Credit Help Please

**qtkitty** · 05-30-2009, 10:13 PM

I need to get my credit back into good standing, of course it never was great, because i never had any credit to begin with.

But the debt that i incured with my ex i need to pay off.

How does one find out what and where they owe things and what their credit score is? Also gawd forbid if someone has used my credit to their gain how do i go about fixing that ( just got a baaaad feeling, but hoping since i had poor credit it wasnt possible )?

Anyways, i'm starting a job monday and have already been given hints that if i can get clearance i can move up. I know my credit will stand in the way of that, so i need to fix that and Pronto!

For now with out knowing exactly whats going on nor exactly how much i will be making per pay ... going with my typical 0 deductions on taxes( so i get back and never have to pay in , usually end up with a good bit coming back doing this seems to help with saving ) , will look into insurance ect for both me and lil bit, i don't yet know if they have a 401K amount they will match ( but i think that there is so i need to start putting in what ever they will match if they do .. am almost 30 that clocks ticking a little to fast towards retirement *l*)... but i figure for now i will just divide my check into 1/3.

1/3 for Ellen and I to live off of Gas for me, diapers for her, help pay for food at my mom's and also a little at my grams since she will be baby sat by them til summer vacation while im looking around at child care, and a little to help mom with bills, few new clothes to look presentable for me as well( i hate buying for myself expecially clothes Bleck ).

1/3 to save back ( if anything else needs fixed on my car * knocks on every bit of wood close to me */saving to move out YAY/ emergency fund/ car insurance next year)

and of course
1/3 to pay off debt ( which is school loans and past utility debt only.. i never did get any credit cards or anything )

**McD** · 05-30-2009, 10:48 PM

You can check each of your three reports (Experian, Equifax, and erugh I am blanking on the name of the other credit bureau) annually at no costs to you at www.annualcreditreport.com

You have to pay for the actual score if you want it, but it's a reputable site and is what I use to monitor Zac and I's credit reports for accuracy and fraud.

A good way to get started fixing your credit is paying off any of the collections, charge-offs, etc. on your reports. Then, I would get a secured credit card with a low limit (300-500) dollars and make a small purchase with it and pay it in full every month.

There is no quick fix to a credit report. When Zac and I applied for our mortgage in '07, he had no credit score. He just had dashes. It's taken 2 years, but by getting a card with a small balance, having him as a joint signer on car loans etc, we have built his credit up to the high 6's and it just keeps going up.

Hope that helps.

**qtkitty** · 05-31-2009, 12:34 AM

Wow .. as it looks my credit isnt as bad as i thought it was ... PHEW ...

If i say the government is going to take out 1/3 of my check for taxes and im left with 2/3 ..... then divide that into thirds ... i will be paying off all my debt other then school loans in 7 months. Not great, but better then i thought. Then school loans will take conciterably longer to work on.

**McD** · 05-31-2009, 11:25 AM

Student loans are not considered to be 'bad debt'. Personally, I think of them as 'not so bad debt'. The reason being is that the interest paid on student loans is tax deductible, just like your mortgage interest. Interest paid on cars, credit cards, etc. just goes straight to the company with no real benefit to you.

Also, I wanted to clarify something in my post. I meant Zac has a credit card with a small limit. He puts stuff on there occasionally, like if he buys something online or presents for me that he doesn't want me to see where we got them. Then we pay them in full every month. That has helped his credit score tremendously.

**qtkitty** · 06-01-2009, 03:55 AM

*l* well my school loans would have been way less if i hadn't spent more then a few years unable to pay and consolidated ect. It has basically doubled what i owe Ugh. They added the interest to the prime which makes it killer!!

Right now i owe 19000some for student loans and almost 2500 in other debt thats on my credit sheet ( Almost 500 being dr bills where my ex mil talked me into going to the dr and swore she would pay, and one other charge for 400 that i have being checked)

I also have one thing still on the bad credit side says its been paid and is closed and another that says refinanced and closed, then they are paid and closed shouldnt they drop off?

I would really hate to get a credit card right now, they can switch things up to easily on you. I would like to wait on that til after congress gets done with the cc bill ( course i think the whole carrying guns in the state parks is going to hold it back )

**Judi Dial** · 06-01-2009, 08:11 AM

Check your credit reports as folks have said above. The website myfico.com has a cc caluculator where you can "play" with numbers and see paying who/what affects your credit score the best or worst. That's free.

They SELL a Suze ORzman software pkg, but if you look, the reviews are mixed. Some people love it, and some consider it a rip-off. But the cc calculator can be used for free (or it was free the last time I looked anyway!)

Judi