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Quick question: Does the Vanilla Visa/Discover Card Prepaid Gift card have bill me later features? Many thanks for any response. Another question on my mind: My Wife and I have signed up for TransUnion's 3 in 1 Credit Monitoring Program (TrueCredit.com) and we are going step by step to repair our credit.. |
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Yep, but... you might want to make sure and wait for another member here to confirm it as I am unsure of myself. Better yet, why don't you call the Discover Card guys because they can help better...
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Psych Docs Seminars? I'm not sure what that is?.
I'll order the Paper Based Reports, but I was hoping to send a Dispute out, and get a New Report Back from them, which would be what I need. I can not get my Free Report for about another 3-4 Months.. I'll reread the Newbie's Thread... |
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Techincally you get a free report when you dispute ANYTHING, so dispute an old address or phone number listed on your report and ask for a new and updated copy of the report after their investigation. Make sure you do this by mail. It should be in the newbies section. Dont dispute ANYTHING until you have that paper report and know what you are doing. If you start disputing without knowing WHY you might as well take a shotgun and shoot yourself in the foot because you will have made your credit repair that much harder. (no kidding).
It takes time to "learn" how to repair your credit. You cant expect it to be overnight. It took me 8 mos to get all my CAs off my reports from the time I started...I read and learned for about a YEAR before that...now I am just waiting on some OCs to fall off. All total about 3 years I have been working on my report... |
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I've started to read PsychDoc's Seminars, but when I try to do all of the Newbie's Stuff in the thread, it feels like I get pulled in a hundred different directions..
Especially when I do not have that many things on my Credit Report. (11 Accounts are the most I think) which only 5 are Negative, IMO.. I'll Dispute the Address or Current Employer which I have an error on, get the Paper Report directly from them and plan my next move there.. I seriously wish to improve my Credit, but the format here is very difficult to grasp right away. I under stand how Credit Scoring works, what affects your score and ect. I've brought and read the book by Liz Pullman Weston on "Your Credit Score" and I loved the book.. But, if there was a few direct links that was broken down by section on absolute must read articles, then that would be great.. Thanks!.. |
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You have the right idea. Get in the flow by disputing your old addresses and name variations. Also, dont forget to opt out before you dispute those..
I know it seems like way too much information, thats because it is a ton of information. No one said this was going to be easy, only that it would be worth it.. Psych Docs seminars are a must read. I supplied that link a few posts above. You MUST read them... |
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Opt Out?.
Would this be acceptable for a Dispute Letter?. Name. Address (City, State, Zip Code). Credit Bureau. Address (City, State, Zip Code). Dear Sir or Madam:. Please find listed below several items, which are being reported on my credit file. Please investigate these items as to the accuracy and completeness and either correct them or delete them from my file. By the Provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970, I please demand that these items be reinvestigated and deleted from my credit record.. Furthermore, should verification as to their accuracy or completeness not be made within 30 days, I will expect these items to be permanently deleted from my file.. Address Shown on Credit Report Goes Here. Reason: Wrong Address. Correct Listing: Correct Address. Please mail me a complete copy of my credit report after you have completed your investigation. Thank you for your assistance.. Sincerely,. Name Here.. |
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Never use a draft/form letter verbatim. Make it your own. Using form letters only makes it harder for everyone in the long run because the CRAs get overrun with the same letter over and over.....
Something short and to the point is what you need to dispute an address/employer.. |
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Opting out is the process in which you opt out of promotional extensions of credit. Opting out gives the CRA's no information to sell, therefore, not caring about deleting addresses. The deleted addresses then make it easier to have TL's removed from your report...
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So, this would work, just a simple letter:.
