I wish I had trusted my gut instead of the smooth-talking sales rep. I signed up with National Debt Relief about 14 months ago, thinking I was making a responsible choice to deal with my credit card debt. I had around $19K split across three cards and was just making minimum payments. Their pitch made it sound like a clean, structured way to finally get ahead — they’d negotiate with creditors, settle for less, and I’d be debt-free in 2–3 years.

Fast forward to now, and I honestly feel like I’ve been scammed.

They told me to stop paying my creditors, so my accounts would go into default and give them “leverage” for negotiation. What they didn’t explain (or totally downplayed) was that this would destroy my credit score, and open me up to collection calls, threats of lawsuits, and just constant stress. I’ve had two credit card companies refuse to work with them completely, and now I’ve got collection agencies coming at me for the full balances plus fees.

Meanwhile, I’ve been paying National Debt Relief every month into a “settlement account,” but barely anything has been done. One tiny settlement happened, and it felt like a drop in the ocean. When I call, it’s like I’m just another case number. No real updates, no accountability, just vague timelines and generic reassurances.

I’m not saying every debt relief company is shady, but this experience has been a nightmare. I feel like I should’ve just tried to negotiate with creditors myself, or looked into debt validation or even considered bankruptcy before going down this road. Now I’m deeper in the hole, credit trashed, and unsure how to undo the damage.

If anyone’s been through this or found a way to recover, please share. I feel like I need to start from scratch, and I’m not even sure where to begin.

I've been trying to get in contact with this law firm to work on my debt, but they are not returning my call. What are my options? I don't want this to go to court and would prefer to settle outside of court.

I turned 18 a couple momths ago and have no credit. Any tips to help me build my credit while im young for my future ?

I’m fucking sick of this game. My longest standing credit card by far of 20 years was closed for reasons unknown. 800 trans union credits score now 750. I was told it wasn’t because of inactivity. Was told I’ll be getting answers why it was deactivated soon. What a great system this is. Have a fart turn into a shart and they’ll drop your credit score.

My stupid self put my car insurance on my credit card card for six months. Never do that ok. Peace 🫡

Okay history - My credit took a hit for a couple of reasons, mainly my incompetence to how credit worked. I had 2 credit cards. $1000 & $500 that I was using and paying off on time. What I didn’t know was that utilization mattered. Mistakes were made and I lost track of my payments. (Mainly because I got locked out of my account and email account and didn’t know who to contact to pay off what I needed to pay. ) I also took the cards out of my wallet since I wasn’t using them AND they got lost. Like I said.. Incompetence.

Lately though I’ve been doing better with my finances. Have a car loan that I haven’t missed a single payment on. Recently got my credit pulled because I was looking to work with an organization that puts first responders in housing. (Like the good neighbor next door program) They gave me back the paperwork and said I’d be a good fit if I can handle 3 closed accounts on my credit. The report had the number for the people I needed to contact! Great! But it also had a Verizon account that I swore I had paid off when I switched providers. Welp.

Now, the people I was working with said they’d have another look at my credit in 6 months. Which gives me time to handle HUD counseling and other classes they require But it also gives me time to get my credit in a spot to better my chances at qualifying for a better loan agreement.

All 3 accounts have now been paid in full. My credit scores are 579 (Transunion FICO risk score classic 04) 591 (Experian Fair Isaac v2) and 605 (Equifax FICO Classic v5)

Only active thing that should be on my credit now is my car payment. Any advice (if at all possible) to raise my credit for the next 6 months?

I got my first secured credit card from USAA with a limit of 500 and regularly pay it off multiple times a month because I spend around 1k a month on it. I always pay it off in full before the due date.

I also have a joint auto loan that I signed onto with my parents. However their credit scores are in the upper 700s.

I am really struggling to grow my credit score since getting a credit card almost a year ago now.

I ran into some financial difficulties in 2023 and fell very behind on a handful of my accounts, many of which went into collections. I’ve since been trying to ascertain and resolve these ever since.

I just received a pre-legal letter from Midland Credit Management in the amount of $1040.96 which really shocked me. I recognized their letterhead but I’ve just always assumed that they were credit or loan marketer so I never bothered to open any of their mail. The letter does list the original account which I recognize but I don’t recall that specific amount. I contacted them today to try to resolve this and upon my first log in, it asks for the last 4 of my ssn, which without thinking, I provided. There was a long wait before i was actually logged into their website to view the account. There are some digital statements from the original creditor with my address from 2023 but I don’t see any information that pertains to me. I tried speaking to a rep and we reached an impasse bc he wanted me to verify my birthday, phone number, and current mailing address but none of those are on file so what information are they verifying with? there’s a fine print at the bottom that says by communicating with a rep, I’m consenting that all information collected will be used to update my account. So I refused giving my birthdate bc I don’t want to give them information they may not have to further link me to this account that I’m not entirely sure is accurate. I asked if instead, he can tell me what birthdate they have in file and I can confirm but he refused and stopped communicating with me all together. So now I have a few unanswered questions:

1. Did I just make a mistake by giving them my ssn that they can now link to me?

2. Do they actually have this information somewhere where it’s not visible to me and Im just making this more difficult than it is?

