paid last week, hasn't reflected in score yet. Was never late, but was my only credit card. $17,255 auto loan with 4 over-30 payments: PAID OFF IN FULL Other credit: $6,000 in student loans: Paid on time for almost 7 years now. The mortgage broker advised working to get bad items removed and having my fiance add me to her credit cards. A bank lender, however, said that last piece wouldn't work and that there's no benefit to my credit for being an authorized user of someone else's card. If I was to be added and receive credit for it, they'd need to do a hard credit request to see if I was eligible to co-own the account. Which is right? The bank lender is also proposing I take out a $3,300 secured loan for 12 months, as well as get a secured credit card. They're also trying to get my fiance to take out a personal loan to consolidate her credit card debt, but at a rate of 5% higher than her credit cards (they said she could refinance to a lower rate once her credit improves). The lender's reasoning being getting those credit cards freed up would raise her revolving credit-to-debt ratio and look better for potential lenders. That said, lenders won't be using her credit score, they're using mine. We'd be looking at another $200/mo. (until we refinance) if we move those credit cards to a personal loan. Is that really worth it, especially if adding me to those cards wouldn't do any good? What's my best plan of action in terms of getting more credit? Should I move ahead with a secured loan and a secured credit card? Should we add me to her or other family members' credit cards? Should we consolidate some of her credit card debt into a personal loan? Thanks for the help! Have learned a ton already, but feeling stuck here. -jasper13

When I first started my gas station business, one of my biggest challenges was keeping track of my company's expenses and getting the buying power I needed to run it. The solution seemed to be getting a business credit card. I did a lot of research online before I made my final choice in choosing a Mastercard business credit card. I use PayMeSecure to process my customer's payments, and I wanted a service that was just as safe. I also did not want to pay annual fees, so I really hoped to earn cash back on all my purchases. It was also important to me that I keep my personal and business expenses separate, and I wanted to work with a company that had experience working with other small businesses. In the end, my final choices offered all this, but one stood out because it had the best fraud liability protection. How did you choose a business credit card for your business? What are the benefits of using it?

Hi All, As I sat down this evening to read my mail, I noticed an offer from Citi to apply for the Dividend Select which has a rotating 5% reward structure every quarter and 1% for everyday purchases. 0% for 18 mos then APR between 14.99 - 22.99% and No AF. According to recent Creditpulls data, the avg CL is $4500 and they favor EX which I have had on ice since 2008, therefore, no inqs are on the report (Well I probably have 1 now...buying a house). Assuming that my EX FICO is around 730 (all reports are similar regarding TLs), so I'm assuming my chances are good for approval. So, I was wondering if it is possible to PC to another Citi Card if I apply & approved? I will only apply after I close on new home...btw, invitation is good until 07/15/13. Thoughts? ETA: What would be some good alternatives to the Dividend Select?

I really need to establish credit in the name of my business. Please tell if I can be approved for anything at this point, or what my chances are. I started an LLC in 2009. This was in college, and part time, so the business never had any significant revenue. However, I recently scaled everything up, full time, and have been successful. I'm now at the point where the business is at $10,000-$15,000 per month in revenue. The history of this increased revenue is only a few months old right now, so it's not reflected on any tax returns yet. Now that my expenses per month are in the thousands, it would be really nice to get some credit for this using a business credit card. My personal credit isn't awful, but not great either. The last two FICO scores I received were 620 from BMW in December 2012 and 615 from American Express in February 2013. Based on my personal credit and the business revenue, will I be approved for any business credit if I apply right now? If so, where should I apply? This means a lot to me and I really appreciate the help. Thanks, Steve