Hi, all!! Just started year two of my BK13 plan, and all is well, so I thought I'd look into my credit reports and see about strengthening my score. Read throught a great many of the threads here, but there are still some questions I have. Any suggestions would be welcome!!
First, I noticed that the three biggies use a score that they call the "VantageScore", and not FICO. Is this the new big thing, or what? I paid $5.95 from Experian to get my VantageScore (685), but I'm hesitant to pay the $15.95 from MYFICO.COM if FICO is the same thing. What do you think?
Second, I noticed that my Experian credit report mentions nothing about my BK13, except that one account says "Debt included in Bankruptcy/Account charged off". My TransUnion credit report has a big ol' section called "Public Records" with my BK13 right there. Should I expect the Experian (and possibly Equifax) to catch up, should I not be bothered at all, or what?
Next, about "cleaning up" addresses, accounts, etc. My Experian has some old addresses listed several times, in different forms. One includes the "South" on a street name, another doesn't; one includes an apartment number, one doesn't, and so on. Should I make an effort to get these cleaned up, or are they pretty much irrelevent? It's pretty obvious to someone taking the time to look at it that they're all just typos/sloppy reporting, but to an automated system... ??
I have a couple accounts right now that are at zero balance, but still open (ones that were not included in my BK13). Should I leave these alone, or close them? What's best for my credit? I've read that keeping them alive but at zero is preferable to closing them, since that's used to calculate credit scores. What do you think?
I included MBNA (now BofA) in my Bk13, but they never filed. That account now shows "Debt included in bankruptcy/Account charged off". Should I fight to get the "Account charged off" removed, or is that in their right to have that there? I'm assuming there's nothing I can do about the "Debt included in Bankruptcy".
I also included HFC in my BK13, and they did file on it. However, the Experian report just shows "Transferred, closed/Account charged off" in the status and "Purchased by another lender" in the notes, with a charge off on July, 2007. Last date to file was in Jan 2007, so are these notes on this account kosher? Seems wrong to me. "Purchased by another lender" seven months AFTER final date to file?
Am I jumping the gun trying to start a rebuild now?
Any thoughts welcome! Thanks!
Steve
First, I noticed that the three biggies use a score that they call the "VantageScore", and not FICO. Is this the new big thing, or what? I paid $5.95 from Experian to get my VantageScore (685), but I'm hesitant to pay the $15.95 from MYFICO.COM if FICO is the same thing. What do you think?
Second, I noticed that my Experian credit report mentions nothing about my BK13, except that one account says "Debt included in Bankruptcy/Account charged off". My TransUnion credit report has a big ol' section called "Public Records" with my BK13 right there. Should I expect the Experian (and possibly Equifax) to catch up, should I not be bothered at all, or what?
Next, about "cleaning up" addresses, accounts, etc. My Experian has some old addresses listed several times, in different forms. One includes the "South" on a street name, another doesn't; one includes an apartment number, one doesn't, and so on. Should I make an effort to get these cleaned up, or are they pretty much irrelevent? It's pretty obvious to someone taking the time to look at it that they're all just typos/sloppy reporting, but to an automated system... ??
I have a couple accounts right now that are at zero balance, but still open (ones that were not included in my BK13). Should I leave these alone, or close them? What's best for my credit? I've read that keeping them alive but at zero is preferable to closing them, since that's used to calculate credit scores. What do you think?
I included MBNA (now BofA) in my Bk13, but they never filed. That account now shows "Debt included in bankruptcy/Account charged off". Should I fight to get the "Account charged off" removed, or is that in their right to have that there? I'm assuming there's nothing I can do about the "Debt included in Bankruptcy".
I also included HFC in my BK13, and they did file on it. However, the Experian report just shows "Transferred, closed/Account charged off" in the status and "Purchased by another lender" in the notes, with a charge off on July, 2007. Last date to file was in Jan 2007, so are these notes on this account kosher? Seems wrong to me. "Purchased by another lender" seven months AFTER final date to file?
Am I jumping the gun trying to start a rebuild now?
Any thoughts welcome! Thanks!
Steve
Comment