Personal blog on early retirement, selling tradelines, and analytics projects. I write about what I learn as I am learning it.
Most people I talk to assume they’re in worse shape than they actually are. They’ve heard their score is “not great,” avoided checking it for a while, and built up a kind of credit-score anxiety that doesn’t match reality. When you look at how U.S. adults actually distribute across the credit score pie chart, the picture is more nuanced — and honestly, less dire on average — than most people expect. Related: 800 credit score benefits — worth reading if this applies to you.
The difference between secured and unsecured credit cards comes down to one thing: a deposit. With a secured card, you put cash down upfront and that becomes your credit limit. With an unsecured card, no deposit — the issuer extends you credit based on your history. That’s really it. Everything else — how it reports to the bureaus, how it affects your score — works the same.
The short answer is yes — a 700 credit score with collections on your report is possible. I’ve seen buyer profiles come through with exactly this situation: one or two old collections, otherwise clean payment history, decent account age, and a score sitting in the 690–720 range. It’s not ideal, and there are real limitations once you get to the underwriting stage of a mortgage or auto loan, but the number itself is achievable. Here’s what actually determines whether collections tank your score below 700 or don’t. Related: account information disputed by consumer — worth reading if this applies to you. Related: Credit Score Dropped 100 Points — worth reading if this applies to you.
Continue reading “Can You Have a 700 Credit Score With Collections?”
The phrase income based loans gets used to describe two pretty different things: student loan repayment plans set by the federal government, and alternative personal loans where the lender puts heavier weight on your income than your credit score when deciding to approve you. Both are legitimate uses of the term. This post focuses on the personal loan version — what it means when a lender says they evaluate your income rather than your credit, and whether that’s actually a good deal.
Continue reading “Income Based Loans: What They Are and Who Can Actually Use Them”
One of the more disorienting credit situations people describe is checking their report and finding a collection account they didn’t see coming — no warning letter, no phone call, just a collection showing up on all three bureaus. It happens. Whether it’s a legitimate notification failure or a legitimate debt you genuinely forgot about, the outcome is the same: a collection dragging your score down and sitting there for up to seven years. This post covers what to do when you’ve been sent to collections without notice and what your rights actually are. Related: do collection agencies report to credit bureaus — worth reading if this applies to you.
Continue reading “Sent to Collections Without Notice: What It Means”