u/Possible-Storage4434

So recently I paid and settled my capital one and discover cards. I was initially denied a checking account but reapplied and it was granted to me. It's been about 6 months since the settlements have occurred and whenever I try the pre-approval link it states that the denial is due to actions on previous accounts. I know some people have said they were forgiven and got another card. Just trying to get some input and recommendation on how to try to get a 2nd chance. As stated earlier I'm switching mt checking and savings to Cap 1 and wondering if there's anything else I can possibly do.

Ive heard people getting razor bumps service connected,anyone have any insight on that?

CREDIT PROFILE

* Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of:

* Huntington secured card $1225 limit

* Citi bank secured $500 limit

* Indigo credit card $1000

* Samsung Galaxy card $800

* FICO scores with source: Experian 609

* Oldest credit card account age: 1 year

* Cards approved in the past 6 months: 1

* Cards approved in the past 12 months: 3

* Cards approved in the past 24 months: 4

* Annual income $: 65000

CATEGORIES

* Ok with category-specific cards?: No

* Ok with rotating category cards?: Yes

* Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below.

* Dining $: 175

* Groceries $: 300 walmart

* Gas $: 0 currently looking to purchase a car in the next 4 months

* Travel $: 0

* Using abroad?:

* Other categories or stores:

* Other spend:

* Pay rent by card? Yes, amount and fee: %1195 3% fee

MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

* Amazon Prime member: Yes

PURPOSE

* Purpose of next card: Building Credit

* Cards being considered: Amex Blue

Credit rebuild — currently around 611, trying to reach 650+ as efficiently as possible

I'm not looking for a credit-repair company or a magic loophole. I'm trying to understand what I can realistically do over the next 3–6 months to improve my profile.

Current score: ~611

Revolving credit:

Total available credit: ~$4,275

I'm actively working on getting overall utilization under 10%

Indigo: ~$1,000 limit; currently around 23% utilization and working it down

Huntington secured card: ~$1,225 limit; working toward keeping it very low

Citi: $500 limit; essentially being kept inactive/emergency only

Samsung: $800 limit; newer account

I have another small-limit tradeline as well

Payment history/derogatories:

I have several older derogatory accounts/collections

I have 4 late payments on my student loan from a period when I lost my job and couldn't make the payments

All current accounts are being paid on time

I'm considering sending a goodwill letter to the student-loan servicer asking if they would remove those late payments as a courtesy

I'm not planning to dispute accurate information simply because it's negative

Other debt: I currently have a wage garnishment from an old judgment involving a credit card and vehicle loan. I'm actively paying it down through the garnishment rather than adding new debt.

I've also been working on settling/clearing some older accounts instead of letting them sit indefinitely.

What I've already changed:

Stopped using credit as extra spending money

Cut down on convenience spending

Stopped taking cash advances

Started building an emergency fund

Keeping credit card balances low

Paying everything on time

Avoiding unnecessary hard inquiries/new accounts

Trying to build better financial habits rather than just chase a score

My goal: I'd like to reach the 650s as quickly as realistically possible, but I also want to build a profile that will actually qualify for decent auto-loan rates.

I'm hoping to finance a vehicle later this year, so I'm trying to balance improving my score with not doing anything that could hurt my approval odds.

My questions for people who know credit:

With a ~611 score, how much difference should I realistically expect from getting utilization consistently below 10%?

Would you prioritize paying down the remaining revolving balances or attacking collections/derogatories first?

Is a goodwill letter worth trying for 4 legitimate student-loan late payments?

Should I leave my existing cards open and lightly use them, or is there any reason to close some of the smaller accounts?

Would you avoid applying for any additional credit until after the auto loan?

What would you personally prioritize if your goal were to go from ~611 to 650+ over the next several months?

I'm looking for honest advice, including if my expectations are unrealistic. I'm trying to fix the underlying financial situation, not just manipulate the score.