Tag Archives: Credit

Credit Reports – How Do I Get My Credit Reports For Free?

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Article by Mark Clayborne

Currently, there are three main credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. You should request your credit report from all three of these agencies. Your information is also available for free from each credit bureau every 12 months. Another option for obtaining personal reports is to get a three-in-one report. With this report, you get all three of your reports merged into one. If you want a three-in-one credit report, you have to buy it or subscribe to a credit monitoring service.

A good starting point for reviewing your credit history and information is The Annual Credit Report, a service sponsored by the three leading credit bureaus and authorized by the Federal Trade Commission. By using the Annual Credit Report website, you can see all three of your reports instantly as this service is offered to you for free once a year.

How do I get my report online? You can get your credit file by logging onto Annualcreditreport.com. Once there, select “Get Your Free Credit Report” and fill out the subsequent form. You will be prompted for basic information, as well as a few questions regarding your accounts. After you have typed in the security code, you will be prompted to select a credit bureau to retrieve your credit report.

How do I get my reports by mail? Also on Annualcreditreport.com is the option to request your reports by mail. Simply click on the link titled Getting Your Credit Files By Mail” and print out the form. Aside from basic information, you will need a copy of your license and a utility bill in order to fill out the form. While completing the form, make sure to use a black or blue pen. Once finished, send the form to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P. O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

How do I request my free reports by phone? Another option is to call the Annual Credit Report at 1-877-322-8228 and follow the automated voice prompts to order your reports. You can request one report, or all three. When you call, the automated system will ask you for personal information like your social security number, date of birth, full name, and your current and previous address. These actions are taken to prevent identity theft. Once your request is in, your reports will be mailed out to you within 15 days.

Are there other ways of obtaining my report for free? According to federal law, you are entitled to an additional free report if you experience the following:

1. If you are denied credit, insurance, or employment. (You then must request for your credit report within 60 days from being denied. Write to the credit bureaus and let them know that you were denied credit and that you would like a free credit report.)

2. You’re unemployed and plan to search for a job within 60 days.

3. If you are on welfare, or a victim of identity theft.

4. If the bank or a credit card company charges you higher rates or fees, and their decision was based on your report.

5. If there was a negative change in your credit limit or the collection agency tells you that they have reported adverse information on your credit file.

As you can see there are many ways to get your credit report for free, but you must take action to make it happen.

If you want to get the best credit ever, get approved for your dream home, car and stop collectors from harassing you on a daily basis, then it’s time to take action by signing up for you free Self Credit Repair E-Class. Click Improve My Credit Mark Clayborne is Amazon’s best-selling author of “Hidden Credit Repair Secrets” and a credit repair expert with 10 years of experience assisting consumers with credit related issues.










Legal Recourse Against Credit Reporting Errors

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Article by Michael Forbes

By law, credit reporting agencies are expected to keep information on your credit report accurate. When you have followed every avenue to correct an inaccuracy and a credit reporting agency fails to remove the wrong information, you have legal recourse against them.

In the United States, having a good credit standing is a vital and necessary tool to everyday living. Your credit score has a direct impact on so many aspects of your life. Such aspects include your ability to obtain a loan for a car or motorcycle, your ability to get approved for a home loan, or an equity line of credit, your ability to get an affordable automotive insurance rate, a store credit card, a small personal loan and of your standard course credit cards.

In fact, your credit score also affects whether or not you can get an apartment or rent a home. These days many employers even consider your credit score when deciding whether or not to hire you. Meaning, a bad credit score can even affect your ability to get a good job, and thus your overall livelihood. Some people might not take their credit score that seriously, but it is serious. It’s your responsibility as the consumer to check your credit report on a periodic basis in order to determine if there are any inaccuracies being reported, which in turn could directly affect your overall credit rating.

In the U.S. we use three major credit reporting agencies: Transunion, Experian and Equifax. Although these three reporting agencies format their reports differently, each of the credit reports contains the same basic information. Each agency report contains your personal identifying information about where you live, if you pay your bills on time, if you have ever filed for bankruptcy, if a lawsuit has ever been filed against you and if you have been arrested.

The credit reporting agencies sell your private information in your credit report to creditors, insurers, employers and other entities who want to evaluate your credit report in order to make a decision about loaning you money, insuring you, hiring you, or allowing you to rent an apartment or home. Since so much hinges on the accuracy of your credit report, it’s absolutely critical to ensure that the information contained within your credit report is accurate.