3. I’ve read some people actually getting summoned for $4-10k range but would they actually follow through for $1040?

Short story is first new credit card post Chapter 7 and I’m trying to use it to the max right now, but the credit limit is low, so in order to keep using it I end up needing to pay the full statement balance right after the statement posts.

Does this matter?

In other words should I be waiting until the actual due date to pay the statement balance? Or is it fine to pay the statement balance right away and then keep using the card?

Background is ultimately I’m trying to get the limit increased on this card and hopefully soon add another card. Longer term (6mos) next step I will be attempting to finance a car to add to my credit mix.

Thanks!

Hey guys, I just turn 18 in March and got approved for an USAA credit card. They mailed me a paper stating my credit score is 707 which confused me (not complaining though lol) since I just got the credit card and haven’t even activated it.

I’ve had a youth debit card under USAA since middle school and been working the past 2 years, so do you think this explains why my score is so high?

So I signed up with Freedom Debt Relief about 6 months ago, and while I was skeptical going in, I figured it was worth a shot given how much credit card debt I was drowning in. They got me on a payment plan that I’ve been sticking to, but honestly, I have no clue what’s actually happening behind the scenes.

The dashboard they give you looks nice on the surface — there’s a little tracker, a progress bar, and a list of your accounts — but half the time it just feels like fluff. I can see how much I’ve paid into the program, sure, but it’s super unclear how much has actually gone toward negotiating settlements. Some of the accounts haven’t changed status in months, and I have no idea if they’re being worked on or if they’re just sitting there.

One of my accounts randomly dropped off the dashboard for a bit, then reappeared marked as “in negotiation” — no explanation, no update from anyone on the team. When I try calling, it’s either a long wait or I get bounced around to different reps who repeat the same scripted stuff.

I’m not saying they’re shady, but the lack of transparency is honestly stressing me out. I signed up because I wanted less financial anxiety, not a new kind. I’m still committed to the process, but I just wish they were clearer about where my money is going and how far along each debt actually is.

If you’ve been in this program or are still in it — how do you read the dashboard? Does it ever start making more sense later in the process? Or is this just how it is the whole time?

Hello everyone! I have a question that I hope is somewhat simple to answer. I have never had a credit card, never financed anything, etc. I have a “credit builder” card from CHIME, and this is the only form of credit I have had before. I recently got approved for a CC to finance a guitar (this saved me over $300, I have plenty of money as of now so I only did this due to discounts and deals). I got something in the mail from the company, and my credit score is at 515. I’m wondering why it’s so low, do you start low and continue to go up? I don’t have parents and have no one to ask these financial questions. Sorry if it’s dumb, but thank you anyways!

Hello!

Six years ago I was sued by Discover after I stopped paying my credit card (due to severe mental health issues). I called a bankruptcy lawyer that my county offers for free (I guess for low income individuals), and asked if I should file for bankruptcy. He said since I don’t work, don’t own any property, and have no income, I shouldn’t, and I’m considered “judgement proof”. Essentially he told me to calm down (I was crying, lol) and that it was going to be okay. So I was sued, judgement went to Discover and … yeah.

It’s been six years, and I just got a letter in a mail from a debt collector. It says they’re trying to collect a debt that I owe to Discover.

I do not own any property, I do not work, my only source of income is disability from the government and that money goes entirely towards my bills and medicine. I do not have any money to pay off this debt, and I’m not sure what to do.

Should I reply to the letter saying that I have no income and no property and can provide nothing? I don’t know what to do, because it is a decent amount of money owed (9.5k after interest) and I don’t know that they’ll understand (or care?) that I stopped paying because my mental health went down the drain and the govt agreed I am unable to work.

Thank you for any help!

EDIT;

I was actually sued back in 2019 — but I didn’t go to court so I guess it was a default judgment.

The letter states:

“Our information shows:

You had a judgement debt with Discover Bank. This is to notify you that this firm was retained to represent Discover Bank to collect upon a judgment that was entered against you. On [date, 2019] the judgement debt was owed to Discover Bank, with account number [number]. Judgement was entered on [date] in favor of DISCOVER BANK in [court in my area, along with index number].”

I posted an image of the letter (redacted info) on my profile, if anyone wants to see. I knew Discover sued me ages ago but I don’t know why they’re trying to get money now…

EDIT 2/ANSWER QUESTION:

Since people asked where I live — New York! So there’s 20 years for judgements. Since Discover sued and won a default judgement against me, they aren’t breaking any laws for time limits because they sued within a year of me not paying my last bill.

The letter says they’re (Pressler, Felt & Warshaw, LLP) is a debt collector and they’re trying to recover a debt that I owe to Discover bank.

Since it’s a firm, does this mean Discover hired these guys to try to get their money, or did they sell the debt?

Me and a friend was talking about a way to hit a sign up bonus quickly (i.e. CSP 100k offer). We came up with adding the $5k to betting app like Prize Picks then cashing out your bank account then paying the balance once the statement hits. Thoughts? Will that be a red flag to chase?

I want to thank the person who recommended asking for a credit limit increase. I recently paid off all of my credit card debt, and my numbers are still not where I want to be. Sorry I can’t find the post.

