HELP!: Project Debt Free: Starting Over

[projectdebtfree]

Hello everyone,

 

I lost my job about 4 years ago so I decided to go back to school and take on freelance work in order to build on my skills. Within a year of being laid off, I couldn't keep up with the minimum payments. Most of my credit cards had unemployment insurance and although I called within a month of being laid off the insurance never kicked in. I was so nervous about my situation that I completely withdrew, stopped opening the bills and allowed all 5 of my credit cards to go to collection agencies and my student loans to default. BAD! VERY BAD!

 

I've been working for the past year and ready to pick up the pieces.

 

Immediately after getting a job I called the Students Loans and set up payment arrangements. I have 1 sallie mae private loan and a couple of joint government SL. I'm paying ridiculous fees on them but I will get into that later.

 

I'm writing this post because I'm ready to clean up the mess and I want your help/experience as I go through the process.

 

 

Here is my plan for this month:

 

- Pull all three credit reports (paid) -

 

- Dispute Debt Validity with CA (they are all reporting as closed on report)

 

- Ask CB to delete inaccurate information (multiple agencies for one card)

 

 

Next:

 

- Negotiate pay out with CA for deletion

 

 

 

HELP - QUESTIONS

 

• Where do you recommend I get my paid Transunion and Equifax credit reports from? (I use Experian credit monitoring service)
• A long time ago I place a fraud-alert on my Equifax report and they have blocked me from getting and online report ever since. Anyone else experience this?

Edited May 9, 2013 by projectdebtfree

[eatcookies]

For whatever reason, I cannot get any of my reports online. I have never placed a fraud alert. I have accepted this.

[moosetracks]

Where do you recommend I get my paid Transunion and Equifax credit reports from? (I use Experian credit monitoring service)

 

All reports should be mailed in for and not obtained online, you will get more detailed reports by mail.

 

A long time ago I place a fraud-alert on my Equifax report and they have blocked me from getting and online report ever since. Anyone else experience this?

 

A fraud alert should not stop you from receiving a report. A freeze will stop the report even to you. When you mail in for the copy from EQ ask them to lift the alert and.or the freeze.

[projectdebtfree]

UPDATE:

 

I was searching for a good monitoring service for all three reports and found that USAA has the best and most affordable option for all 3 reports at $12.95 per month. I signed up for it and will be substituting my current service with experian for this.

 

 

 

For those that are not USAA members or have any relationship with the military here is how to sign up:

 

1. Register a free USAA account : https://www.usaa.com/

• They will ask you Are you already a USAA member? Answer: NO
• They will ask for personal information and address (use correct information as you will not be able to change it when requesting credit report)
• They will ask if you have members in your family that are in the military or are veterans. Answer: NO
• In other words be honest about your non military status

 

2. Go to the USSA credit monitoring website: https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/creditcheck_monitoring_main

• Select the basic credit monitoring plan with an experian report $5.95 OR the premium plan with all 3 reports $12.95
• You will be redirected to an USSA Experian Credit monitoring website
• Note: you will not be able to change your name or address you used on the USAA website to sign up for the credit monitoring

[Glacier]

When disputing your reports, it is BEST to use hard copy reports from each of the CRAs. The hard copies will show more information than the reports you receive from a monitoring service.