c/credit-advice

I just realized my 'good credit' move was actually tanking my score

I've been putting a $500 car payment on my credit card every month for the points, thinking I was smart. My score dropped 40 points and a loan officer in Charlotte finally told me my utilization was way too high. How do you guys handle big regular bills without messing up your credit?

I bought a $300 'credit repair' kit from a late night ad and it was a total joke

The box arrived with a bunch of pre-filled forms to mail to the credit bureaus, a CD with motivational talks, and a booklet of 'secret laws' that were just stuff you can find online. I followed the steps for a month and my score went up 2 points, which probably just happened on its own. Has anyone actually had a good result from one of these magic fix-it kits, or are they all scams?

My brother told me to close my oldest credit card after paying it off

He said it would help my score by getting rid of the old debt. I closed a card I'd had for 8 years last January. My score dropped 40 points almost right away because my average account age got cut in half. I'm still trying to build it back up. Has anyone else had a score drop from closing an old account, and how long did it take to recover?

Found a closed account from 2016 still reporting on my Experian file last Tuesday

I was checking my free annual report from AnnualCreditReport.com and saw an old store card from a place called 'Furniture Plus' that I closed back in 2016. It was still showing up as an open account, which was messing with my credit age. I called Experian's dispute line and they fixed it in about 3 days. Has anyone else had a closed account stick around way longer than it should?

A customer at my store in Tacoma told me they got a 100 point credit score jump by fixing one old error

Rant: My friend's credit bragging at parties has to stop

Credit chats are everywhere now. My friend listed his card limits at a BBQ. People clapped. My neighbor told a loan story. It hurt her score. This casual talk can guide others wrong. We should leave credit tips to the pros.

Unpopular opinion: I avoided credit cards out of fear, but charging regular expenses like gas really improved my credit rating!

Can we talk about how a gym membership freeze affected my credit?

I got a knee injury and had to freeze my gym account for three months. The company still charged me and it went to collections, which is NOW on my credit report. My score dropped 30 points and I'm stuck. What's the best way to dispute this or get it removed?

An error on my credit report got my score up, and I can't decide if I should fix it

Vent: The hardware store credit card push in my neighborhood

Yesterday at the local hardware store, the cashier pushed their credit card on me during checkout. I saw the same thing happen to the folks in line, all getting the same spiel. They dangle a 10% discount to get you to apply right then. I thought about it for a second, but then recalled how store cards can mess with your credit if you're not careful. My neighbor Jim signed up for one last month and his credit score took a hit because of the hard inquiry. Now he's stuck with another card he doesn't need. It's frustrating how these offers pop up in everyday places. I've been telling people around here to think twice before jumping on these deals.

I finally figured out how to dispute a credit error

I noticed a mistake on my credit report from an old account. After some research, I learned how to file a dispute with the credit bureau. It was simpler than I thought, just filling out a form online. A few weeks later, the error was fixed and my score improved. It's a small win, but it made me feel more confident about managing my credit.

Hot take: Financing my living room update actually helped my credit score.

Putting decor on a card and paying it off fast can boost your credit history.

Looking for a broker who doesn't ruin your credit to give a quote

I'm just trying to shop around for rates but every bank wants to do a hard pull immediately. Can anyone recommend a broker who doesn't do this?