We've come a long way, baby!
Since that first McCarthy's Department Store credit card way back in 1984, I've struggled long and hard with the trials and tribulations of credit. My role-models, namely my parents, were not the best to emulate in this regards. To my knowledge, they never really EVER got where I'm at now. Well, they never really tried, did they? And to get "here" you do indeed have to try. No, actually, in the words of Yoda: "Do or do not. There is no try!" And so I finally DID.
The road to here has been arduous and strewn with potholes:
1985: "Too New" Syndrome
1986: Bank Loan In-Person Application Rejection - News of the Challenger Disaster while at bank
1986: Student Loan Default
1986: 1st Great Credit Crisis
1988: SUED: Sears, Roebuck and Company vs. Me
1988: Summer of "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
1989: IRS Refund Lien in Perpetuity Due to Student Loan Default
1990: The AMEX Debt Collector Douchebag
1990: Fired from Amego/1st Time Apartment Lease Break (Kent Farm Village)/Black Winter
1991: Return Cavalier Near Dealership Breaking Lease
1991: Grove Street Car Accident/No Insurance, No Financial Security/SUED: Idiot Driver vs. Me
1992: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
1993: Slowly Rebuilding Credit with Signet Bank Secured VISA
1993: Mom Finances the Geo Metro, I Make the Payments
1994: GMAC Car Loan becomes Mine via Showing Full Year of Payments
1995: Signet Bank, Now Called Capital One, Becomes a Real Credit Card.
1996: Low Income, Full Rent Causes New Financial Crunch/Break Apartment Lease #2 (Dan)
1997: 1st DUI: State of Florida (Indian River County) vs. Me
1997: Move to Florida/Vacation Attitude/3rd Apartment Lease Break (Lakeside South)
1997: SUED IN ABSENTIA: City of Woonsocket Tax Assessor vs. Me
1998: Capital One Card in Collections/4th Apartment Lease Break (Altamonte Condo)/New London Syndrome
1998 SUED IN ABSENTIA: Blackstone Valley Gas Company vs. Me
1998: Altered Licence Tag Arrest and Fines/First Late GMAC Payment with Just 3 'Till Payoff
1998: Able to Finally Payoff Geo Metro/Full Time Management/Move In with Ric
1999: Direct Merchants "Sunny Beach" and New Ford Focus
2000: DM Firing but Quick SHIP Pickup/The Halcyon Days of 3 Passes
2001: Groomed for Possible SHIP Executive Position/Business Travel and Expense Accounts
2001: 2nd DUI: State of Florida (Orange County) vs. Me
2002: Rapid Debt Increase from DUI costs/Revoked Drivers Licence/The SHIP Has Sailed
2002: The September 16 Decision/Proto-Koyo/Burn WAMU Checking #1
2003: 5th Apartment Lease Break (Park Central)/Abandon The Focus/ Burn BOA Checking/Koyo Begins
2003: 6th Apartment Lease Break (Reflections)/Escape to NOLA/Burn WAMU Checking #2
2003: 7th Rental Lease Break (Sandra #1)/Back to Florida, Ric and the Drama/Last Resort Roomin' With Kid Chase/Oh Alchy Me/Kid Chase Boot/Back to NOLA again/Mom Dies
2003: NOLA Grants Layoff/Ric's Plea/8th Rental Lease Break (Sandra #2)/Back to Florida/iCare
2004: iCare Firing/Gary Dies/9th Rental Lease Break (Cypress Springs)/Oh, Let's Try NOLA Again
2004: 10th Rental Lease Break (Albert)/Yup, You Guessed it: Return to Florida
2005: Sun Lake Apartments with Ric/Convergys/Ric buys Hidden Village Condo
2006: Pick up Symantec Just Before New Crisis Hits/Credit One and Orchard Bank Cards
2007: Driver's Licence Back!/Buick Bought for ~$5000 Saved Cash
2008: Buick Totaled/Got High Interest-Low Credit Score Car Loan for Nugget/Symantec RIF
2009: Begin Embark/Unemployment Years/Maxing Out the High Interest, High Fee Credit Cards
2010: By Year's End, First Missed Rent/Unemployment Benefits Dry Up/New Near Collapse
2011: Last Minute Reprive from LW/But Not Without: 11th Rental Lease Break and First Collection Debt (Bell South $185...forgot about phone bill during move) in Years/Paying Down the Card Balances
2012-now: New CC Cards, Rising Credit Score, New Car, New Apartment, Savings Account, Solid Retirement Account, Debt Free, the Bell South collection finally drops off (just last week).
Whew! I typed this all in from memory referencing only a couple facts here and there. What a ride!
So now we're here in Great Credit Land. And, hopefully, here to stay. Here's the latest rundown of the numbers. As always, there's a bit of variance but by all accounts, it's pretty damned good.
Citi
801
Equifax
Bank of America
791
TransUnion
Discover
791
TransUnion
FNBO
818
Experian
Synchrony/WM
791
TransUniom
AMEX
797
Experian