Help!!! On the quest for better credit

[Stressed]

Hello to all. I'm on a quest to get better credit. I have a few negative items on my credit report. Like 2, 30 days late and like 2 derogatory items that are in collections. I make pretty decent money. About 70k a year. I want to buy a how in the near future. But I can't even get a decent credit card. Now I have some good lines, with good payment history. It's just the bad history making me look real bad. I've read alot of questions and answers on this forum, but now I want to handle this on my own. Last year I paid a credit repair company, and they got like 2 things removed. Now I want to handle this situation on my own. So everyone wish me luck and I will keep everyone updated on the results!

[Trish]

Welcome and Good Luck.

The lates are probably hurting you the most.
You may want to try a goodwill call or letter to those companies....

[Stressed]

So the lates hurt more than the derogatory(collections)?

[Trish]

Well, don't get me wrong, they are both hurting you......but usually lates are harder on your scores and look worse to potential lenders. Not to mention they are a bit more difficult to get off.

IMO, CAs are easier to deal with and get deleted because they usually violate the laws AND they really just want to get paid.......so you have a better chance of bargaining with them.

[markymw]

Originally Posted by Stressed

Hello to all. I'm on a quest to get better credit. I have a few negative items on my credit report. Like 2, 30 days late and like 2 derogatory items that are in collections. I make pretty decent money. About 70k a year. I want to buy a how in the near future. But I can't even get a decent credit card. Now I have some good lines, with good payment history. It's just the bad history making me look real bad. I've read alot of questions and answers on this forum, but now I want to handle this on my own. Last year I paid a credit repair company, and they got like 2 things removed. Now I want to handle this situation on my own. So everyone wish me luck and I will keep everyone updated on the results!

everyone thinks credit repair companies have a contact that can pull strings with, i was with a few repair shops and they do remove and update accounts,it takes 6-8 months pending how recent your lates are.... the trick is u have to get all 3 bureaus to remove the items.. using a company can get spendy at 35 a month, they only send out your disputes every 60 days !! best tactic is dispute every 30 days ...

[markymw]

Originally Posted by Trish

Well, don't get me wrong, they are both hurting you......but usually lates are harder on your scores and look worse to potential lenders. Not to mention they are a bit more difficult to get off.

IMO, CAs are easier to deal with and get deleted because they usually violate the laws AND they really just want to get paid.......so you have a better chance of bargaining with them.

dont even waste your time dealing with the credit bureaus, they disregard the law , FTC doesn't do anything about the complaints ...Go after the credit companies have the m validate your accounts... Equifax has my BK listed twice , i've sent them dozens of letters , they wont remove it.... may have to go back with lexington law in a few months, had goodluck them last year...

[markymw]

Originally Posted by Stressed

So the lates hurt more than the derogatory(collections)?

an unpaid collection you wont beable to rent or buy a car ,,,, consistant lates are bad , 1 isnt going to destroy ur credit....

[Trish]

Originally Posted by markymw

dont even waste your time dealing with the credit bureaus, they disregard the law , FTC doesn't do anything about the complaints ...Go after the credit companies have the m validate your accounts... Equifax has my BK listed twice , i've sent them dozens of letters , they wont remove it.... may have to go back with lexington law in a few months, had goodluck them last year...

The purpose of filing an FTC complaint, whether it is against a CRA or a CA, is NOT to have the FTC "do something", they do NOT "do" anything unless and until they have a BUNCH of disputes against the same CA or CRA, ( that's how some of the worst CA's got shot down eventually).

However, in the case of CRA's there is a "scoring system" in place under FACTA, and the CRA's do NOT like to have complaints against them on record,as it lowers their "score". They can get "credit" if they FIX the problem, which is why you send them a redispute with a copy of the filed FTC complaint.

For the above in red - I'm assuming you mean the Collection Agencies.......right?
Your post is a bit confusing........but IMO, it is never a waste of time to dispute something with the CRAs that is incorrect.. If the CRAs disregard the laws, and you have proof of it, you can do ALOT more than an FTC complaint.
That's why it's important to dispute via certified mail.....NOT online.......NOT by phone. Make sure to keep a good paper trail......just in case that does happen.

[chane]

I completely agree with Trish. "Dealing with the credit bureaus" should always be the first move and filing complaints when they disregard the law is a very valuable strategy.

Always remember that the squeaky wheel gets the oil. About the time that they figure out that you are not just going to "go away and forget about it" is about the time they start to do whatever it takes to get you to shut up.

With that said, you always want to choose your battles wisely and you never want to annoy anyone more than you have to. Always ask nicely first. Politeness, kindness and even flattery go a long way in situations like this.

However, if you refuse to be ignored, sometimes you have to be the squeaky wheel. Make sure you never get caught up and take it to the point of harassment or any other illegal/immoral tactic.

[markymw]

Originally Posted by Trish

The purpose of filing an FTC complaint, whether it is against a CRA or a CA, is NOT to have the FTC "do something", they do NOT "do" anything unless and until they have a BUNCH of disputes against the same CA or CRA, ( that's how some of the worst CA's got shot down eventually).

However, in the case of CRA's there is a "scoring system" in place under FACTA, and the CRA's do NOT like to have complaints against them on record,as it lowers their "score". They can get "credit" if they FIX the problem, which is why you send them a redispute with a copy of the filed FTC complaint.

For the above in red - I'm assuming you mean the Collection Agencies.......right?
Your post is a bit confusing........but IMO, it is never a waste of time to dispute something with the CRAs that is incorrect.. If the CRAs disregard the laws, and you have proof of it, you can do ALOT more than an FTC complaint.
That's why it's important to dispute via certified mail.....NOT online.......NOT by phone. Make sure to keep a good paper trail......just in case that does happen.

I meant Dispute with the credit card companies, i have no collections.. Experian has ignored my disputes for 4 months, i sent them another one recently , where or how do i get them to respond?? You talking about civil court??

I agree ,dispute with the credit bureaus first , but those stall letters and those "previously verified letters" get old ,, Example, i have had a car loan thats been paid now for 5 years, i was late 120 days, i've been trying to get that removed....I was able to get it off of my equifax report ..