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was created to promote the accuracy of information reported. Both creditors and the reporting agencies have a responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the information they report on a person’s credit. When there is an inaccuracy in a report it can result in denied credit. This can be extremely inconvenient if you are in need of a new automobile, a small loan, or even if you want to purchase a home.

In a 2004 study conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, 80% of the reports in the study contained inaccuracies and 25% of those errors had inaccuracies which could trigger a denial of credit. There are steps that a consumer must take in order to request that such inaccuracies be removed. The first step is first obtaining a copy of the report. If after you have exhausted all of your attempts to get an error removed and agency continues to report the erroneous information, then you may have legal recourse against them.

By law, when there is inaccurate information on your report, the reporting agency is required to remove it. If the reporting agency fails to remove the incorrect information, then you can sue them for damages. To learn more about your legal options, please contact a Philadelphia debt collector attorney for more information.

Michael P. Forbes is a Philadelphia debt collector attorney. As a seasoned lawyer, he is closely familiar with various federal laws that are aimed at protecting the consumer and the debtor from unfair practices. Whether a credit reporting agency has violated a provision of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), or if you are a victim of debt collector abuse and they have violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), he is well-versed in all forms of state and federal laws that are designed to protect you. His firm offers a broad range of services including foreclosure defense, credit card lawsuits, debt collector abuse, zombie debts and much more. To learn more about how Mr. Forbes can help you, please contact a Philadelphia debt collector attorney by calling (610) 991-3321 or you can visit the firm’s website at http://www.mforbeslaw.com.










All Is Fair In Love, War, And, Your Credit Report. At Least It Should Be. Under Standing The Fair Credit Reporting Act

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Article by Glenn Prialde

Fact: Over 150 million Americans have credit report with the three major credit reporting agencies. Approximately 50 million of these credit reports contain errors, many of which are inaccurate. Do you know what’s on your credit report?If you’ve ever applied for a charge account, a personal loan, insurance or a job, there’s a credit report about you. This credit report contains information on where you work and live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued, or filed for bankruptcy.About The Fair Credit Reporting Act? (FCRA)The Fair Credit Reporting Act was the first federal law to regulate the use of personal information by private business. It was all the way back in 1899 that the first major credit reporting agency was started. Over time, credit reporting grew into a huge industry and, by the late 1960’s, became surrounded by controversy.Credit reports from the Credit Reporting Agencies were being used to deny services and opportunities. At that time, you would have had no right to see what was in your credit report. The FCRA was passed in 1970 and fortunately now you have that right.On December 4, 2000 President George Bush signed into law the first phase of the Fair And Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act), which amends the FCRA. The FACT Act establishes the Financial Literacy and Education Commission and calls for a national financial literacy campaign.The act addresses consumer’s rights to understand and protect the information in their credit report and to get help when their financial information has been stolen. It also restricts the use of medical information in determining a consumer’s eligibility for credit, and also limits the sharing of medical information with affiliated companies under certain circumstances.Here are some questions consumers commonly ask about credit reports, Consumer Reporting Agencies and the answers. Note that you may have additional rights under state laws. You can contact your state Attorney General or local consumer protection agency for more information. You also have information and resources at your disposal 24/7 at: www.creditandyou.com.Q. What can I do about inaccurate or incomplete information?A. Under the new law, both the Consumer Reporting Agencies and the information provider have responsibilities for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your credit report. To protect all your rights under this law, contact both the Consumer Reporting Agencies and the information provider. See credit repair article by credit and you.comQ. Can my employer get my credit report?A. Only if you say it’s okay. A consumer reporting agencies may not supply information about you to your employer, or to a prospective employer without your consent.Q. Can creditors, employers or insurers get a report that contains medical information about me?A. Not without your approval.Q. How can I stop a consumer reporting agencies from including me on lists for unsolicited credit and insurance offers?A. Creditors and Insurers may use consumer reporting agencies file information as a basis for sending you unsolicited offers. These offers must include a toll free number for you to call if you want to remove your name and address from lists for two years, completing a form that the consumer reporting agencies provides for this purpose will keep your name off lists permanently.Q. Do I have the right to sue for damages?A. You may sue a consumer reporting agency, a user or in some cases a provider of consumer reporting agency data in state or federal court for most violations of the FCRA. If you win, the defendant will have to pay damages to reimburse you for attorney fees to the extent ordered by the court.Q. Are there other laws I should know about?A. Yes. If your credit application was denied, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) requires creditors to specify why if you ask. For example, the creditor must tell you whether you were denied because you have no credit report with a consumer reporting agency or because the consumer reporting agency says you have delinquent obligations. The ECOA also requires creditors to consider additional information you might supply about your credit history. You may want to find out why the creditor denied your application before you contact the consumer reporting agencies. See Equal Credit Opportunity Act article by credit and you.comStay On Top Of Your Credit …Before financing anything, car, furniture, or a home, it’s a god idea to make sure your credit report is clean. Errors can often be quickly removed. And no sales person should ever know more about your credit report than you.