Name. Address (City, State, Zip Code). Credit Bureau. Address (City, State, Zip Code). To whom it may concern:. After pulling my Credit Report on (Date Here), I have noticed several errors that require your attention. You'll find them below, along with the corrections that should be made.. Wrong Address (List what Address is shown). The above address is incorrect and should be as shown below:. Correct Address Goes Here. Wrong Current Employer (List what Employer is shown). The above Current Employer is incorrect and should be as shown below:. Correct Employer Goes Here (Unemployed or Self Employed). Thank you for taking the time to review the information in question, and I hereby request a Credit Report to be sent to me with the correct changes listed in this dispute letter.. Sincerely,. Name Here. Enclosed: Photo Copy of Driver's License and Social Security Card.. |
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So, how would I "Opt out" with the CRA's?.
Also the Addresses are listed, but one is misspelled. I have only two addresses, one from when I was a Minor and One to where I live now... |
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Thanks..
For Address Changes, it wouldn't be necessary to send Certified Letters would it? Unless something negative was being desputed, but it's just an Employer and Address Change.. Also, should I only dispute one right now instead of both of them, so that way I can space them out with more credit report updates?. My old Address, I did live there, but moved out when I was 18, which was 6 Years ago, SHOULD I get them to remove that address, or just keep both of them on record?. This post has been edited by. GoHooterGo. : 22 December 2009 - 11:11 PM.. |
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I'll be sending out the disputes, all but Experian have a minor mistake, spelling and ect..
The only thing I could see on Experian is the Date of Birth, which is listed as Month/Year. Could I say it's wrong and give them the correct one as Month/Day/Year? The Month and Year is correct however, but no day is listed.. Once the answers above and previous posted are answered, I'll begin more reading while awaiting my reply.. I'll go into my situation a bit, but it's not as bad as it sounds, about 22K in Debt, even with House and EVERYTHING. My Debt is under control and does not go up at all, since I do not have any Credit Cards being used. I'm not ready to get another just yet.. I Filed Bankruptcy (Chapter 7) in 2007, on most of my Credit Cards and a few Collections. I have 11 Total Accounts:. Home Mortgage (Debt was Re-Affirmed - Also, Was Never Late). Student Loan (Loan is being Rehabilitated). 5 Credit Cards (1 Open, 2 Closed because of Inactivity/Consumer - Never Late, 2 Credit Accounts Discharged in BK - A Lot of Late Payments). Cookware (Scam, but was Discharged in BK - Several Late Payments). Verizon (Charged Off/Paid - Was Included in BK for 2 of the 3 CRA's - TransUnion is the only one not reporting that it was in the Bankruptcy, but 0 Balance). 5 Collection Accounts (All Legitimate, 3 Of them Still Reporting a Balance and is accurate, 2 Of them have been Paid or Discharged in BK). That is all I have. About 7 Negative Accounts to work on, which are all Legit. I'm going to work on a "Pay For Delete" with Collections and that should get rid of at least 3 of the Accounts mentioned. The School Loan is being Rehabilitated.. So, any MUST READ Material other then PsychDoc's Seminars? I'm working on that right now. So, What I need is to:. 1.) Remove Paid Collections that are Reporting Paid, but are Negative. 2.) Remove UnPaid Collections that are still unpaid and have unpaid Status (Pay for Delete). 3.) Remove Negative Credit Cards that were discharged in Bankruptcy... |
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Gohooter.
110 A street. Hooterville WA 11111. DATE. TransUnion. PO BOX 2000. Chester, PA 19022-2000. CMRRR Article Number €“ 7009 2250 xxxx xxxx xxxx. Dear Consumer Relations:. Going over my credit report, I have found it contains many errors. I request your investigation of the following "personal information," as incorrect information places me at a greater risk for identity theft. Please see the attached photo copy of my driver€™s license for your reference. For the record:. 1. My name is: Go Hooter Go. Please remove all other name variations IMMEDIATELY! They are not accurate.. 2. My current address is: 11 A St., Hooterville, WA 11111. Please remove all other addresses IMMEDIATELY! They are not accurate.. Please delete these disputed items. Thirty (30) days constitutes a reasonable amount of time for investigation. Per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, send me notification that these items have been deleted, as well as an updated copy of my credit report.. Sincerely,. GoHooterGo. NAME: GoHooterGo. CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS: 11 Hooterville, WA 11111. SS #: 111-11-1111. DOB: 11/11/1111. Dispute all the variations at one time. The point of name/address disputes is to remove info from your CR, making it harder for a CA to verify your blanket disputes.. This post has been edited by. Bobbydebt. : 23 December 2009 - 01:02 AM.. |
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GHG, it sounds like you know how to keep your spending down on your credit cards; you had two that were never late and were closed due to inactivity. In a way that's good! Not that they got closed, but that you were never late and refrained from overuse. However, it sounds like you could use a new, current credit card. (You can use it a few times a year - just enough to keep it open.).
