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Credit Advice
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I have really poor credit, how can I begin to fix it?
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CharleneK
2 years ago
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187 responses
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They should include on the list that we need to lobby for more accountability of the score agencies. I have found so many mistakes on my report. Some of them I have been able to fix, others keep recurring despite constant vigilence. They lower my score considerably. We need more oversight of this important arena of our national financial lives.
mzeisberg 2 years ago
How can I challenge the accuracy of items on my credit report? Online is possible?
Sevt77 2 years ago
go to annualcreditreport.com you can access and dispute all 3 credit agencies
americandream2010 1 year ago
in order to improve your credit score faster, should you pay off all charges, even the charge offs?
tkoich 2 years ago
If your charges are below 30% utilization (30% of your credit limit) your score will improve. Paying it off will help finacially by avoiding interest, but the increase to your score will be nominal. For a charge off, your score will improve if you pay it off only if it is relatively recent. Keep the account open and enter into a payment aggreement with the company (credit or collection). However, if it has been 7 years since the charge off occured, it will fall off your report and no longer affect your score. Keep in mind though that in some cases, companies file lawsuits to collect a debt which extends the time something stays on your report up to 10 years.
scamps218 5 months ago
you can challenge your credit report. you have to file a report to the each credit bureau. it's a little difficult. you can also put a note on your report, stating why things are the way they are
joshuaXaaron 2 years ago
I pulled my credit report. I had difficulty getting Experian online. So I used another. Experian sent me a report on the mail 2 weeks later. I found many errors that I have disputed. They tell me I can only put a statement in with them, Online, you can only pick one of the choices which do not fit. They just updated my old debts, thanks to my pulling them, and updated them, saying they are now extended 3 more years and are valid. I should have left them alone.
cece 2 years ago
Thanks for sharing the experience. Consumers should understand that old trade lines (good or bad) can appear anytime provided the are accurate and timely.
CK Moderator
OMG!!! THAT IS REALLY FOUL THAT THEY WOULD UPDATE AND EXTEND YOUR OLD DEBTS!!! WHAT THE HELL, MAN?!? EXTREME BOGUSNESS!! THANK YOU FOR THE HEADS UP, THOUGH.
chanlya 1 year ago
I thought that once it had a start date it automaticaqLLy falls off after 7 years no matter what. I guess you have to leave everythinga lone it seems for about ten years then you might have improvement... the laws have seemed to change
happycat2010 10 months ago
What happens is that after they investigate the debt, if they find the debt to be accurate they will update the information. Doing so, the debt is extended. Sometimes it works out in your favor and the debt will simply be deleted from your credit report.
rangcapan5 10 months ago
Have your old debts reached the full 7 year drop-off limit?
scamps218 5 months ago
I want to pay off my bad debts/collections, but I do not get anything in the mail anymore. Where do I start?
scottstahley 2 years ago
You can get a list of all your debts and collection accounts by accessing your credit score at annualcreditreport.com. There should be a listing of each account and the payment address and telephone number. From that point you can contact each agency personally and confirm total payoff balances and make arrangements for payment.
mandabee 2 years ago
let them go if you pay them now they will show as late pay forever. debt can only be reported for 7 years wait it out unless they have judgement on you thats 10 and if thats the case your better off filling BK to clean it up quick and start over. BK should be the last option.
chadlee68 6 months ago
Don't do it. I once paid off a bad debt that went to collections and the next month it appeared on my credit report showing as a late payment for an extra 7 years dragging down my score worse than it was before. If anything goes to collections let it stay there.
marsham33 3 months ago
I agree with "mzeisberg" - particularly with credit card companies and how they report. I enrolled in a payment partnership program with one of my credit card companies, instigated by them in an effort to help me catch back up with my debt, and they set up a year's worth of automatic payments. Through a system error, they kicked me out of the program because I was "late on a payment". When I called, they said "oh, our mistake", but I noticed they still reported that to the credit bureaus and I still got charged a late fee. When I called to correct it they said "No problem, taken care of". I received a credit for the late fee, but unfortunately my credit score continued to decline. The following month I got another call because I was two months behind! I explained the earlier snafu and the guy said "Oh, well I see the note, but they never fixed the problem. I'm going to have to re-enroll you in the program". So now I have TWO payments automatically deducted from my account, though he assured me only one would come out - just a huge mess! All the while, I am still racking up fees and negativity on my credit score. No matter who I call and explain the situation to, no one seems to understand or care. And when I ask about how it will affect my credit score, they all say it won't have any effect.
insomniac419 2 years ago
Never, ever, ever, ever (couldn't say it enough) give out your bank or other account details for auto-payment for any debt you are behind on. They will do what ever they want knowing you are in trouble. If they mess up, your risk, your problem. Only way out of this if they do not agree to help fix it is to contact you state Attorney General or court.
brighterfuture 1 week ago
When I turned 18 I got 2 credit cards and racked up $2000 in debt. Then when I add the rest of it up (not including my cost of living) I'm at just over 5,500. With my job I only have about $200 a month after I pay all of the bills for the month. I am getting a second job (Ya know, when I can obtian one)...but out of opinion would it be easier for me to delare bankruptsy and begin building my credit right away or to go the other way and just start payin off the bills? My score now is 528 :(
shammyshay 2 years ago
Don't declare bankruptcy for a $5500 debt obligation. You are already looking for a second job to help increase your available income. With a little creativity in your spending (buying generic food products, cutting out unnecessary expenses like cable tv, and dining out (and home phone if you have a cell), living with family members or getting a roommate, etc.), you could wipe out your debt pretty quickly.
Use the debt snowball method to pay off your lowest balance or highest interest rate debt first, then go to the next lowest balance or next highest interest rate debt, and so on. Even if you can only funnel $100 or $150 a month to paying off your debt, that's $150 a month you no longer owe to your creditors. As soon as you get another job, you should immediately adjust your debt repayments appropriately--if you're making $500 extra a month, pay $500 extra toward your debt. You can do this!!
mandabee 2 years ago
I am in the same position. As soon as I turned 18 I got credit cards that were adverised at my school and I just racked up so much debt between Student Loans and credit cards. To be honest I don't even know who I actually owe money to.
Mau477092 8 months ago
Don't declare bankruptcy, the debt is not large enough to justify that. You don't want that appearing on your credit report for the next 10 years, better to just make the minimum payments, get an extra job and make more than minimums.
marsham33 3 months ago
same as first. turned 18 and got to cards and than I had my baby and lost myjob all at the same time. I had paymnt protection butwhen I called they said since I was already late there was nothing they could do. Now I have to hideous cards on my credit report and I had never been late until I lost my job I even tried to send some money a month, but witha baby thats hard. I have been trying to find some way to fix it they are now 1,200 a piece. could i slowly pay them off would hat even help or just waste money.
lil0sister 2 years ago
Here is a little advise for all of the people out there. When you co-sign a loan for someone else...be it your spouse or children..please remember that it affects your score as well. Because of 3 car loans and a mortgage that i co-signed for my credit score went from an 810 to a 549 they defaulted and i couldnt afford to take on the payments. Please think before you co-sign for anyone.
bill48632 2 years ago
Very good advice
CK Moderator