Help with increasing credit score

[absentee]

Hello. We're currently working on my fiancee's credit and we pulled his credit through Experian by purchasing a the 3 Bureau Credit Report that has Experian, Tranunion and Equifax. It also gives the credit score for all 3 agencies. His current scores are 650, 597, 597 and only has 4 negative on his account. He told me he had more than that but it has been over 10 years and most likely were deleted.

How do we increase the rest of his credit score specifically from Equifax and Transunion (both 597) Would it be advisable to just pay off the debts or would it better to dispute it?

I also noticed that he was approved when Verizon Wireless used Experian to check for his credit but all other credit companies denied him for a credit line. I believe paying off Verizon on time has helped him get the 650 with Experian. We want to work on getting his score up with the other two. Any suggestions?

I have attached an image of the 4 negatives on his account.

[Hal Jordan]

It's not that much money. I have two small collection accounts listed on my credit reports also. I am offering them a pay for delete in the full amount they have posted.

Basically I wrote them a letter saying I dispute the debt and don't believe it's mine however in an effort to save everyones time and money I will pay the full amount they have listed on my records ONLY if they will delete them and agree to never post them again, sell them to or discuss the agreement with any third parties. I included a copy of a contract (not signed by me. never ever give em a signature ever) and gave em 15 days to send it back via certified mail or to email me a legible signed copy. I agreed if they do this to send them a money order or cashiers check for the full amount within 10 days of receipt of the sigend contract.

If they don't then I plan on just disputing them and sending debt validation letters.

Don't ever pay a collection agency unless they give you a signed statement agreeing to pay for delete. It does not help your credit score to have a paid collection on your account. A collection looks equally bad if it's paid or if it's unpaid. This is a good bargaining tool. I have read that this is better to do toward the end of the month when employees are trying to meet quotas but who knows if that's true or not.

Bottom line, they buy these for pennies on the dollar and they make a ton of money if you agree to pay the full amount of the debt and are MUCH more likely to do a pfd if you offer them the full amount or close to the full amount owed (as low as your fiance's amount is I would offer a full pfd offer.

Here is the contract I attatched to my request

AGREEMENT TO COMPROMISE DEBT

ABC Collections, Inc, referred to as COLLECTION AGENCY and John Q. Consumer, referred to as CONSUMER, agree to resolve the matter of the alleged debt, originally held by the ______________________ Company, hereafter referred to as the CLIENT. CONSUMER hereby agrees to settle this alleged debt claimed by COLLECTION AGENCY on the following terms and conditions:

The COLLECTION AGENCY certifies that it is legally authorized to act in behalf of its CLIENT and that any agreement that the COLLECTION AGENCY makes on behalf of CLIENT is legally binding on the CLIENT.

The COLLECTION AGENCY and the CONSUMER agree that alleged debt is $_____________.00 (_____________ & 00/100 dollars). While the CONSUMER feels that validity of the debt has not been proved by the COLLECTION AGENCY, the parties agree that the COLLECTION AGENCY shall accept the sum of $_________.00 (___________ & no/100 dollars) as full payment on the debt. The acceptance of the payment will serve as a complete discharge of all monies due, and the COLLECTION AGENCY agrees to consider the debt paid in full and agrees to not take further action to collect on the alleged debt. The payment shall be made in the form of a cashier's check or money order.

Upon payment of the $_______.00, the COLLECTION AGENCY agrees to remove any listing or information that the COLLECTION AGENCY may have placed on the CONSUMER'S credit report. The COLLECTION AGENCY agrees to never at any time in the future place any information on the CONSUMER'S credit report.

Should the COLLECTION AGENCY fail to remove the listing from Experian, Equifax and Transunion or reinsert it at a later date, the COLLECTION AGENCY agrees to award liquidated damages of $1,000 to CONSUMER.

This compromise is expressly conditioned upon the payment being received by . If the CONSUMER fails to pay the compromised amount by , this contract will be immediately terminated.

The person signing this agreement, __________________________________, hereby declares that he/she is authorized to act as an agent of the COLLECTION AGENCY.

This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors, and assignees.

Dated:

Legal Representitive of ABC Collections, Inc. Signature: ____________

Signature: ____________
(John Q. Consumer)

[Hal Jordan]

However, you can always go the route of the 1-2 punch and see if that works for you. (You can search here for specific instructions on how to do that)

With the older stuff I would just dispute them them will all three CRA's and send DV letters to the CA's and OC's too.

[bartmc]

As an added note, the numbers you pulled from Experian are used by virtually lenders. FICO has the real scores that the bank uses (But not Experian... You can't get those). They will give you a good idea though but they can be wildly different.

Also, I disputed off an old negative and my score went DOWN because it was really old and was keeping my average account age up.