So my FICO 8 score from Experian hit 850 today.

And I just came here to brag. And to push one of David's posts off the bottom of the front page. But now that you are here, I'll impart some valuable information.

1. 850 is as high as you can get. Although FICO 8 is THE score featured on the front page of Experian, they have several scores depending on creditor needs.

2. For getting approved, there is probably no functional difference between a score of 850 and 760, except that the 850 gives you more room in case of a hiccup. (And it's great for bragging.)

2. Credit Karma, Nerd Wallet, similar sites, and your banks give you garbage FAKO scores. Those scores tend to bounce up and down from month to month and are often misleading. You can get your real score, for free, from Experian.

3. Too many inquiries hurt your score? That's a crock. After an inquiry, your score will dip slightly but recover in a month or two. Of course, lenders may turn you down because of too many inquiries, but it has almost nothing to do with your score. 

4. Too much recent credit received hurts your score? That's a crock too. While a bank might turn you down for that, your score will recover within a month or two of receiving new credit.

5. Need to keep a proper "credit mix?" Also a crock. I have no installment loans since I paid off our cars early a couple of years ago, and the original amount and current balance on my mortgage are so small it's a joke.

6. Showing at least a small balance on your credit cards helps your score? That's crock city also. Only fools pay credit card interest.

7. It's hard to get a super-high credit score unless you are old. True!!! That's because the credit agencies put a big emphasis on your oldest piece of credit. So whatever your oldest credit card is, use it at least every few months and try to keep it forever.

I'm a travel hacker, and over the last five years, I've probably applied for about 50 credit cards between me and my wife. I know my shit. And of the next three cards I apply for, I'll probably get turned down for one. Because credit scores ain't everything.

My credit score was damaged for SEVEN YEARS because I supposed owed NINE DOLLARS to a utility company that I never had an account with in a place I never lived. And because they didn't exist any longer, I couldn't successffully dispute the bill. I also got dinged because my father died owing the water district where he lived $1200--and though I was never responsible for that or any other of his bills, I got sent an invoice because I was his "emergency contact" (???), and then dinged when I naturally refused to pay it myself.

So IMHO, one's credit report, and therefore one's credit score, is an overripe, festering pile of shit that means less than nothing.

   Time for your comeuppance, wordsmith. The proper wording in your post should have been "I supposedly" instead of "I supposed". Time for you to go back to the third grade and learn how to properly compose a sentence.

  My goodness, picture, how does it feel having Lying Lewis stomping on the results your hard work? Lewis loves inflicting his self imposed pain on any and all others - he is a real prince.

Never said I never make a mistake. You're correct; the proper word was "supposedly." A typo.

See what it's like to admit a mistake? You should try it!

I really meant "one's" credit report. No insult to MP intended. I've edited my post, and apologies to MP.

Ah, the good old days. Now, collection agencies can be sued and fined if they don't verify the legitimacy of a collection account. They tend to play it very safe.

A few years ago I legitimately owed about $1,700 to my landlord for breaking a lease early, which I was willing to pay, but they added on about $900 in bogus fees. It went to collection, I responded within 30 days with a list of the collection's deficiencies, and the collection agency refused the business. At that point, the landlord dropped the whole thing, even though I had offered, in writing, to pay the $1,700.

Reminds me of when I left my apartment 11 days before the expiration of my year's lease--having paid that last month's rent in full--and they said that I had "broken" the lease by vacating my apartment before the lease was up (!!!). They then retroactively charged me $300 per month, or $3600, the difference, they said, between the month to month rent and the year's lease rent. I tried to contest this with the various credit agencies--absolutely no luck.

The way those agencies work is, if Amalgamated Widget tells them that Joe Blow owes them forty grand, they take that as gospel. Then if Joe disputes that, it's his word against theirs--and guess what happens then? They side with the pseudo-creditor. Joe has to take them to court--and win--to get that "debt" removed from his credit report.

And as far as "verifying the legitimacy" goes--yeah, you can force them to call the creditor. "Does Joe Blow owe you this money?" "Uh-yup." That's IT. No actual proof needed.

It's just another example of the corporate elephant versus the ordinary guy mouse.

         You are lying again. The details you cite do not equate to reality. Just another example of the twisted mentality that you possess.

David, David, David...get your mommy to untwist your panties for you.