My husband and I would like to buy a house in the next year. My score is 628 according to creditkarma. I would like to get it above 700, or at least 660.
From what I can tell my credit report isn't all that bad. I expect it to go up when a negative drops off (a judgment that was wrongly made but I figured it would be easier to let it fall off on it's own then to fight it), and when two hard checks fall off. All three of those things should happen in the next couple of months.
Another negative that just showed up last month is a supposed "medical bill" but I have never not paid a medical bill so I told the CRA and hopefully that will be removed soon.
Then my biggest problem is a student loan which I am still trying to figure out. Once I do Ill post more details.
Everything else is good although most of them are joint with my husband but I have a couple that are just mine. I do not currently have any open credit cards in my just name. I also do not have very many accounts or anything big like a car. I also do not have any income since I am a SAHM.
Is there anything I should/could do to get my score up?
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Well..I'll give you some 'personal' advice (this works for me, anyway..LOL). If you know a few items are going to 'fall off', then let them do so. THAT, RIGHT THERE will improve your score a bit (I'm assuming they are 'negative' debts). Student loans can be tough to deal with...are you paying monthly on it/them? Is the student loan past due? Also...whatever else you are paying on (loans, etc), just keep paying on them. When you do this, your debt goes down. while your credit score will go up. Hope this helps.
I am letting the one neg (the judgment) fall off.
the student loan needs it's own thread I am afraid. I got it over ten years ago. But I didn't know (my parents took it out in my name, I thought they were using other money).
"are you paying monthly on it/them?" no. I don't think I have ever paid it. but the credit report says I paid something in 2005.
"Is the student loan past due?" oddly, no. It has been in deferment I guess.
the annoying part of it is that I think the original amount was $1400 (or $2100, I have records of both, I really don't know) but they are currently saying the total is $3600. I tried to pay it in full when I first found out about it waaaaay back in 2000. I was told I could not. I tried again in 2007, but I think I did it wrong as I didn't hear back from them. I do not want to pay interest since I did offer to pay in full a long time ago and I feel I was told I could not because they just wanted the interest. Another thing that confuses me is that I have several different companies in my records. The current company is Direct Loans, they say they have only had it since 2003.
I don't pay on anything. I don't have a job so I tend to avoid things that require being paid. Everything that is being paid monthly is my husbands since he does have a job.
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Can you prove that you had no idea the loan was in your name? ..I'm NOT saying you DIDN'T know, I'm just asking. A Deferment?..you can have this up to a year at a time (Idid that, a few times, with my Student loan). If your CR states there was a payment made in 2005, maybe you can find out who made the payment, if you don't remember making one yourself. Just giving you some 'ideas to work with'.
I was thinking of getting a validation, you can do that even though it is a student loan right? I might have made the payment and just don't remember. I do remember not knowing about the loan because the first week of school we had a mandatory lecture we all had to attend that was about student loans. I remember a lot of scare tactics and threats and thinking "this doesn't apply to me". And then 6 months later being called to the financing office and told to get my parents tax return to turn in, I was like "why?" and then they told me I needed to redo the student loan.
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"Redo the loan?"....why did they mean by that? To re-finance it,etc? Did you get your parents Tax inforamtion? You can ask for a Validation for anything. When you get more information, AMI, I would like an 'update' on your findings..thanks.
well I guess "redo" was the wrong word. They needed it because it was a new tax year. No, I didn't get it. I asked if I could just pay it as i had just gotten an inheritance. They said I could so I wrote a check. I also asked if I could pay the loan then since I had the money. They said no.
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Hi Ami,
The first thing you should do is ask the CA to show you the proof that they have the power to collect the debt from you. If they fail send them a "cease and desist letter". Mention that you wish to deal with the original creditor. If they do not comply you can sue them under FDCPA rule.
After this you can contact the original creditor and ask for a debt validation. A debt validation can be asked for, on any kind of loans and debts. After getting the details, if you think that you really owe the debt, then go ahead and make a settlement with them and pay the dues according to the settlement.
Other than this to improve the credit score just let the negatives go off your account. As you have decided go on paying the other dues as much as possible. You should be sure that you don't default on any of the dues.
Regards,
Aaron