Cleaning Up Your Credit Report

[HHM]

We should have our discharge in the next week and I am going to want to start fixing our credit report. It was listed Ratings NOT TO Accept: BANKRUPTCY, DISCHARGED BY BANKRUPTCY, CONSUMER COUNSELING, DISPUTE AFTER RESOLUTION, DISMISSED, UNPAID, MAKING PAYMENTS, SKIP, WAGE EARNER BANKRUPTCY.

My question is if it is listed as one of the above, such as discharged in bankruptcy how could you get them to not report that way? I have several that say included in wage earner plan. This is because I originally filed chapter 13 and then coverted to chapter 7. Do creditors really report as "paid as agreed" when they were included in a bankruptcy? I guess I assumed that they would report as Discharged in Bankruptcy and that that's what you wanted them to. If I am planning on getting a home right away, already preapproved, would it be in my best interest to wait until I have closed on the home before trying to change my credit report? I dont' want inquiries to show up because we are just barely qualifying/

Your instincts are right, if your debt was "really" discharged in BK, its a true and accurate statement about your account and will not be removed once verified. Yes, its a negative entry, what credit repair agencies attempt to do is to overwhelm the system with disputes in the hope that the creditor will not verify the entry which then requires the credit agency to remove the entry. But often times, when the creditor audits their accounts, it gets put back on.

[pharmd4me]

question about verbage on credit report

Sorry if this creates another thread that has already been addressed and feel free to move it to the correct spot, however I haven't seen this question directly addressed to my knowledge. I had a bankruptcy discharged in march of 04 and for whatever reason I am now going over my report to disput negative things ( I figured I wouldn't apply for credit because that is what put me in the place I was anyway). I have already had a collections account deleted from one report so I know this is working. My question though. I have read on this site about all bankruptcy discharged accounts should read "discharged in bankruptcy" and zero balance next to them. However a decent amount of my accounts read "included or discharged in bankruptcy BUT many of them also say 90 days or 150 days late! Now this seems like a double whammy to me. Should I refute these only to say discharged in bankruptcy because to my knowledge since the judge puts a "stay" on the disputed accounts and my laywer told me to stop paying on all accounts I didn't want..how can they report me as being late since technically they are "in limbo" while the case is being tried? Please advise. Also my fico are in the mid to upper 500's and I have less than 8 years of a credit history. Is this good post bankruptcy for my limited credit file?

Thanks,
Jeff

[HHM]

"included or discharged in bankruptcy" that statement is an acceptable entry regarding discharge. As for the past due entries, certainly dispute them, but, if the 90 days past due reflects the payment history BEFORE you filed BK, its a true and accurate statement about you payment history and payment history is typically tracked for 2 years, and negative payment history can be reported for up to 7 years. However, if the 90 days past due is for a time period AFTER you filed BK, then there is a problem and you must dispute that.

[pharmd4me]

These problems only occured during the time between filing the petition and the actual meeting of creditors. It seems that even though my lawyers told these creditors about my bankruptcy filing and to honor the "stay" by the judge, they got back at me by filing that I had missed payments when in fact I didn't pay them during this time because I didn't have to. I was current on payments up to filing so this should be removed IMO. Do you think by removing this "late" info that it really will make a difference to my FICO, since technically it cannot be anyworse than the bankruptcy itself. Thanks

[HHM]

Yeah, payment history is a MAJOR factor in determining you credit score, so if the late payment entries relate to post petition missed paymens, you should definately dispute those entries as, in my humble opinion, they are not accurate.

[tinroofrusted]

These problems only occured during the time between filing the petition and the actual meeting of creditors. It seems that even though my lawyers told these creditors about my bankruptcy filing and to honor the "stay" by the judge, they got back at me by filing that I had missed payments when in fact I didn't pay them during this time because I didn't have to. I was current on payments up to filing so this should be removed IMO. Do you think by removing this "late" info that it really will make a difference to my FICO, since technically it cannot be anyworse than the bankruptcy itself. Thanks

Well I can comment on this one!

I disputed all of my accounts showing past due payments, stating that it was included in bankruptcy, and all but TWO were REMOVED! (Walmart and Sam's club are giving me a hard time now....)

So I say go for it!

