Ack. Bleck.

[featherynscale]

Car bill will run approximately $300. I think that puts me at about $1800 in repairs for the past 6 months, which is equivalent to a low-end car payment.

On the bright side, the guy at the shop thinks he knows someone who is looking to buy a small car for cheap. I told him to talk to this alleged guy and see what he'd give me for the car. I have to imagine that this will be a better deal than whatever they're willing to give me in trade at the dealership. In any case, it's nice to have another option.

EDIT: Bonus round. I can't get a loan for a vehicle. The PARADE OF FAIL continues.

Comments

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Since 2005, I have tried to get a credit card three times, and been denied. Two of these were "secured" cards, where you give them money equaling the credit limit on the card up front. One was a normal card, and I was not alarmed to not get that one. The other two were... an odd experience. :(

[otterkin.livejournal.com]

Wow, that *is* strange! Have you considered talking to a real "credit advisor" kind of person? It sounds like there's something different going on here...

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I didn't know there were such people. How do you suppose one goes about finding one of them?

[otterkin.livejournal.com]

I'd ask at the bank first. Be careful of "credit counseling agencies" - they can be shady. Ask to speak to a loan officer at your bank, and if they can't help you directly, I bet they can recommend someone.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

The credit counseling agency people I have spoken to in the past, before I filed. They wanted me to just pay them all the money, but they wouldn't guarantee that all, or even any, of the money I paid would actually go to my creditors. Somehow, that didn't seem like it was going to be a good plan.

I will call the bank again and see if I can get anything of use out of them.

[otterkin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's kind of like finding a good tarot reader (or similar). There are an awful lot of sham people out there, and there are some who are actually good. :) I don't know the title of the kind of person I'm thinking of - but they're closer to a CPA or a personal financial advisor than a for-profit credit counseling agency.

Poking around online, I found a couple interesting things. This article (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/BankruptcyGuide/BounceBackFastAfterBankruptcy.aspx) says that sometimes your credit report isn't annotated correctly to say that your outstanding loans were taken care of in the bankruptcy - so it looks like you filed for bankruptcy AND you still have all those outstanding loans that you haven't made a payment on in years! It also tells you how to get a free copy of your credit report, and how to decipher it. And this one (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/7FastFixesForYourCreditScore.aspx?page=2) tells you what big errors to look for on your report that may be artificially reducing your credit score.

[dramaticaddict.livejournal.com]

yeah, I have the same problem... I put checks in my account all the time, when I do accidentally overdraw my account (ultra rare now that im not with SUCK of America) it gets paid off immediately and is only by a few dollars.
but still, I cant get car insurance from several companies, or a loan for a house with payments lower than rent would be, all because I have no credit, and dont make enough to try to get any....
wtf?