c/credit-advice

PSA: My credit took a 30-point hit from a medical bill I didn't know about

Found a $200 ER visit from 2 years ago on my report last week in Phoenix. Never got a bill because the hospital sent it to an old address. Anyone else deal with medical stuff just showing up?

3 comments

sethm58•4d ago

Finally tried the 15/3 credit card payment trick and it actually moved my score 12 points

I kept seeing people on here talk about paying your card balance down to under 10% utilization 15 days before the statement closes, then paying the rest 3 days before the due date. I had a 680 score stuck for like 8 months with a $2,300 limit card at Capital One. After trying it for 2 months straight, my score jumped to 692 and I even got a CLI from $2,300 to $3,500 without asking. Has anyone else had consistent results with this or was my situation just lucky timing?

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henryr45•9d ago

Finally broke 700 on my credit score after 3 years of work

I checked my FICO score this morning and it hit 702 after sitting at 640 for forever. I paid down a $1,200 balance on an old store card and it pushed me over the edge. Anyone else have a small victory like this recently?

3 comments

kimr91•9d ago

Just noticed a tiny credit limit bump actually helped my score more than paying off a big card

I was checking my Credit Karma last week and saw my score went up 18 points just from getting a $300 limit increase on a store card I barely use. I always thought paying down my $2,000 balance on my main card would do more, but the utilization ratio change on that smaller line made a bigger difference. Has anyone else seen a bigger jump from a small limit increase instead of a big payment?

3 comments

jackson.max•11d ago

Just realized my credit limit barely moved in 8 years after a bank trip in Austin

I sat down with a banker at a Chase branch in Austin last month and he pulled my file, turns out I never asked for a CLI once since 2016 so my $3,000 limit was stuck. Has anyone else had to fight just to get a measly $500 bump after a decade of on-time payments?

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skyler_kelly69•12d ago

Appreciation post: That time a bank teller in Wichita changed my whole credit approach

Went into a small local bank in Wichita last March to dispute a $35 late fee on my card. The teller, older lady named Pat, spent 15 minutes explaining how utilization ratios actually work in practice versus online advice. She showed me why keeping a small balance reporting is better than zeroing everything out every month. Most people say pay it all off immediately, but she proved with real examples that having $200 report on my $5000 limit helped my score drop. Anyone else get contrary advice that actually worked better?

3 comments

viola_garcia56•14d ago

Unpopular opinion: My $60 'credit repair' course was a total scam

I got suckered into buying this online course from a guy who promised to fix my credit score in 30 days. Cost me $60, which I thought was a steal compared to those fancy services. All he did was tell me to dispute everything on my report, which I already knew from free YouTube videos. Then he tried to upsell me on a $200 'premium' package for the real secrets. Has anyone else fallen for one of these courses and actually got something useful out of it?

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rowanw91•14d ago

Vent: Bought a used car and the dealer ghosted me on the title transfer

Picked up a 2015 Honda Civic from a small lot in Denver three months ago. Paid $8,500 cash, drove it home fine, but the temporary tags expired last week. Called the dealer like 15 times and they just stopped answering. Had to file a complaint with the DMV and now I'm stuck waiting for a hearing. Has anyone else had a dealer disappear after a cash sale?

3 comments

kevinw94•15d ago

Forgot to freeze my credit after a data breach last year, got a collections call this morning

I had a breach notification from that hospital system in Chicago back in July, figured I'd lock things down eventually. This morning someone in Texas opened an AT&T account under my name and racked up $400 before the fraud alert kicked in. Any of you guys actually got that 5 minute freeze done after getting a breach letter?

3 comments

blair_torres70•15d ago

Dispute took 6 months to fix one tiny error on my Equifax report

I found a accounts receivable account from an old Comcast bill in Denver that was paid off in 2019, but it showed a $127 balance still due. Pulled my reports in February and it took until August, over 180 days and three certified letters, to get Equifax to actually remove it. Has anyone else had to wait that long for a simple paid-in-full dispute to go through?

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the_jessica•18d ago

My dad swore paying off a card would boost my score, but it actually dropped it 20 points

He told me to pay my $300 balance down to zero on my Capital One card before the statement hit, said it would look great to the bureaus. Instead my score went from 680 to 660 because it looked like I wasn't using any credit at all that month. Has anyone else had a parent give advice that backfired like this on your credit report?

3 comments

the_hayden•21d ago

My credit score dropped 40 points overnight because of a medical bill I forgot about

That urgent care visit from 2022 finally hit my credit report last month after they sent it to collections without warning me first. I paid it off same day but the damage was already done. Has anyone successfully disputed a medical collection after paying it?

4 comments

victorhernandez•21d ago

Credit limits aren't the enemy your friend told you about

My buddy Dave warned me at Home Depot last year not to request a higher limit on my card because it would wreck my score. He was dead wrong... I asked Capital One for a bump from $3,000 to $7,500 and my score actually went up 12 points after they approved it. The key is asking for a limit increase on an account you already pay off every month, not opening something new. Has anyone else gotten bad credit advice from someone who seemed sure of themselves?

3 comments

kai_ramirez38•23d ago

Pro tip: My credit took a hit when I forgot about a $35 medical bill from 3 years ago

I was sitting at my kitchen table in Phoenix last month checking Credit Karma and saw my score dropped 60 points over some random ER copay I never paid. Anyone else have tiny medical bills sneak up and wreck their score?

3 comments

blake_kelly19•23d ago

Hot take: My dad told me to pay off my oldest credit card first and I think he was wrong

My dad has been my go-to for credit tips since I turned 18, and he always told me to pay off my oldest card first to keep my average account age healthy. I followed that for two years but my score barely moved, stuck around 670. Then a friend in Denver who works at a credit union suggested I focus on the card with the highest utilization instead, which was a store card with a $500 limit that I had $400 on. I paid that off in two months and my score jumped 45 points. Now I'm questioning if his advice is just outdated or if it depends on your specific debt mix. What's your take on which balance to target first?

3 comments

keith164•26d ago

My buddy swore paying a $50 credit card bill early would boost my score, but my report didn't move.

He said it would show lower usage right before the statement date. I tried it for three cycles on my Capital One card and my FICO stayed flat. Anyone know why this advice flops sometimes?

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samreed•27d ago

Pro tip: My credit score went from 620 to 690 in about four months

I started paying my card down to 10% of the limit before the statement even cuts. Anyone else see a big jump from just that one habit?

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gray314•29d ago

Back in 2010, I had to pick a card: a secured one or a high-fee 'credit builder'.

The credit builder had a $150 yearly fee. I went with the secured card from my local credit union. Put down a $200 deposit. It was slow, but my score went up 40 points in a year. Anyone else start with a secured card and have it work out?

3 comments

stella111•29d ago

The week my credit score tanked over a $35 medical bill

Last month, I got a bill from a clinic in Austin for a $35 copay I thought was covered. I never saw the mail because I was out of town. Found out Tuesday my score dropped 60 points because it went to collections. It felt insane that such a small mistake could do so much damage. Has anyone else had a tiny bill wreck their credit like this?

3 comments

wade_dixon•1mo ago

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?

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lucashenderson•1mo ago

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?

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skyler_johnson32•1mo ago

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?

4 comments

hunt.jennifer•1mo ago

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?

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the_rose•1mo ago

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?

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mitchell.thomas•1mo ago

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?

3 comments