To find out: additional rights you have, who can get a copy of your credit report, how long negative information can be reported, easy steps anyone can take to repair there credit report visit: http://www.creditandyou.com/creditreports.html it’s a free information website!










Related Reports Articles

Free Annual Credit Reports – Strategies to Avoid Imposter Websites

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Article by Nora

In a 2004 amendment to The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a new system providing free credit reports was initiated. The amendment requires each of the three national Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs), Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, to provide free copies of an individual’s credit report once every 12 months. The free reports require a request to be submitted to a centralized office, in accordance with procedures defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is charged with consumer protection and ensuring compliance to the FCRA from the Credit Reporting Agencies.The amendment was undertaken as a way to help individuals access the information contained in their credit reports. Prior to the amendment, credit reporting agencies were able to charge individuals for every copy of their credit report that they requested. Only under specific circumstances, such as searching for employment, were credit reports provided free of charge. This undermined fair access for individual’s to access information about them collected by the CRAs.Understanding what information is in your credit report is important. Only then can you ensure that the information being reported about you is accurate and up to date. Your credit report impacts your life in many ways, from the ability to obtain credit to the amount of money you will pay for that credit.Fair access to such important information is critical. The unfortunate reality is that reporting mistakes do happen. Any errors or misinformation contained on a credit report can have a tremendous impact on a person’s financial wellbeing, job prospects, and housing prospects.The amendment mandated the three CRAs to implement a centralized website, toll free number, and mailing address as methods individuals may use to request their free credit reports. Although the centralized website was implemented as a way to offer consumers a quick and easy way to request their reports, it has come under severe criticism by various consumer protection groups.There are problems that plague the centralized website annualcreditreport.com. Some of these problems are related to difficulties inherent with the Internet and search engines. Others, some groups claim, are the result of poor planning and implementation on the part of the three Credit Reporting Agencies.Many of the consumer protection groups, including the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, urge consumers who are unfamiliar with the Internet to avoid using the centralized website to order their free credit reports. They further encourage those who choose to use the website to beware of a number of potential pitfalls the internet, and the website itself, present.The first problem has to do with the Internet itself. The three Credit Reporting Agencies purchased the website address (also called a URL (uniform resource locator) or domain name) annualcreditreport.com. It is common for unscrupulous webmasters to purchase domain names similar to others, with the goal of intercepting customers or consumers who search for the genuine website. These webmasters purchase domain names very similar to the real domain, and unsuspecting consumers mistakenly believe they’ve reached the correct website. These consumers are then redirected to paying sites, have their personal information collected without their knowledge, or signed up for services they don’t want or need. In this way, unscrupulous webmasters make money.The FTC calls these websites ‘imposter’ websites.Unfortunately, consumer groups and the FTC have reported that some Credit Reporting Agencies are linked to some of these imposter websites. Recently, the FTC filed and settled a lawsuit against a subsidiary of one of the Credit Reporting Agencies. The lawsuit alleged “deceptive and misleading” claims on the subsidiary’s website. This website was advertising free credit reports, and then automatically signing up consumers to a credit monitoring system that charged a fee if not cancelled by the unsuspecting consumer. In addition, the website was collecting personal information about the consumer.The World Privacy Forum reports that over 100 domain names with close misspellings of annualcreditreport have been purchased. Many of these have been purchased by the Credit Reporting Agencies themselves. In some cases, these websites lead consumers to websites that demand payment for services, and others lead consumers to the Credit Reporting Agencies websites themselves, where they are charged for copies of their credit reports. The second of these is largely the result of the CRA’s affiliate marketing programs, whereby the CRA pays a website for a referral.The second problem with the centralized website lies in its implementation. Initially, the website was set up so that only the 3 CRAs and the FTC were able to provide a live web link to annualcreditreport.com. This prevented other legitimate websites, such as news and consumer group websites, from offering a live link on their website. In response to these concerns raised by Privacyrights.org, this situation has changed. The change is welcome, as consumer groups correctly pointed out that the initial web link block only served to make it easier for rogue websites to redirect consumers to illegitimate websites.There are two ways to find these imposter websites. One is to perform a search in any search engine, which results in a display of many websites. Clicking on anything but the genuine website can land a consumer on an imposter website. The other is by incorrectly typing the genuine website address into the address bar of a web browser. Many of these unofficial websites contain small typographical errors, designed to lure in just such a web surfer.Avoiding Imposter WebsitesMany consumer groups, including World Privacy Watch, urge consumers to avoid potential imposter sites by avoiding the internet altogether. Instead of ordering free credit reports online, use the toll free number or regular mail.The toll free telephone number is 1-877-322-8228. The mailing address is Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. If ordering by mail, a form must be completed and can be found on the FTC’s website.Those consumers wanting to order online are urged to:1) Ensure that they are using the genuine website. The only website address is annualcreditreport.com.2) If the website you reach features a pop up, advertises itself on television or radio, or redirects you to a different site, know it is not the genuine website. Your credit card number is not required information, and you are not required to purchase or pay for any additional services. The genuine website will not send you any emails.3) Understand that you are required to provide only certain personal information, including your name, address, social security number, and date of birth. If you have had a change of address in the past 2 years, your old address may be requested. In addition, you may be asked about a personal financial detail that only you would know. This is to prevent anyone else accessing your credit report.Access to free annual credit reports is a welcome change to the laws governing credit reports and protecting consumer’s rights. Every citizen should take advantage of this free service to ensure that the information being reported about them on their credit reports is accurate and up to date. As with any other service, consumers need to be aware of the potential danger that lurks behind the scenes by imposter websites and unscrupulous webmasters.

