I recently checked my full FICO score out, and noticed there were 2 delinquencies on my account. I’m very good about paying my bills on time, so I did some digging and found out where they came from.

What happened? Both delinquencies were from my student loan account with Firstmark Services. I have two loans with them which I pay together each month. Last year, before I was totally organized with my loans and finances, I somehow managed to have a 60 day past due balance on the account. My parents had been paying them for me during the months before. We obviously didn’t communicate very well when we made the transition to me paying on the account, and ended up with the late balance.

I realize that these delinquencies could have been avoided had I paid closer attention to my finances. It’s my mistake; one that would stay on my credit report for up to 7 years if I didn’t do something about it. Because I didn’t want that bad mark on my credit report, I decided to make a call to Firstmark.

I spoke with a very nice customer service rep named Erin, and kindly explained the entire situation to her. I also pointed out the fact that we have never had a late payment otherwise. Erin was very helpful, and they were able to retract the delinquencies for BOTH loans as a one time courtesy since my payment history has since been excellent.

So now, thanks to my 3 minute phone call and Erin’s kindness, I have gone from having 2 reported delinquencies to having zero. That was a week or two ago, and now my FICO score has gone up by 27 points! That’s enough to qualify me for much lower interest rates on auto loans or home loans.

The moral of my story is that you should always keep a close eye on your credit reports! If you see something that could be harming your credit, then you need to take action. Even in a case like mine, when the fault lies with you and not the credit company. In most cases, if you have a good payment history, they will help you out. And remember, it never hurts to try!

Popularity: 84% [?]