[king_rks]

Some of my wifes accounts are only saying charged off instead of Bankruptcy. Another CR says bankruptcy on some accounts and another CR has one account paid off in good standing. Should I leave them alone or dispute them to say included in bankruptcy? We've been discharged for 6 months now.

[robivi3]

I am having a problem with Sams Club also. I'm not bucking for removal. just accuracy. I'll take removal if i it comes as a result of their failure though. The whole thing is a sham. THEY DON"T INVESTIGATE ANYTHING.

[tinroofrusted]

I am having a problem with Sams Club also. I'm not bucking for removal. just accuracy. I'll take removal if i it comes as a result of their failure though. The whole thing is a sham. THEY DON"T INVESTIGATE ANYTHING.

File a complaint with the BBB against both Sam's and the Bureau... that should help clear it up....

[tinroofrusted]

I want to add this on today.

I can not stress the importance of this enough.

Absolutely, positively, DO NOT dispute online. DON'T DO IT. You have no evidence of it being done, and it's the evil bureaus word against yours.

Make sure to document EVERYTHING. And I mean everything. ESPECIALLY when dealing with Transunion. Send everything certified, and save copies of anything that you send them. Don't bother calling them either. The reps they have don't speak a word of English, and you can't understand them.

I found out today that Transunion isn't releasing to me my credit score. Now I am fighting mad and furious.

PLEASE document everything when disputing. Then if it needs to be taken care of legally, you have the proof to go after them for breaking the law.

[king_rks]

Not reaffirming a motorcycle

I'm still paying on a newer motorcycle and did not reaffirm. My CR's state that it was included in the bankruptcy. They show a zero balance and no record of my continued payments. Are the CR's suppose to show my activity on this account? If they aren't, should I call Honda Finance and ask them to start reporting to the CR's? Or wil they not even do that?

Thanks for your input.

[Kam]

If I understand this correctly

Okay, so all accounts that were discharged in BK should report that way, and not show any balances or collection activity during the BK period? These accounts should also show no previous history since they were IIB (according to previous posts?)

For example, this is how my Experian report is showing:


Beneficial: 6/05 120, 7/05 120, 8/05 120, 9/05 CO, past due: 6557.00, Status: Charge-off

CAP1: 5/05 CO, 6/05 CO, 7/05 CO, 8/05 CO, past due: , Status: IIB

CAP1: 6/05 OK, 7/05 30, 8/05 CO, past due: , Status: IIB

Sears: 6/05 30, 7/05 60, 8/05 CO, past due: , Status: IIB

HSBC Auto: 6/05 90, past due: 909, Status: past due 90 days, amt owed: 6505.00.

HSBC NV: 6/05 CO, past due: , Status: IIB, transferred to another lender or claim purchased.

HSBC NV: 6/05 CO, past due: , Status: IIB, transferred to another lender or claim purchased.

Spiegel: 6/05 CO, 7/05 CO, 8/05 CO, Past due: , Status: IIB

Would these creditors be held liable for reporting to the CRB during the BK stay? We were discharged on 11/1.

Thanks for any help.

Kam

[sobroke]

I noticed on my credit report that a lot of my accounts that should be closed are not. They are open and in the pay status it states paid ($0). Should I have these accounts changed to 'closed'? or is this helping my cr in any way? I would hate to have these accounts closed and then my credit score go down. Should I just leave it alone? HELP!

[babycakes]

I have a weird situation and I'm not sure what's the best thing to do to help my credit report. My exH filed ch13 last Nov and since we had a car that was initially bought joint, his ch13 affected my credit. I traded in the car in March 05, checked my TL which said paid as agreed $0. I filed ch7 in July and then they changed the car TL to me filing Ch 13. I disputed that TL and they verified that I filed ch13 in May 05. I disputed again stating that I didn't file ch13 nor did I have the car in May, but they verified again that I did. Should I keep pursuing this or will it really matter?

Cliff note version:

Nov 04 - exH filed ch 13, joint acct Ford
March 05 - traded car in, TL showed $0, paid as agreed
July 05 - filed ch 7 myself
Aug 05 - ch 13 on original car showed up on TL stating that I filed
ch 13 in May - did not have car in May, already traded in
and never filed 13, plus exH didn't file in May, it was last Nov

So fight this or not? Will it make a difference?

[StaciMM]

It might make a difference-it could be seen as a derogatory account when it isn't. Have you tried writing to Ford?