All Forum Posts by: Daniel Berman

Joshua, I have a screenshot of what happens when I click on that link in Chrome, using Windows 7. How do I upload it for you to see?

Kelvin, Bryan asked a very astute question regarding how far apart the new loans were spaced.

It is commonly accepted knowledge that credit scores drop in response to newly issued credit. So the more your accounts "age," the more your scores may recover. I say "may," because scores depend on a multitude of factors.

Another important part of the "algorithm" to pay attention to is your credit utilization ratio. Your scores will be lowered by a high utilization ratio. Manipulating your ratios, to create lower utilization of available credit, can also help to push your scores back up.

Dan

*Disclaimer: Not to be construed as legal advice. For legal advice, please consult with a licensed attorney.

Julie, in response to your question as to what is the first thing you need to do: Get copies of your credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. After you get them, make the investment in time to understand what is on the reports. There are a variety of ways that you can get free help if you need it.

You do *not* need to pay a credit monitoring service. You are entitled at the very least to get free copies of your reports annually from each of the major bureaus.

I respectfully disagree with the person who said that disputing items with the credit bureaus is a complete waste of time. Sometimes it doesn't work but sometimes it does. It is one important tool in the credit repair tool kit.

Dan

*Disclaimer: Not to be construed as legal advice. For legal advice, please consult with a licensed attorney.

Ann made a good suggestion, with regard to contacting the agency in FL, to see whether you could achieve an easy resolution to this issue, simply by communicating directly with them.

In the meantime, you may want to notify the collection agency in writing by certified mail that you are disputing the legitimacy of the debt. You want to do whatever you can to prevent the item from getting onto your credit reports.

I have made a number of illegitimate collection attempts go away, simply by disputing them with the collection agency in writing. Sending the disputes by certified mail, return receipt requested, has worked well for me.

But if I were in your position, I would also contact the government agency and do my best to clean up the record in their system.

Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress.

Dan

*Disclaimer: Not to be construed as legal advice. For legal advice, please consult with a licensed attorney.

... when one is already a Pro ($15/month) member?

Greetings!

I am trying to find the comparison chart that shows the benefits of a Pro account.

I signed up for the Pro account this morning and wanted to find that chart, to see what I am entitled to do (how many people I may try to connect with during a certain period and so on).

I was given this URL: http://www.biggerpockets.com/pro

But it only links to a page telling me that I am a Pro member. That page does not have any of the information or details about the account.

Any guidance as to how I could find that chart, now that I have signed up for the option, would be most appreciated.

Dan