Credit Repair

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Comprehending a Credit Report

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Article by Wendy James

Personal loans can also be used to improve your credit rating. If you have a bad credit history, you can take out a bad credit personal loan. Once you repay your bad credit personal loan, your credit rating improves. You can choose appropriate loan from the range of loans offered. Read the article to find out about the loans available in the UK loan marketm

The payday loan is credited directly into the bank account of the borrower.

A business loan can be secured by all types of UK business property, commercial and residential properties. Business Loans can offer up to 79% LTV (Loan to Valuation) with variable rates, depending on status and length of term.

You can use a personal loan for any of your miscellaneous needs. You can even use a personal loan to make daily purchases. However, you must avoid using personal loans to pay for daily expenses.

Comprehending a Credit Report

Obtaining a credit report is an excellent way to begin taking control of your financial future. It’s recommended that you review your credit report once a year, not only to be aware of your standing with creditors but to also keep abreast of errors and fraud. However, once your report arrives you may have trouble making sense of it. How are you to read and understand a credit report?

There are three major credit reporting agencies that issue credit bureau reports; Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. It is recommended that you obtain reports from all 3 credit report agencies as they most likely contain varying information since creditors subscribe to agencies on a purely voluntary basis. The credit reports provided by each of the different bureaus may present somewhat differently but generally speaking the information will be broken down in much the same way.

There are four main parts to the credit report: personal profile, credit history, public records and inquires. Check each section carefully for any errors. Note any errors you may discover on a separate piece of paper as you read over your report.

Personal Profile

At the top of the credit report you will find all your basic information such as your full name, current and previous addresses and employers, social security number, and date of birth. Your spouse’s name may also appear if applicable. In addition, you may notice several variations of your name listed. This can occur when creditors record the information incorrectly. These discrepancies are usually left on your credit report. It is important however, to ensure that your address is correct. An incorrect address could alert you to a possible identity theft.

Credit History

The next section is your credit history. This provides you with an itemized list of your current active, past closed accounts and their balances or arrears. Listed first is the name of the creditor and your account number for each bill–sometimes the account numbers may appear partially obscured for security purposes. These debts could include real estate mortgages, credit cards, car loans, or medical bills.