Don't wait until your credit repair is well underway to get a credit card; it could set you behind months. If I were you I'd go ahead and get a secured card (Orchard's good, but some others will decline you even for a secured card.) This way you can get a good, new trade line aging while you do your repair work... |
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With an average Credit Score of 555, I'm not sure I feel safe applying for credit. I know how to effectively manage credit now due to learning and understanding how Credit Scoring work, and I see your point in apply now reasoning for the simple reasons of Inquires, and Age Of Accounts, allowing them to get older and have less of an impact..
Still, I'm thinking I'd rather wait till my average score is at least 600, maybe even 620. I don't mind waiting to age my account, as long as I know there is nothing I can do other then wait. If there are items on my CR that I can focus on and remove to help me overall, and give me peace of mind.. I am going to dispute the Addressees and Name Variations... |
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I've heard that removing old addresses can also remove good TL's I'd they're associate with that address. Can anyone confirm that?..
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Not until you DV. You may "know" you owe the debt but you need to KNOW that you are paying (with Discover card) the right people, just because a CA is on your report or sending you letters doesn't mean you owe THEM. Their are scam agencies out their, PFD is NEVER a first choice..
Also. Credit repair has 2 parts, getting rid of bad and building good. They go hand in hand. Your score wont really go up much until you are getting new credit. That is why we ALWAYS reccommend getting a secured card at the beginning of credit repair. Secured has nothing to do with your score (meaning a 600 will no more get you a secured card than a 440). Trust us, you NEED new credit just as bad as you NEED to get rid of old negs. Even if you never use the card(s) you need them to report... |
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+1 Peanut has the right of it.. Clean negatives, while building positives..
Since you cant cheat AGE, start the card(s) ASAP and let them age while you wack baddies... Its the CB 1-2 and it's the only way to genuinely build a foundation of good credit.. Good luck!.. |
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I'll apply for a Secured Discover card after the New Year, I'll have more money to put onto a secured credit card. Anyone reccomend a Bank? I read Orchard Bank is a good placed to go to on this Forum..
Any others?. Also, Just send my Dispute Letters to remove my old Addresses or Names. So, the ball has started rolling, and I'm still reading PsychDoc's Seminars, very interesting read, then I'll be working on the Law Proportion (Looks Boring, but seems like you need to understand the law to write an effective Dispute Letter).. All good so far!. Also, I still need to read into the Debt Validation Letters, but if I do not have the Account Number, other then what is listed on my Credit Report which usually only shows the last 4 Digits or all but last the 4 Digits. Once I complete the above reading, I'll move onto Debt Validation and learning how to send and understand them.. This post has been edited by. GoHooterGo. : 23 December 2009 - 04:24 PM.. |
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You sound like you are on the right track! Much better..
Orchard is a decent secured, I don't think they ever unsecure though. I have a USBank Secured that I like, and then there is a secured Discover card list around here somewhere of others...I think BOA is a good choice since your BK is over a year old...I am sure someone will come along with good secured card choices.. You also do not have to have the whole acct number to DV I usually just use the first or last 4 numbers, they can find it by your name, the goal is to give them as little info as possible (ie NO SOCIAL) because it is their job to validate not yours to point them in the right direction.. |
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Whats your EQ FICO? (Mine is in my sig).
