| Who else needs to improve their credit score? Are | | | | therefore were listed as such) |
| you sick and tired of being rejected for credit on | | | | Step #3: I compared the items on my report...with the |
| account of a FICO score that would make ANY | | | | actual hard copy records I had maintained of the very |
| banker balk? If you are anything like I used to be, the | | | | same accounts. Very often (in over 80% of the |
| thought of sharing your credit report with strangers | | | | cases) the information I had was DIFFERENT than |
| when applying for loans, credit or even an apartment | | | | that which was being reported by the bureaus. When I |
| to rent is enough to give you an anxiety attack for | | | | was certain MY record was right (almost every time) I |
| sure. | | | | marked these items for dispute. |
| The truth? My credit was SO bad.....I literally avoided | | | | Step #4: I filed disputes on all of the erroneous |
| just about any scenario that would require me to | | | | information identified in step #3..:-) I broke it down a bit |
| having to reveal it, meaning I lost out on so many | | | | in a specific sequence that would be hard to explain |
| opportunities in life that it was truly sickening. | | | | here (I didn't file everything at once) and waited for the |
| For example....I wouldn't apply for a job when I knew | | | | results. Note: I used my OWN letters (never use the |
| my score would be pulled. I was afraid to go | | | | credit bureaus letter template) and hired NO expensive |
| apartment hunting with my girlfriend...because I didn't | | | | attorneys or credit repair clinics. |
| want her to think I was a "loser". I simply curled up in a | | | | Step #5:Whatever came OFF my report per the |
| corner and thought I could "wait it out" and re-emerge | | | | disputes above... I celebrated with a little victory dance |
| BACK into society when my 7 years of credit | | | | :-) Whatever did NOT come off... I remitted a follow up |
| purgatory and punishment were done. | | | | dispute... using MORE aggressive language, and where |
| Suffice it to say.....at some point, I was forced into | | | | appropriate, little bits of "proof" from the examples in |
| getting my act together, simply because the people in | | | | my own records. |
| my life at the time pushed me hard enough to get | | | | The bottom line is... |
| over it. I spent a lot of time, effort, energy and income | | | | Within 90 days, enough bad items had been removed |
| on learning everything I could about credit scoring and | | | | to increase my score a whopping 90 points. After 6 |
| credit repair...and endeavored to turn my situation | | | | months of follow up? About 180 points or so of |
| around, and make it happen in a hurry. | | | | improvement...which as many of you know, is quite |
| Here is how I raised my score from the mid 550's......to | | | | extraordinary and gave me EXCELLENT credit to |
| OVER a 640 in 90 days (and eventually got it well into | | | | boot! (for the first time in my adult life!) I used a credit |
| the mid 700's in less than 6 months!) | | | | monitoring service to keep "tabs" on my score going |
| Step #1: I ordered my credit reports AND my scores. | | | | forward as well... just in case ANY negative items |
| (you can do this all online) | | | | recurred, I'd be notified about them right away. (as time |
| Step #2: I made a list of ALL the derogatory items on | | | | is obviously of the essence!) |
| my report...and listed them from MOST severe to | | | | You can do ALL of this for yourself.....and without |
| LEAST severe. The most severe are public records | | | | having to buy any expensive information or hiring any |
| like bankruptcy, liens and judgements, to charge off's, | | | | expensive legal support. The ONLY thing you need is |
| and so forth. 30 day late's and inquiries are at the | | | | a copy of your credit report...and a genuine desire to |
| bottom of the rung when it comes to "negatives".....and | | | | have excellent credit! |