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Don’t beat yourself up for the ex drained my savings part. People love to act like financial mistakes only happen to dumb people, but real life is messier. You’ve already cut that weight loose. Now it’s just about rebuilding, and with your income, you’ll bounce back quicker than you think.

I had the same issue. My score dropped like 40 points because I’d use my whole limit every month and pay it off religiously. Lenders don’t see pays in full, they just see card constantly maxed. Try making an extra payment mid-cycle. That way your utilization never looks sky-high. It’s annoying...

As someone who rents, the one thing I wish I did earlier was sign up for rent-reporting services. Some companies will report your rent payments to bureaus. I added mine and it actually helped me build positive history while in Chapter 13.

Yeah utilities are boring AF, but boring expenses are the foundation of a good credit strategy. Stack them with CFU, funnel into CSR, redeem with transfers. You’ll thank yourself next time you book Hyatt for pennies.

If you’re in Houston, you might actually be fine using public transport longer than you think. But yeah, lenders usually want to see at least a year or two after a repo before giving you decent terms. Some “buy here pay here” places won’t care but will fleece you. My advice: wait until you have...

My experience: I closed a Discover card because I didn’t like the company, and my score dropped 15 points. It recovered in a couple months. Honestly, unless you’re applying for a mortgage soon, the impact of closing isn’t as big as people make it sound. Your dad’s advice on proof is solid though.

There’s also the DIY Credit Repair Handbook by John Ulzheimer (former Equifax guy). It’s more consumer-oriented, but he explains credit reporting mechanics in detail. Even if you don’t use it for business, it’ll make you 10x smarter about how credit bureaus actually operate.

I think it depends on whether you’re building personal vs business credit. With business credit, multiple tradelines can actually help establish depth. My LLC has four cards but I rarely use two of them....those are just there to show activity. It boosted my Paydex faster. But I’ll admit...

I’d say keep it simple: 1) pay everything on time, 2) keep utilization under 10%, 3) don’t open unnecessary accounts. That formula works for almost everyone. Chasing specific percentages on a dashboard is kinda a distraction.

It’s crazy that this thread exists every few months and we still don’t have a 100% answer. But yeah, safe to assume hard pull unless your account literally says soft pull in the offer.

Honestly, two secured cards might help a bit faster because you’ll have more available credit and lower utilization. I went from a 540 to 670 in about a year doing that, plus paying down my collections. Just keep them both at 10% or less of their limit each month. If you can manage that without...

There’s this myth that goodwill letters never work but I’ve seen people get them approved. The catch? They usually have an otherwise perfect payment record for 5+ years. If you’ve had other slip-ups, they’re way less likely to bend.

Some of these companies operate in a legal gray area. They spam disputes hoping creditors won’t respond in time. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it just clogs your credit file and annoys creditors. That can backfire.

From the renter side, I once got approved with a 580 score just by offering a double deposit and showing solid income. They cared more about stability than perfection. My landlord even said, “I do not care about your old medical bills; I care that you pay your rent.” So yeah, not all low scores...

From a purely financial perspective, fixing your credit first is almost always cheaper than leasing with bad credit. You’re basically paying a bad credit tax in the form of higher payments and fees. Sometimes that tax is worth it if you must have the car, but go in with eyes wide open.

I’m team personal card. I just label every business transaction in Mint and export it at tax time. Takes maybe 20 minutes to prep.

The big trap is acknowledging the debt or making a small payment. Yes, in Florida, if you make a partial payment, it can restart the statute of limitations. Even a $5 “good faith” payment could open the door for them to sue again. If you are dealing with a zombie debt, the safest approach is not...

If you’re into podcasts, check out Debt Free in 30 and How to Money. They’re not Savannah-specific, but they’ll give you a great education on the kinds of advisors to seek out. Plus, free info before you spend a dime.

Worked for me once, didn’t work the next time. It’s really about who you’re dealing with. Mom-and-pop landlords? More likely to take it. Big property management companies? Good luck, they’re usually bound by corporate screening rules.

If it’s not on Credit Karma, don’t assume it’s not there. CK often misses court-related stuff because they pull from TransUnion and Equifax, and some judgments don’t get reported directly to them. Pull your free reports from annualcreditreport.com to see the real picture.