There will be a column for identifying the nature of the account; Joint, Individual, Undesignated, Authorized User, Terminated, Maker, Co-signer or Shared. There will also be a notation of the date when the account was opened, number of months the account payment history has been reported and date of last activity. The report will show your high credit limit or the maximum you are allowed to borrow, if applicable. There is a column for Terms which indicates the number of instalments or monthly payments remaining on the account.

The next few columns will show the balance remaining on the account, any past due amounts and the status of the accounts. There are two types of accounts; instalment and revolving. An Instalment account means that there are fixed payments and a specific ending date, such as with a car loan. A revolving account is one with no fixed ending date as with credit card debts. Creditors like to see few revolving debts.

Secured loans are those loans that use some object of value, which is referred to as collateral, as a guarantee of repayment and a method of offering lower interest rates. Secured personal loans has three words nsecuredo, npersonalo and nloanso. Secured loans are loans which are given after placing a guarantee.

Personal loans are classified as secured and unsecured loan on the basis of security attached to the loan.

Borrowers with bad credit history have to shell a greater amount because of the higher interest rates they are offered.

In order to make the resources available within a day, the loan provider in case of fast loans skips several steps that are involved in the normal loan processing.

The credit report will indicate the different types of accounts and also may assign it a numerical ratings system. You may see such symbols as R1, R2, R3 or I1, I2, I3.The R or I indicates Revolving or Instalment and the numbers indicate the payment history of the account as follows;

* 0- account hasn’t been used yet

* 1- paid as agreed

* 2- 30 plus days past due

* 3- 60 plus days past due

* 4- 90 plus days past due

* 5- 120 plus days past due

* 7- Collection account or bankruptcy

* 8- Repossession or foreclosure

* 9- Charged off or bad debt

The credit report will also show a record of any debts that have been turned over to a collection agency. It will show the date the collection was reported, the name of the company handling the collections and the company or lender that the loan was originally issued with and the balance remaining on the account.

Public Records

These are reports obtained from local, state and federal courts. They will indicate records of bankruptcies, tax liens and monetary judgments. Overdue child support records may also be shown. These public records will remain part of your credit history for seven to ten years and reflect negatively on your total credit score.

Inquiry Section This section reveals any parties that have obtained a copy of your credit report over the last two years. There are generally two types of inquires, hard and soft. A hard inquiry is one initiated by you, whenever you apply for a loan or fill out a credit application. A soft inquiry comes in three forms; companies that wish to offer you promotional applications for credit, current creditors that are monitoring your account or credit bureau inquires requested by you, the consumer. These soft inquires do not show up on credit reports that businesses receive, only on copies provided to you. Although many lenders will view too many inquiries on your report as negative, it is important to note that two or more ‘hard’ inquires within a 14 day period count as just one inquiry.

Credit Score

The credit report can also reveal your credit score. A credit rating scores is a means of calculating an individual’s credit risk to determine how likely they would be to make good on a loan. The score is a three digit number ranging between 300 and 850. The higher your score, the better it reflects on you as a borrower. A good credit rating score will enable you to negotiate for better interest rates.

Disputes

What if you should find an error on your credit report? Once you have discovered an error, contact the credit bureau that issued the credit report and state in writing what you found to be inaccurate. You will find the contact information listed at the top of your credit report.

The credit reporting companies must reinvestigate the claim within 30 days. They will then contact the party that submitted the item and attempt to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible. Remember, you have the right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to dispute any inaccurate or fraudulent information that may appear on your credit report, and should do so in a timely fashion.

Once you learn to read and understand a credit report, you are moving towards a more secure financial future. Obtain your report today!

A business loan is designed for a wide range of small, medium and startup business needs including the purchase, refinance, expansion of a business, development loans or any type of commercial investment.

Online processing of loans is of special help in making instant loans possible. Online processing of loans does not simply mean using a computer for sorting and arranging data.

Shop for the best interest rates online and ask questions. Ask specific questions for a secured personal loan.

Credit card debts can mount up and get out of control quickly, you can reduce them today! Bridging loans can be used to fill in the cash shortfall existing in a property transaction and many more. Each loan has different features; you can find the loan you are looking for from the vast number of loans offered by lenders.

Direct loans are convenient, flexible and simple. A Direct loan is a loan by a lender to a customer without the use of a third party. This type of loan enables the lender to have greater discretion in the distribution of loans.

