Consumer complaint received 2024-05-02
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Account information incorrect
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc. (SC)

As a XXXX veteran I was driven into bankruptcy after purchasing a predatory loan from XXXX in XXXX. The stress of dealing with the process was devastating and dealing with the Credit Bureaus was worse. However, I became very astute at managing my finances and credit score. In XXXX the bankruptcy came off my credit and I attainted an excellent credit rating. However, I noticed over the next couple years that although I followed all of the credit bureaus rules my credit score was not improving. For the lest couple years I have been receiving credit score updates through my banks with whats are called score factors. 
These updates access your credit usage and provide suggestion for improving ones credit score, but they are fallacious and deceptive. These factors have been grossly inaccurate on several occasions. They have stated that I have too many inquiries, my oldest credit account is too new and I didnt have an installment loan. I have had several fruitless conversations with all three bureaus when Im able to get through to them. My last conversation was with Experian about these the inaccuracies. 
First I explained that if I had too many inquiries they were unauthorized. The second was simply incorrect. I established a secured credit card with XXXX in XXXX. I dont consider XXXX years to be recent. To address the lack of mortgage information I was told a personal loan would meet the criteria to improve my credit, so I took out a loan l that I didnt need and am paying a high interest so I can maintain excellent credit. Last year I also began paying a company to report my rent payment of XXXX a month. I have no doubt that were I to miss a payment it would be reported but I have to pay to have positive credit history reported. About a month ago I had a conversation about this with Experian. I was also told during this conversation that having a XXXX balance on my credit cards was hurting me, so I recently made some purchases that I didnt need solely for the purpose of improving my credit score. 
Soon after I was sent an update from Experian that my credit had gone down. I have attached a screen shot of that update. I put a small balance in relation to my total credit limit and was instantly punished for following Experians advice. I would like to know how it is possible after following the advice and rules of the Credit Bureaus that my credit score is going down or a best remaining stagnant. In the past year ; I have taken out a personal loan as suggested, which is half paid off and in perfect standing, I have added a XXXX dollar rent payment to my credit profile that is also in perfect standing and I am carrying credit card balances in the ranges suggested by all three bureaus that should be improving my credit score and every account on my report is up to date and in good standing. The credit bureaus are obviously not following the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 
They are by definition extorting consumers, because were I to purchase XXXX of their credit booster products my score would instantly go up. They are making falacious suggestions to consumers in the form of score factors. I have used information provided to my banks by the credit bureaus to improve my credit score that has hurt my credit. I was told the installment loan would improve my credit. It dropped my score XXXX points and now their claiming my balance is too high after paying on it for XXXX  months with no late payments and that is hurting my score. I would like to know once and for all what the actual rules are to improve my credit score because all three bureaus seem to make them up as they go along. Making payments on time is supposed the main factor to improve ones credit. I havent missed a payment on anything since my bankruptcy in XXXX, I added a XXXX a month payment, an installment loan payment and taken on a percentage of credit card debt under the advice of the credit bureaus so how then is my score going down and not improving?