I just got an Orchard MC, unsecure. The card has a $79 annual fee but, thats not so bad... |
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Consider a local Credit Union. Or any Credit Union you can join for your Secured..
Credit Unions in general seem to manage their money better and will. Work with the member more than behemoths like BoA and Chase.. Also make sure you up the secured limit to at least $1000 before. Unsecuring and $2-5K would be better. Unsecuring at a low limit. Means a generally lower unsecured limit and low limits beget more. Low limits. You want higher limits on your revolving accts when/where possible... |
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I'm sure I'll ask more detailed questions once I've read the material I need to read, so I can have a more educated question. But, now that I at least know the terms (well at least learning them), I can search for more information when I need it..
So far, if you guys and PsychDoc's Seminars have taught me anything is,. VALIDATION, VALIDATION, AND VALIDATION!!!. Don't admit to owing debt, but don't downright lie about it either. Force them to prove that this debt is yours and is correctly being reported according to the law.. Right?. My Scores are coming from TransUnion's Credit Monitoring service (TrueCredit.com) which I know isn't myFICO.com. You guys consider this a FAKO Score? My guess is a FAKO score isn't a "true" score or am I wrong in this assessment? I've seen it mentioned on here a few times. The general idea on most credit scoring formulas are the same, so, I'm not too worried about my FICO score just yet, because if you concentrate on removing negatives and building new credit, the rest will fall into place... |
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You are very correct on Validation..
As for the FICO, it is nice to know how far you have gone that is why I like to buy mine. FYI EQ and TU have FICO monitoring you can buy that gives you a report and score, EQs is free for 30 days and TUs is like $5 a month. If you "don't like it" you can always cancel it, but you may want to try it again another month. You don't have to call to cancel either, it is under their contact us. PM me if you have questions.. |
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I just thought of this, and should have pondered this more, but technique, I do not have any proof yet other then I know what my name is..
All of my Accounts and Bankruptcy are listed under my name, (BEFORE I Had my Son) and well long story short, I'm now Sr., not just Go Hooter Go, but Go Hooter Go Sr.. My Driver's License and Social Security Cards still read my name, but no Senior because I have not updated that information yet.. How much harder would this make the CBA's if I told them to delete ALL names other then my Sr. Name?. PS: I've already sent in the dispute to delete all names other then my name (without Sr.) but I can just do this again once I have updated information?. This post has been edited by. GoHooterGo. : 24 December 2009 - 12:29 AM.. |
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Well, here's where I'm at:.
1.) Went to the Newbie's Section and Read the Following: Board Rules, Tips and Tricks, Read all of Begginer's Credit Information (Still working on Index and Starting Point & Credit 101 - Basic Introduction). 2.) Filed a Dispute with the 3 CRA's to remove all Names and Addresses other then my Current Name/Address, which asked them to be done so within 30 Days and to be sent a Updated Credit Report with the Updated Changes.. 3.) Opted Out (From the CRA's). 4.) Read all 8 of PsychDoc's Seminars (Coped the CliffNotes onto Word) - Sadly none was given for Session 8. 5.) Currently reading the Laws on FCRA, FCBA, FDCPA, and HIPAA.. Meanwhile, I have about 40 Days or so before I should get my replies back from the CBA's. During that time, I hope to have a lot of this information read at least once and know the basics of the laws, and where to find them when I need them.. If anyone has anything to add on what I should read or look into as a MUST READ, please let me know here... |
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BUMP.
I'll be doing some reading, just hoping to make sure that anything I'll need to read is mentioned already. Thanks!.. |
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Search for info on the 1-2 punch...it really works. Searchthe newbies section 1st, then put 1-2 punch in the search tab. I was dept. head of a cr. restoration program, and the 1-2 punch taight me a thing or two..
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Are you referring to when you send a DV to an CA or OC and then send a Dispute with the CRA's as soon as you get your Green Card back?.
Also, what is this. "Jack Attack". Method? The first time I seen anything about this was someone was talking about it in one of their success stories on fixing their credit... |
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I've also noticed a "623" Letter?.
