[insert witty title here]

[homelessvet]

This will be a running thread of sorts.

 

I’ve lurked on CB for years. Google guided me here on July 7, 2008 while I was researching BK. I still have the reports I printed that night from annualcreditreports.com. I had been forced out of my job in March 2008 in an effort to avoid paying a bonus and then denied unemployment. Being young, I didn’t realize what was going on or that I had any recourse as it was my first job after the military. Live and learn.

 

I was 4 months into the 6 months of savings that was beaten into my head and didn’t know what to do, so BK seemed like my only option since my credit would have been a barrier to me getting back into the military. I finally got another job in November of 2008 that paid less than half of what I was making originally. I started rebuilding with approximately 50k worth of debt over CCs, a repo, and, finally, an eviction.

 

At the worst of the storm my credit reports were 15 pages long each with two judgments and I even looked into bankruptcy a second time in 2009 when a car place that caters to the worst of the worst laughed me out of the building, but I managed to persevere through couch surfing with my friends and family and a buy here, pay here car place. I was denied a job in 2010 and I didn’t dare look for an apartment because I couldn’t stand the thought of the embarrassment of them checking my credit report.

 

I went back to college and plowed through while couch surfing because I couldn’t afford a dorm. I lived like a pauper with every extra cent going toward my valid debt. I took my fight to the BBB and CFPB if I didn’t receive satisfactory results from the CRAs, CAs, and OCs. I read just about everything I could on CB.

 

I graduated in 2014 with things were finally looking up on the credit front. Reports were still “dirty” in that there were full of paid COs and judgments; however, I was finally able to see the light at the end of the credit tunnel by January 2015. I applied for my first cards in 7 years in February, got into a good graduate program in the spring, and was on my way. I also finally created a CB login to say thanks!

 

Where I started in Jan 2015

$13/hr seasonal part time job, no savings

 

Bank accounts:

· Chase Savings, PNC

 

Negative Accounts:

· 2 Judgments (eviction [EQ, TU] and CC [EQ, EX])

· 4 CA (eviction [TU], power bill [EQ], school debt [TU], medical bill [EQ, EX])

· 1 JDB (cable bill) [EQ, TU]

They weren’t reporting, but I still had had outstanding COs totaling about $3,500 with USAA and Verizon.

 

Positive accounts:

Student Loans $33,000

 

My Scores

TU 556 (CK), EQ 556 (CK), EX 620 (AmEx denial)

(I’d paid off most debts and negative accounts were starting to drop off at this point.)

 

The good: No lates, Student Loans on IBR

The bad: No revolving credit, spotty reports

The ugly: Pay was abysmal

 

I made a list of goals for 2015:

· Gainful employment

· Get into grad school

· Clear credit reports

· Build available credit

· Increase scores to 620

· Start emergency fund

 

I applied for a few cards and was denied Discover it, Nordstrom, and AmEx BCP.

Where I am today:

Positive accounts:

· Student Loans: $33,000/$33,000 (IBR)

· Barclaycard NFL Extra Points Platinum Visa $0/$2,500

· BBVA/Compass NBA Visa $0/$5,000

· Cap1 QS1 $0/$2,500

· Chase Slate $0/$5000

· Chase Freedom $0/$2500

· NFCU CLOC $0/$15,000

 

Bank accounts:

· PNC Virtual Wallet, PenFed, NFCU, Chase savings

 

Plan of attack:

· Track the last changes:

 

o TU has a CA that I need to work on and Judgment that will come off this month

o EX and EQ have a Med Collection. Filed CFPB complaint. The CA refunded the payment (<100), said they’d delete the record and send the file back to the OC. I’m sure I’ll have to fight with the OC soon.

· Pay off and re-open USAA (I plan on buying a car and want try for an auto loan and the insurance)

 

Planned apps for the rest of 2015:

· Chase Sapphire Preferred (Maybe a PC as opposed to an app since I have 5 new cards this year alone)

· AmEx Blue Cash Preferred

· AmEx PRG

· Discover it

 

Revisiting the 2015 goals:

· Gainful employment

· Get into grad school

· Clear credit reports

· Build available credit Went from $0 to $32,500

· Increase scores to 620 This is a bit faulty because I was using CK. Oops.

· Start emergency fund I use my PenFed and NFCU accounts for savings

 

2016 Goals:

· Increase savings

· Increase credit scores to 720

· Increase available credit by 25%

· Car (NFCU or USAA Auto Loan, but also may look into Logix and DCU)

 

2017 Goals:

· Increase credit scores to 780

· House (Maybe NFCU)

· Bank of America BankAmericard Alumni CashRewards

· American Express Platinum

· Citi Prestige

 

My scores today:

 

 

I'm still not good at what determines scores, but I think what I'm looking at is fair for what I have in terms of negatives on my reports and new accounts. I avoided the trap of subprime CCs and store cards. I realize now that I should have gotten a few secured cards years ago. I wasn't in the "rebuilding" mindset because I was focused on getting my debt gone.

