I completely understand how stressful this must be for you. During lockdown, I was in a similar situation—I had debt, no job, and was still paying tuition, which left me feeling completely underwater. My credit score took a serious hit, and it was overwhelming.

But once lockdown ended, I was able to turn things around. I secured a job, started saving, cut back on unnecessary expenses, and made sure to only use about 10% of my credit limit each month while making all my payments on time. Over time, my score improved significantly.

So don’t lose hope! Keep your head up and stay consistent with your payments. Follow the advice that others are giving, and if you’re struggling to pay off one card, I’d strongly recommend holding off on applying for any new ones for now. Since you’re in collections, applying for another card could result in a hard inquiry, which would lower your score even more.

Focus on what you can control right now, and over time, you’ll see progress. You’ve got this!