Help please. How to remove low hanging fruit?

[FreeaAndClear]

Background: All debts are out of SOL. All should fall off within the next year. I have around 15-20 negative trade lines, most are From major credit issuers (OC) plus corresponding JDBS ( the nasty ones). I've never disputed anything.

 

My understanding is that I should start with a basic letter to the CRAs asking for verification?

 

The JDBs list accounts that I'm really not familiar with but I guess that since they are so old, the company names have changed? I don't want to say "not mine" because I have no idea and I don't want a fraud alert. Can I say I don't recognize them which is true? Or is that problematic?

 

I saw Whychats basic dispute and Breeze's sample CRA letters. I guess I'm a bit confused. I think I've read too much at this point and it gets a bit overwhelming.

 

I think I need to send basic letters to the CRAs, Certified mail, stating:

I'm not familiar with this creditor, can you please investigate and verify that it is really my account?

 

Then, if it comes back verified (all JDBs update every month) then send letters to the JDBs? Then a follow-up to the CRAs?

 

Am I correct that Whychat's SOL letters are different than the 1 - 2 punch? I don't think I can use the 1-2 punch because I haven't received any recent dunning letters with the 30 day notice. Is that right?

 

I'm hoping to pick off a few baddies and then, hopefully by that time, the 7 year period will be up.

 

Please help me out here. I'm feeling so frustrated at this point. I'm not sure what to do.

[gca]

Since they are due to fall off next year, you can try to dispute as obsolete. Some CRA's will remove items a few months early.

[FreeaAndClear]

I should add that I didn't delete my old addresses because they are also tied to all of my positive but closed trade lines. I'm afraid that I will lose AAOA which is currently at 9.6 years with oldest TL at nearly 20 years.

 

I'm afraid of losing the positive history. Does that sound like flawed logic?

 

I had great credit until 2007 when everything fell apart. I have no real credit since thn but a secured Wells Fargo that is brand new and not reporting yet.

 

I hid my head in the sand and thankfully was never sued somehow. We would like to buy a house in a year. My spouse's credit is in the high 700s. My credit score is stagnant at the just above 600 mark.

 

We both make around $100k a year each with a consistent job history and professional degrees. Do you think this is doable? We live in Los Angeles so houses are expensive. We are saving about $1500 month for our down payment and have been for about the last year.

 

Are we doing this wrong? I feel so terrible as I know my credit is holding us back.

[FreeaAndClear]

Since they are due to fall off next year, you can try to dispute as obsolete. Some CRA's will remove items a few months early.

Thank you.

 

I intend to do this but was wondering if I could knock a few things off first and then move to that option. I'm just not sure what letter to send off to first.

 

I'm also a bit worried about my job because there have been major changes in our department and hierarchy. I hope/ think I'm personally fine but everything's a bit unstable right now and if our department dissolves, my credentials/experience//references and network will get me through but my credit might sink me.

[gca]

Try to remove all of your old addresses before you do any disputes. It shouldn't affect your positive tradelines as long as you don't dispute them only the negative ones.

[FreeaAndClear]

Even though the positive tradelines are closed?

 

For example, according to EX, I have 6 bad TLs hanging off an address from 6 yars ago. But I also have 4 good, long, TLs that show the same Address.

 

If the 6 baddies are going to fall off naturally in 6 months and the 4 goods are scheduled to continue until 2019.... Is there really no danger In disputing the Addresses? If that is the case, I will certainly go for it! But it wouldn't be a good gamble to risk 6 years of good TLs I order to maximize my chances of losing a bad TL today.

 

Have you ever read the threads where everyone says "gosh, it was obvious that you never should have done that; why didn't you ask first...."

 

I feel a bit paralyzed because I don't want to make the wrong move and therefore I make no move at all. Which doesn't help my score one bit....

 

Blah

[ding]

EX won't remove address tied to a tradeline. A few have got it done, but its rare.

 

 

 

[Analysis]

/>Try to remove all of your old addresses before you do any disputes. It shouldn't affect your positive tradelines as long as you don't dispute them only the negative ones.

Step one with Equifax and Transunion is to delete old addresses. If you do that first, your low hanging fruit collection will increase in weight.

 

You can see which of your Experian baddies are tied to which addresses on your Experian report.

 

Chances of losing good accounts is very slim.