c/credit-advice

My credit score hit 800 exactly after paying off a $15k car loan from Ford Credit

I was just checking my FICO on the Discover app and saw the number. It felt unreal because I had a few late payments back in 2020 that I thought would haunt me forever. Paying off that loan in full last month must have been the final push. Has anyone else seen a big jump after closing a major account?

I used to ignore my credit score until I got denied for a $500 store card in 2022, but now I check my Experian report every single month.

Getting that denial letter was a huge wake-up call, so I set a calendar reminder and now I'm way more on top of my payment history and credit utilization, which has helped me get better rates-what's the one thing you all do to keep your credit in check?

Just found out my credit card's annual fee was way higher than I thought

I never really checked the fine print and just paid the bill for years. Turns out my card's annual fee jumped from $95 to $150 without me noticing, so I basically threw away over $300 extra. Anyone know a good card with no fee that still gives decent rewards?

I used to think paying off my smallest card first was the only way to go

For years, I focused on my $500 store card because it felt good to close it. But my friend, who works at a bank, told me to look at the interest rates instead. My bigger card had a 24% rate, and the small one was only 12%. So I switched all my extra money to the high-rate card last month. It's already saving me about $15 in interest, which adds up. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a real difference?

My cousin argued with me for an hour that closing old cards always helps your score

We were at a family cookout in Cleveland last month, and he kept saying his score jumped 40 points after he shut down three accounts. I tried to explain that his credit age tanked and his total limit dropped, making his use look worse. He just kept repeating 'fewer cards, less risk' like a broken record. Has anyone else had to deal with someone who just won't listen to basic credit facts?

A credit report footnote about my old apartment deposit changed my view

I was looking over my annual credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com last month, and I saw a note from my old apartment complex in Tempe. It said a $750 security deposit dispute from 2021 was reported as a 'charge-off'. I always paid that bill after we argued about damages, but the initial mark stayed. It made me realize how a simple dispute can linger and hurt your score, even if you settle it later. Has anyone else had a settled debt still show up negatively like that?

My credit score dropped 40 points because of a $15 medical bill I never saw. Happened in January.

Rant: I had to pick between a balance transfer and a personal loan to fix my credit card mess

Back in 2020, I had about $8,000 spread across two cards with crazy high interest. My choices were a 0% balance transfer with a 3% fee, or a personal loan from my credit union at 11% interest. I went with the loan because I didn't trust myself not to run the cards back up after a transfer. It took me 3 years of strict payments, but my credit score jumped from 620 to 720. Has anyone else gone the loan route and found it kept them more honest?

My dad told me to always pay my card off in full, but I tried the 'carry a small balance' advice from a coworker.

He said it would help my score by showing I use credit. So for about 6 months, I left around $50 on my Capital One card each month. My score actually dropped 12 points. I called the card company and they basically said paying in full is always better for your history and avoids interest. I wasted maybe $15 in interest for no gain. Has anyone else been given this bad tip about carrying a balance?

TIL you can sometimes get a late fee removed just by asking nicely

I forgot a payment last month and got hit with a $35 fee. I called the card company, said it was a one-time mistake, and they wiped it clean. Has anyone else had luck with this, or did I just get a nice rep?

Overheard a kid at the mall say he got his first card with a $500 limit

It made me think back to my first secured card with a $200 deposit in 2008, and how different the starting point is now. I realized I haven't kept up with what's actually good advice for building credit from scratch these days. What's the best first move for a young person now, a secured card or something else?

I found out my credit card interest was way higher than I thought

I was looking at my statement from Capital One and finally did the math on the 24.99% APR. I always just paid the minimum, but that rate means a $1,000 balance would cost almost $250 in interest a year if I didn't pay it down. I found this out on their own website's calculator tool. Has anyone else been shocked by how much interest they're actually paying?

Question about a weird credit card pitch I got at a gas station

I was filling up my car in Bakersfield last Tuesday when a guy at the next pump started telling me how he got a $10,000 limit on a new card just by asking for it. He said he did it while his score was still in the low 600s, which seems off to me. Has anyone else had a stranger give them credit advice that sounded too good to be true?

I got my credit score up 40 points in two months by doing one simple thing

My score was stuck in the low 600s for over a year, and I was getting denied for everything. I read online that your credit card balance on the statement date is what gets reported, not what you pay later. So, for the last two billing cycles, I made sure my balance on my main card was under 10% of the limit on the day before the statement closed. I just checked my FICO score through my bank, and it jumped from 618 to 658. Has anyone else seen a big bump just from managing that one date?

Walked into my bank in Tampa and the advisor tried to push a card with a $150 annual fee for 'building credit'.

Honestly, I think that's a scam for newbies, but my friend says the travel perks make it worth it. Has anyone actually built good credit with a pricey card like that?

My sister told me she pays her credit card bill twice a month now, not just once.

Appreciation post: a banker in Charlotte told me to always pay my statement balance, not just the minimum, back in 2021.

I followed that advice for three years and my score just hit 780, so what's the next best move to keep building it?

My bank offered a 0% balance transfer but I chose the higher interest personal loan instead.

The loan had a $5,000 limit and forced me to pay it off in 24 months, which stopped me from just running up the cards again. Anyone ever take the harder option just to force their own hand?

A guy at the bank in Tacoma told me to ask for a 'goodwill adjustment' on a late payment.

I was trying to get a car loan last month and my credit was just under where it needed to be. The loan officer, an older guy named Carl, saw a late payment from two years ago on my report. He leaned over his desk and said, 'Call the card company, tell them you've been a good customer, and ask for a goodwill adjustment to remove it.' I did exactly that, and they actually took it off after I asked three times. Has anyone else had luck with this on an older account?

My credit score hit 777 and I'm not sure if I should play the slots or just leave it alone

A regular at my bar in Cincinnati gave me the best credit advice I ever got

I was venting about my high credit card interest, and this guy, Mike, told me to just call the company and ask for a lower rate. I was sure it wouldn't work, but I tried it last week with my Discover card. I got my rate cut from 24% to 18% in a ten minute phone call. Has anyone else had luck just asking for a better rate like that?

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?