I've searched Jack Attack, but all I could find is where people mentioned they used this method, nothing explaining what it is. I've seen 623 being sent to the OC's, but haven't figured out what that is... |
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Here ya go, Hooter:.
Jack Attack:. Http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?s...p;hl=judgements. 623:. Http://www.creditinfocenter.com/repair/Dis...lCreditor.shtml.. |
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Thanks Elizabeth!.
I tried the search, but couldn't find the threads I needed.. A lot of options out there, glad I just added 2 More to the list I've at least heard about and now look into!.. |
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All scoring formulas that benefit you are based off of some sort of FICO model. My difference range between my FICO and my FACO (on EQ) was almost 100 points. Your FAKOS mean nothing and, have a +/- of over 100 points. Everyone needs goals, how will you know how far you have come if you dont have a starting point?.
If you are trying to build positive TLs then you should be concerned with your FICO. Knowing your FICO helps you use the credit pulls data base to decide which cards you can be approved for, depending on your current score/report.. You are doing well. But, PLEASE, understand that knowing your FICO (at least at this point) helps you a lot... |
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Just curious (Didn't want to create a new thread just for this question) but has ANYONE ever gotten a BK Disputed off their Reports?.
I've noticed a small error on one of my Credit Reports regarding my BK, the Date of Filing is Wrong. One Report it's just listed as Month/Year and the other Report of the same CRA (Different Pulling Company) shows Day/Month/Year which is just 5/1/07 vs 5/07 (Technically both are wrong).. The Time Close begins 10 Years from the Filing Date, so that is a very important date to me, and I even noticed one CRA didn't even report the Discharge Date.. I'll dispute it eventually, but not until after I tackle my other stuff after reading some more... |
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After Disputing Addresses and Names on the 23rd of December, I've now begun to get my replies back and expected Reports..
I got my TransUnion Credit Report back with updated Changes (They did not say what they changed, but just sent me a new report) on Saturday.. I got a reply back from Equifax today, saying they Deleted a former address and phone number as requested. However, they did not send me a new report as I had requested in my original letter.. I also got a reply back from Experian today, and now is a mess.. They deleted a SSN, which now I have a different SSN Listed, and they changed a whole bunch of other stuff, and to top it off, I did not get a updated Report AS REQUESTED in my Original Letter. So, now I don't fully know what they changed, all they said was They Deleted my Name, Updated my Address, and Deleted my SSN. Just looking over the letter they sent, they screwed it up and now I have a different SSN Listed on my Account.. What gives?. Should I call or rewrite them a letter having them explain further on what changes occurred?. This post has been edited by. GoHooterGo. : 04 January 2010 - 05:24 PM.. |
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THEY DON'T ALWAYS SEND A NEW CREDIT REPORT.
They want you to order a new one at a. COST. $$$$$.. |
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My understanding is, if any changes occur to your credit report after a dispute that you filed, by the FCRA they have to give you an updated credit report if requested..
This post has been edited by. GoHooterGo. : 04 January 2010 - 05:25 PM.. |
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Tell that to all the people who don't get new credit reports.
The few disputes I have done (in the past 5 or 10 years) with EXPERIAN...they now send one single page with the stated corrections. DELETED. 1). 2). 3). ADDED. 1). 2).. |
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Am I wrong in this Statement:.
FCRA governs the CRA's. FDCPA governs the CA's. FCBA governs the Creditors.. |
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So, are you agreeing or disagreeing with my Statement above? Also, they don't work for me, but they must work to fix errors that are being reported FOR ME if the law says so...
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Nope...not wrong at all....
However.... The CRAs don't give a fecal matter about the laws that govern them..... |
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YOU ARE NOT THEIR CUSTOMER.
You are not important.... Your personal information is just bought and sold.. |
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I called both Equifax and Experian and both of them told me my Report is on the way. They were sent in separate letters, which I should receive the Letter explaining what was changed in my Dispute, and the actual Credit Report should be there within 4 Days...
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