What is your FICO score?

[aspen'smom]

If you have applied for a loan recently, many times you can ask the lender what your score is. I talked to my local banker about refinancing my mortgage, and when I got the quote, I asked what my credit score was and he was happy to tell me what it was.

[raesana]

I had a 740 at one point. Then I had a collections item reported for an account in my name, but that I wasn't responsible for from when I received social services. Then I had a $25 collection filed for something I kept telling the hospital I paid for. Now, I have a 651.

It's funny because the first report they tell me that they can't delete. They show it as disputed/paid/government account $0, but still gave me a 60 point hit when I first got it. It was for when my son was on subsidized daycare. The social service person told me that I had "too many files open and that it must have slipped through the cracks." Interesting that I was on welfare for less than a year and had more than 1 file. :shrug:
After I went over all the dates with her and told her that BF and I specifically work split shifts because we can't afford daycare and that we used welfare for exactly what it was intended for (hand up not hand out), she said she'd have it taken care of. So... they zeroed the debt, but can't delete the file.

The second one: I was uninsured and self-paid everything at the doctor's office. I kept telling their billing office that I already paid the stupid $25.00 at the office, but they sent it to a collections agency and although I paid it on their first contact they still reported it.

The funniest part was that the billing office sent me a check for $160.xx for "overpayment". I could just die laughing! Of course... that didn't help my score any.

I think that the scoring model is really overrated. They make it so that we figure our worth on these numbers. I take great care to watch my credit, pay all my bills on time, keep low credit balances and yet 2 stupid companies were able to ruin it and it didn't even have anything to do with me!

[kathkeane]

Write both of the places that have errors on your credit reports a certified mail, return receipt letter. Demand that they call the credit bureau that is reporting that error off of your credit report. Contact every credit reporting agency that is showing those errors and demand that those are removed. Do it now. If they still refuse to remove those items, go down to your clerk of court and request info on filing a suit in small claims court. They have no right to cost you ANY points on your credit file. True, you may not be planning on buying anything -- but these errors can cost you points when something unexpected happens and you need to finance something. They CAN remove those negatives off your report -- they are just too lazy to do it. Don't be nice. All you have to do is say it is their error and it is costing your points on your credit report. People have sued and won bundles for this very thing -- because lower credit scores mean could cost you thousands when you try to finance something. People sue over this all the time - and most of the time when they receive that initial notice -- voila -- the error is removed. You can also go to the credit reporting agency site and DISPUTE the error. That will not improve your score, but the person who reported the error has to verify it -- and since it is not verifiable -- it has to come off. If they verify the error as correct -- you will certain win a court case and the judge might well award you a nice sum.

Hope this helps.

[mom2Isaac]

I really do not think it is right for employers to check out your credit score. What... they assume if your credit score is low, you are a bad person, thus a bad employee and they wouldn't want to hire you? So much for EEO. It's already hard enough being a single white mother. Now because my credit score sucks... I don't deserve a job.

Anywho

My credit score is low. It was getting up there because me and me x were making payments on a car together. But I left last October and just spoke with the bank this week and they told me they JUST recieved November's car payment from him....:shrug7:
I am not even driving it... the girl he cheated on me with is. I told him she should help pay for it and then I can get my name off.... but not as nicely as that....


Sorry... that's for another post!

[cashqueen]

I found out mine was over 800 when I refinanced my house last summer. Otherwise I'd have no idea other that to say it's probably pretty good.

I think as far as the credit score influencing job offers...my experience is that it is *usually* only used in cash/money sensitive positions. I guess the rationale is that if you have a low score indicating potential money problems there is a higher risk of theft :shrug7:

[uummm]

I found out mine was over 800 a week ago when we applied to refi...

You can get a free report if you have been denied a loan for any reason.

When we got our car loan they were more than happy to tell us our numbers right on the spot too.

I too had 2 hospital bills that went to collections for stupid reasons (insurance filed wrong)...My husband got them both taken off all of my credit reports. It took some doing but it can be done. And yes my husband did it for me I did NOTHING...I never even talked to them.

[Dengineer]

I would answer the poll but "Nonexistent" wasn't a choice.

[vana123]

Originally Posted by lmncc2003 I really do not think it is right for employers to check out your credit score. What... they assume if your credit score is low, you are a bad person, thus a bad employee and they wouldn't want to hire you? So much for EEO. It's already hard enough being a single white mother. Now because my credit score sucks... I don't deserve a job. Anywho My credit score is low. It was getting up there because me and me x were making payments on a car together. But I left last October and just spoke with the bank this week and they told me they JUST recieved November's car payment from him....:shrug7: I am not even driving it... the girl he cheated on me with is. I told him she should help pay for it and then I can get my name off.... but not as nicely as that.... Sorry... that's for another post!

It doesn't have anything to do with whether you would be a good employee or deserve the job. When I was a Store Manager, I had people that I wanted to move into management positions but were unable to pass the background check specifically because of the credit report. They were likely honest and wouldn't have taken a dime, but the company wasn't willing to risk it because they are considered more likely to steal.

And, I believe you are correct in saying that it's hard enough being a single white mother, but I think a single mother, regardless of skin color has it hard because they are stuck doing everything. I have several friend's in that position and I really feel for them, because I can't imagine having to keep it all together.

Regarding credit scores, mine has been high as long as I can remember. I was lucky that my dad explained to me how to keep my score I and now I can demand lower rates. I went to buy a car a few years and the dealership agreed to match my credit union's rates. A week later, they called and said that the rate would be 1% higher. I told them I'd be there in 20 minutes to return the vehicle I had bought. Within 3 minutes the guy at the dealership called me back about the "mix-up" and how they had it all straightened out. . .how dishonest!

Anyways, the point I'm making is that for those who don't think their credit score matters or they don't need one, you might be surprised what a great credit score can do for you even if you don't get car loans and don't think you will need any other loans.

I also agree with the comments about how we shouldn't have to pay to see the details of our credit score / report and that it should be easy to figure out what needs to be done to fix it.

[oscamaya]

Originally Posted by Dengineer I would answer the poll but "Nonexistent" wasn't a choice.

LOL is that because you never had any credit or is that because you are like me who has HORRIBLE credit that goes as low as possible and then some.

No really, it is not funny. There are some people with tens of thousands of dollars worth of credit card debt alone that have better scores than I do with my under $5000 total that is owed. Last time I checked it was in the 450s and I have no reason to believe it would have gone up since then.

I am currently working towards getting everything cleared off. I don't care to ever finance a home or a car or even have a credit card anymore, but I would like to get a job when I graduate college and at this point that is not an option in the field I wish to go in.

[nateNnatsmommy]

I fell for that trap too...only a few more months and the bad marks will drop off of my report PHEW.

Credit can be so confusing; there are actions you could take that would logically seem like good moves for your credit, when in reality they're bad. I think it would take an encyclopedia to understand it all (as a PP mentioned)

Originally Posted by neelia Ew. Mine is bad. My parents put me on theirs when I was 16 so I could get good credit.. so when I was 18 it was 760! Meaning.. my first credit card was an $8k limit which led me into debt. *shakes head* my poor parents trying to give me a head start on life and of course my 18 year old self ruins it.