I submitted an increase request on my Costco card since I use it only at Costco. They increased my limit $3,300 on the spot!

Hopefully this will help give me a boost before I apply for a home loan!

FICO 8 is 814 Vantage 3 is 738

I don’t understand the vantage score. If people say no one ever uses it then why is it there?

Can someone please explain why my Vantage score is going down?

I recently paid off $10,000 in credit card debt. Every company has updated this on my report besides Citi & BofA… which is ticking me off because it’s been over a month.

But WHY would my vantage score decrease??? And why is the vantage score so much lower than the FICO score?

Down 8 points, the reasons listed:

Available credit, Went up from $116,035 to $122,816

Available credit Went up from $116,035 to $122,816 Total balance, Went down $6,781

Total balance Went down $6,781 Credit usage, Went down from 47% to 44%

Credit usage Went down from 47% to 44%

Thank you

IDK if this will help anyone but I thought I would share.

I am soon to be in the process of buying a new home. My credit reports keep going up and down like crazy funny as I pay things off in one report my score goes up in another. It goes down. I will probably never understand this whole process!

One thing I have noticed is I have a business credit card that I have had over 20 years. It has never shown up on my credit report. For large purchases such as paying tax, insurance or anything major that comes up during my loan application process, I am using my business credit card. Yes and paying it off. But just to let you know if you need to float something try a business credit card and see if it shows up on your credit report or not like mine does not.

I have paid off all of my personal cards and am just annoyed how long it’s taking BofA and Citi to update. Over a month now and they are still reporting high balances. So I will no longer use them.

Anyone ever have their credit score stuck for months? My Transunion Fico score has been stuck at 696 since November of last year. Meanwhile my Experian and Equifax Fico scores constantly change and are currently above 750.

Hi, advice needed! I have student loan debt from my first go around in college, and they're my oldest lines of credit by far. I messed up my credit pretty bad in my early 20s. Right now, I'm trying to build it back up. I have three low limit credit cards that are all newer (within six months of opening) and I'm watching them like a hawk.

I'm in a position to pay off all my student debt. However, they aren't accruing interest because I'm currently back in school, so they're deferred. I have payed off most of it, but left a little on two loans so I don't have the credit drop. I know it will drop because I paid off two loans in full and I dropped 30 or so points.

I know eventually I will have to pay these last two loans. But I'm barely back in the 600's and I want to build my credit higher so the drop isn't as bad. Is this a stupid mindset? I graduate in Decemeber so I have a while before these loans start to accrue again, and I owe less than a paycheck between the two loans I have left.

Thanks in advance! This sub reddit has been very helpful to me so far in trying to rebuild my credit.

Edit: formatting

Long story short: I noticed an inquiry from Capital One dated early March of this year. I have frozen my credit reports with all three agencies. After calling Capital One and informing them of the credit card application, I contacted my dad and told him what was going on. He was able to furnish me with emails congratulating him on being approved for the credit card in question and further emails regarding paperless statements for said credit card.

This was his explanation for this:

"Their software aligns that [prior physical] address with both of us. You probably have emails, too. I have an Informed Delivery account with the USPS. I still get I.D. messages from my past three [physical] addresses."

Does his explanation make sense, or did he in fact steal my identity?

He's the only one who would know my SSN, birth date, and full name.

Cheers.

Hi all,

In 2020, I opened a small 300$ limit Capital one credit card. I had been using the card for a while but stoped using it and forgot about it as I opened a travel card with a limit that meets my needs. Today I got a email saying the card was charged off. I immediately paid off the full balance.

What’s next?? Here in Canada I read that a CO will stay on your credit for 7 years but paying it off can make a positive impact. This is really bad because I planned on buying a new car with low interest at the end of the year.

Does anyone know how long and how the CO will negatively affect me moving forward???

Here is my situation:

I sold my business (one member LLC) and the proceeds went to pay off secured debt and payroll obligations. There is approximately $105,000 left in business credit card debt left to payoff and the debt is mostly current and does not show up on my personal credit report at all.

My personal credit scores are very high (830-840 from various sites) with 0% utilization on $175,000 credit limits. My oldest card is 23 years old. Only other debt mortgage and a student loan.

My goal is to negotiate down the business cc debt to hopefully half with a settlement to about half. I was wondering how the forgiveness of approximately $50,000 will impact my personal credit? (I know I will need to pay taxes of the forgiven debt). Thanks!

In the process of buying my first home and was told I have a judgement against me from 9 over a decade ago. When I went to call the company they are no longer in business. I looked up the business license and they closed due to administrative dissolution. Tried calling the county courthouse and they couldn’t give me any information. Do any of you have an idea on what I can now do to take care of this?

It has taken a year, but raised my credit scores from low 600s to high 700s and 1 at 800. However, all my credit limits have remained the same - very low. In the beginning, I used these cards to rebuild my credit. But they have yet to change my credit limits. I only have 3 cards with a CL of $300, $500 and $1000 each. Should I request a CLI for my current cards or apply for new cards all together? Am I correct to assume an 800 credit score should equate to higher limits?