Recent content by Andrew Jones

Yeah, that’s exactly what’s happening. The credit card companies report your balance at the end of your statement period, not after you pay. So if you’re maxing out, it looks like you’re running at 100% utilization, even if you pay in full. That hurts your score because utilization is a big...

I had the same issue with student loans reporting weird. Once the servicer reactivated them after the stay, my file looked better because I had at least one active tradeline. So it may resolve itself over time.

Man, I’ve been there. Had a repo in 2016 and thought I was screwed for years. I was able to get into another car after about 18 months with a subprime lender. Interest rate was insane (17%), but it got me wheels. Paid it off early and refinanced later when my score improved. Key thing: save as...

My credit union actually requires written notice, so your dad might be more right than Reddit thinks. It depends on the bank. Some do everything online, some are old school. Check your bank’s policy before assuming. Better safe than sorry.

I run a small ecommerce shop and honestly two cards work best for me. One is my daily driver with cash-back on ads and shipping. The other is a travel rewards card for when I fly out to meet suppliers. Anything beyond that just feels messy. I’d rather have two high-limit cards than six low-limit...

One thing to consider: lenders also manually review your credit report, not just the score. So if they see a bunch of tiny installment loans opening and closing, they might ask questions. It doesn’t kill your chances, but they may wonder what’s going on.

If your main goal is to rent in 16 months, I’d start with just one secured card for now. Use it for small purchases you’d already make (gas, groceries) and pay it off in full each month. Once you’ve had it for 6–9 months with no missed payments, you could add a second one to help your credit...

Honestly, your time might be better spent opening a new card with a more forgiving issuer and building history there. The ding from Credit One will hurt less over time if you have a bunch of positive accounts reporting.

As a landlord, I can tell you the credit check is basically a quick risk assessment. It is not just about the number..... i look at payment history, collections, evictions, and how much debt you carry. A low score does not always mean an automatic no, but if I see multiple recent missed...

Are you sure you even want to lease? With that much negative equity, you’re going to have a big chunk of your monthly payment doing nothing for you. At least with a purchase, you’re building equity (slowly, but still).

In Florida, the statute of limitations for most written contracts is indeed 5 years, and oral agreements are 4. Credit cards usually fall under written contracts. Once the statute runs, the debt does not vanish......it just means they cannot sue you to collect. Collectors can still call or send...

If you’ve got student loans in the mix, then you’ll want someone who understands both consumer debt and federal loan programs. A lot of advisors only know one side of the equation.

Yeah, unfortunately that’s true. Paid judgments can still linger on your credit report for up to 7 years from the date it was filed, not the date you paid it. Sucks, but that’s the system. Employers doing a soft pull for hiring will still see it if they check that section.

The fastest score increase I ever saw was when I paid down a credit card from 95% utilization to 20%. My score jumped 70 points in a month. No disputes, no paid service, just debt reduction.

Don’t sleep on secured cards though. Alternative tradelines are cool but don’t replace the foundation. A $200 secured card and on-time payments will do more than any Netflix bill ever could.