 

I believe I should hit, and stay over, 700 by the end of the year, so thanks A LOT CB!

 

[homelessvet]

Experian-clear of negatives as on Sep 3.

 

Transunion-clear of negatives as of Sep 10.

 

Equifax-Waiting on a dispute. I uploaded the docs, so I don't know what the issue is.

 

I've changed my mind about apping for anything else this year. I need to work on getting my util down from 18% and a big bill just popped up today, so I need to take care of that before I do anything else. The CCs are at 0%APR, so it's not killing me to leave the balances.

 

I'll hit my 2016 goal of 720 scores in a few weeks if Equifax would just cooperate.

Edited September 10, 2015 by homelessvet

[inoubliable]

Awesome work! Grats on the achievements so far!

[homelessvet]

Thanks inoubliable!

 

My util is down to 12% and it would be 8-9%, but I accidentally let 3 balances report. One was $5, so I feel really dumb. Oh well. They'll report as 0 next month and that will give me two cards with balances to pay down and one card that I use daily and pay off through the month.

 

Eq moved 18 points and that can only mean that all of my reports are clear! No lates, No COs!

 

 

Revisiting the 2015 goals:

· Gainful employment

· Get into grad school

· Clear credit reports

· Build available credit Went from $0 to $32,500 $59,500

· Increase scores to 620 This is a bit faulty because I was using CK which was in the 500s. Oops.

· Start emergency fund I use my PenFed and NFCU accounts for savings

2016 Goals:

· Increase savings

· Increase credit scores to 720 Hit a 2016 goal in 2015!

· Increase available credit by 25%

· Car (NFCU or USAA Auto Loan, but also may look into Alliant)

[mizliz1011]

You must be so gratified to see the results of your hard work. Fabulous job!

[homelessvet]

You must be so gratified to see the results of your hard work. Fabulous job!

 

I am. I can't believe I'm so close to meeting all of my credit goals. My current plan of action is:

 

2015

Auto Loan

 

2016 (need to figure out the best order to apply)

-Home Depot/Lowe's (I'm not loyal to either store. I just want to build a large CL to ready myself for homeownership mortgage)

-Discover it

-Alumni Association BankAmericard Cash Rewards VisaSignature (It's not currently on my Alumni site)

-Chase Disney Premier (I need to figure out if this card falls under the 5/24 rule)

-Amex PRG or Platinum (maybe both )

-Combine my Slate with my Freedom at some point and then PC to a CSP, but I'm not sure if I should wait until both cards are two years old so they aren't considered new or if that matters.

 

2017

Mortgage

 

So you can't think of a witty title so you put nothing so nobody has any idea what your thread is about?

 

Lovely.

I didn't, and still don't, see an issue with the chosen title of my thread; however, please feel free to report my title for moderater intervention if it's a problem. Thanks for your help!

Edited September 26, 2015 by homelessvet

[TampaDude]

 

You must be so gratified to see the results of your hard work. Fabulous job!

 

I am. I can't believe I'm so close to meeting all of my credit goals. My current plan of action is:

 

2015

Auto Loan

 

2016 (need to figure out the best order to apply)

-Home Depot/Lowe's (I'm not loyal to either store. I just want to build a large CL to ready myself for homeownership mortgage)

-Discover it

-Alumni Association BankAmericard Cash Rewards VisaSignature (It's not currently on my Alumni site)

-Chase Disney Premier (I need to figure out if this card falls under the 5/24 rule)

-Amex PRG or Platinum (maybe both )

-Combine my Slate with my Freedom at some point and then PC to a CSP, but I'm not sure if I should wait until both cards are two years old so they aren't considered new or if that matters.

 

2017

Mortgage

 

So you can't think of a witty title so you put nothing so nobody has any idea what your thread is about?

 

Lovely.

I didn't, and still don't, see an issue with the chosen title of my thread; however, please feel free to report my title for moderater intervention if it's a problem. Thanks for your help!

 

 

Just a thought...if you already have the $15K CLOC with NFCU, why not app for the cashRewards Visa or the Flagship Visa? NFCU is very generous with initial CLs. Easy padding for util.

[breeze]

There's no technical issue as far as google is concerned. It crawls the whole site and will pick up keywords from your posts. this can be like a little Easter egg:

 

browsing lurker sees it and says : "oh what's this?"

opens it up and surprise!

[breeze]

And, I haven't seen this anywhere, but, thank you so much for your service to our country. I'm sorry we didn't treat you very well when you came back. But you did what soldiers do - pulled yourself up and you're getting there on your own.

[werkinonit]

Wow, what an incredible story! You're an inspiration (seriously). Great job thus far! Keep smashing those goals!

