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Credit repair can be like paying someone to mow your lawn. You could absolutely do it yourself, but sometimes you just want someone else to deal with it. If your time is worth more than the money they are charging, it might be worth it for you.

Used Self for a credit builder loan and Experian Boost together. Self gave me an installment tradeline, which rounded out my credit mix. Boost helped me get over 600. Still not prime, but better than being stuck in credit purgatory.

I scraped my Experian report with a Python script and parsed all the loan metadata..no PSLF flags. Just standard Department of Education loan codes. Not even a whisper of forgiveness progress.

I used Self and a secured card from Capital One after I got out of a Snap mess. Helped me build credit for real. Snap was just a speed bump I had to crawl over. You got this.

If there’s an account on your report that you don’t recognize, send a debt validation letter before you dispute it. If the collector can’t prove it’s yours, they gotta remove it. I used this method to nuke 3 collections from my report. Costs like $10 for certified mail, tops.

Don’t file with the bureaus yet. Let Citi finish the reinvestigation...... if you act now, you might interfere with the process. If you’re nearing mortgage underwriting, get written confirmation that they’ll remove the comment, and have your LO explain it to the lender.

They were okay, I guess. Polite enough but took a bit to get to the actual solution. Like, five minutes of security checks for something simple. But hey, better than being too lax with account info. So... 7/10?

I got approved for a Capital One card with no job, no ID upload, and a 612 score It’s mostly data-driven approvals. So as long as the SSN and address match, you’re probably fine. But if your cousin doesn’t have any credit, might be smarter to start as an authorized user.

Cap One kept a 60-day late on my report from 2018 and REFUSED to remove it after I paid in full. Wrote goodwill letters every 2 months.....finally got a rep who said yes. Persistence pays off. Just document everything.

Avoid any company that advertises fast fixes or remove anything. The FCA has rules for a reason. Real credit repair is boring: budgeting, consistent payments, and time. If someone says they can "hack" the system, they’re likely hacking you.

Honestly, if you’ve already been burned before, maybe try a credit union or a financial advisor instead. I tried Lexington Law before (ugh), and AM/PM felt like the same kind of pitch. These companies prey on desperation, so tread carefully.

Just my two cents: If you’re worried about your credit and want short-term, maybe consider renting through Turo for a few months while building your score. Costs more upfront but no credit hit, no long-term lock-in, and you avoid predatory lease terms.

Hey, there are legit ones out there. My cousin had great success with Credit RX Chicago (i think they’re on Clark). They worked with her for about 8 months and got 3 late payments wiped. It wasn’t fast, but it was steady. Ask for a written plan before paying anything.

My mom got one from a library back in the day . Not even kidding. It had photocopied letters and instructions. We compared it to one I bought online and it was 90% the same info.

Lenders look at potential liabilities. So even if you’re not paying anything now, they assess what you’d be on the hook for if things go sideways. Could affect borrowing limits. Not guaranteed, but possible.

My 11-year-old only got it when I related credit to Minecraft trades. Trust builds the world. Break it, and no one trades with you.

My resolution is to not open another store card just for a dumb discount at checkout. Target lady almost got me again last week. I'm locking my credit file and throwing away all temptation. Also aiming to bring my score back up to pre-divorce levels.

We had to comb through my dad’s notebooks after he passed. Found a list of people who owe me. We tried contacting a few. Most ignored us. It was awkward af. Some paid, some ghosted. Can’t force it without contracts.

Honestly, it’s messed up how vague some of these confirmations are. You should always get an email. I’d say reach out to them now before that trial ends. If you explain clearly you intended to cancel, they may refund if they charge you.

I did this for my ex. Thought I was being smart. He bailed. I paid off $3k that wasn’t even mine. Moral of the story: don’t make your financial health his life jacket unless he’s already swimming.