[mrjuggalo9er]

Disabled veteran of foreign affairs myself. ...hooah

[homelessvet]

 

 

You must be so gratified to see the results of your hard work. Fabulous job!

 

I am. I can't believe I'm so close to meeting all of my credit goals. My current plan of action is:

 

2015

Auto Loan

 

2016 (need to figure out the best order to apply)

-Home Depot/Lowe's (I'm not loyal to either store. I just want to build a large CL to ready myself for homeownership mortgage)

-Discover it

-Alumni Association BankAmericard Cash Rewards VisaSignature (It's not currently on my Alumni site)

-Chase Disney Premier (I need to figure out if this card falls under the 5/24 rule)

-Amex PRG or Platinum (maybe both )

-Combine my Slate with my Freedom at some point and then PC to a CSP, but I'm not sure if I should wait until both cards are two years old so they aren't considered new or if that matters.

 

2017

Mortgage

 

nothing worth reading

Thanks for your help!

 

 

Just a thought...if you already have the $15K CLOC with NFCU, why not app for the cashRewards Visa or the Flagship Visa? NFCU is very generous with initial CLs. Easy padding for util.

 

Looks like I need to update my card list:

 

"Congratulations! Based on your creditworthiness, you have been approved for a Signature Flagship Visa. Your credit line will be $20,500.00. Your APR will be prime plus 12.24.

You should receive your new card(s) in 7-10 business days."

 

And, I haven't seen this anywhere, but, thank you so much for your service to our country. I'm sorry we didn't treat you very well when you came back. But you did what soldiers do - pulled yourself up and you're getting there on your own.

 

You're welcome! It's been frustrating, but I'd do it all over again just for the people I'd meet along the way.

 

Wow, what an incredible story! You're an inspiration (seriously). Great job thus far! Keep smashing those goals!

 

Thanks!

 

Disabled veteran of foreign affairs myself. ...hooah

I saw your video, but I don't comment much. Shared it with my buddies and we all had the same reaction.

[DeterminedinNC]

This is an AWESOME comeback story!!!! As a newbie here I'm beyond impressed but I'm also an Air Force vet myself, I can honestly say you took the principle of adapting and overcoming to another level. Congrats on your success and may it continue and be tenfold!!!!

Edited September 27, 2015 by DeterminedinNC

[Pam]

I moved most of the threadcrapping to it's own feedback thread, if you guys would like to continue the discussion there, feel free. Please be aware, though, that the comments had taken a turn towards the personal, and that's not allowed.

 

Eric0728 said something insightful about criticism in another thread in feedback:

 

It is only constructive when the acts, not the persons, are being critiqued. For whatever reasons unknown to me, things got a little bit personal here.

 

We should all remember this moving forward.

 

OP, thanks for your service. I'm returning your thread to you.

[TampaDude]

 

 

 

You must be so gratified to see the results of your hard work. Fabulous job!

 

I am. I can't believe I'm so close to meeting all of my credit goals. My current plan of action is:

 

2015

Auto Loan

 

2016 (need to figure out the best order to apply)

-Home Depot/Lowe's (I'm not loyal to either store. I just want to build a large CL to ready myself for homeownership mortgage)

-Discover it

-Alumni Association BankAmericard Cash Rewards VisaSignature (It's not currently on my Alumni site)

-Chase Disney Premier (I need to figure out if this card falls under the 5/24 rule)

-Amex PRG or Platinum (maybe both )

-Combine my Slate with my Freedom at some point and then PC to a CSP, but I'm not sure if I should wait until both cards are two years old so they aren't considered new or if that matters.

 

2017

Mortgage

 

nothing worth reading

Thanks for your help!

 

 

Just a thought...if you already have the $15K CLOC with NFCU, why not app for the cashRewards Visa or the Flagship Visa? NFCU is very generous with initial CLs. Easy padding for util.

 

Looks like I need to update my card list:

 

"Congratulations! Based on your creditworthiness, you have been approved for a Signature Flagship Visa. Your credit line will be $20,500.00. Your APR will be prime plus 12.24.

You should receive your new card(s) in 7-10 business days."

 

And, I haven't seen this anywhere, but, thank you so much for your service to our country. I'm sorry we didn't treat you very well when you came back. But you did what soldiers do - pulled yourself up and you're getting there on your own.

 

You're welcome! It's been frustrating, but I'd do it all over again just for the people I'd meet along the way.

 

Wow, what an incredible story! You're an inspiration (seriously). Great job thus far! Keep smashing those goals!

 

Thanks!

 

Disabled veteran of foreign affairs myself. ...hooah

I saw your video, but I don't comment much. Shared it with my buddies and we all had the same reaction.

 

 

Told ya...congrats!

[bellemoon]

Thank you for your service. You've done an outstanding job pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. May all your goals be met and exceeded!