Learn ways to reduce your debts today at http://www.reduce-debt.info










Find More Reports Articles

Payment Reporting Builds Credit: Supplement Negative Credit Reports

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Article by Lisa Phillips

Having negative credit can affect your entire life. Not only are banks, lenders and credit card issuers pulling your credit file, employers are now using credit history as a determinant in hiring. It is getting harder to escape the consequences of having bad credit. Not everyone with bad credit is late paying all of their financial obligations. You may be timely with your rent, utility, cable, cell phone, child support and even daycare obligations. Now you have an alternative way to prove your creditworthiness. Payment Reporting Builds Credit (“PRBC”) is a national consumer reporting agency and credit bureau which collects, stores and reports bill payment information.

Payment Reporting Builds Credit (“PRBC”)

Since 2002, PRBC has been collecting, storing, scoring and reporting data for consumers and small businesses in accordance with Fair Credit Reporting Act. PRBC gives the consumer and small business owner a way to build a credit file and demonstrate creditworthiness that is different from the traditional credit reporting agencies. Payment Reporting Builds Credit produces a PRBC credit report and bill payment score based upon your payment history with non-reporting rent and recurring bills which are not traditionally reported to Experian, Equifax and Transunion credit reporting agencies. A PRBC credit report can show you have paid your bills on time. They maintain your bill payment history in your file for up to seven years and this information will only be shared with your permission.

Types of information contained in PRBC credit report

The information contained in a PRBC Report include rent, utility, cable, telephone, insurance, cell phone, loans from friends and family members, child support and even daycare provider payments.

How it works

Consumers or small business owners sign-up for enrollment and once enrolled, you will be able to document positive payment history in a PRBC credit file by reporting your payments for these types of bills. You will be able to view your report for free at any time. When applying for credit you can request the credit issuer pull your PRBC report and the credit issuer will pay a fee to PRBC to view your report. Not all credit issuers will agree to pull your PRBC report.

How much does it cost to create a PRBC report

While there is no fee for creating a PRBC credit file, there is a fee to the consumer for PRBC to verify the timely payments you report to your file. Credit issuers requesting your PRBC credit file also pay a fee to view your file. If you choose to use one of PRBC’s online bill payment partners, you can request your payments be reported to PRBC automatically as you pay your bills and no verification fee will be charged.

The cost for verification of your credit file

There is a six (6) month minimum payment history requirement in order to have your payments verified. After the six-month payment history requirement has ended, the cost of verification will vary depending on the type of information you request verified. For instance, rent payment history verification may be $ 20.00 while utility payment verification may be $ 15.00. You can request package deals for verifications which include cable, phone and electric bills.

Who views PRBC credit files?

Upon your consent PRBC sells credit reports to lenders, banks, employers and other companies when you apply for housing, a mortgage loan, credit, insurance, or employment. PRBC does not sell your information to telemarketers or other marketing firms. Unlike the three major credit bureaus, you can view your PRBC report as often as you like, free of charge. You maintain control over who will view your PRBC report.

Not all credit issuers, lenders and employers accept PRBC reports. You will have to inquire and request this type of report supplement your traditional credit information. Recently, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began accepting PRBC Credit Reports for underwriting purposes. A PRBC credit report may be an excellent way to increase your chances of getting approved with good rates when you apply for credit. For more information on Payment Reporting Builds Credit visit their website at http://www.prbc.com

For tips on improving your credit score visit: Rebuild Credit Scores

Lisa Phillips is a marketing consultant specializing in business expansion and development. Because many small business owners lack the personal and business credit necessary to grow and expand, she has developed a free website to aid consumers as well as entrepreneurs in rebuilding and taking control of their credit. www.rebuildcreditscores.com










Did You Know that Everyone is Looking at Your Credit Report?

by admin

Article by Joe Rispoli

Your employer probably saw a copy before hiring you and your landlord likely considered it before accepting you as a tenant. Long distance telephone carriers and cell phone companies even look at it before providing their services. And you’ve never even seen your own credit report? In fact, according to a recent study, less than 20% of all Americans have ever seen their credit report. Most people become concerned about their credit report only when they are denied credit. By that time, it’s usually too late.

You should take a look at your credit report at least once every 2 years. This way, information is still accessible and verifiable in the case that you may need to have it corrected. You should also look at your credit report before applying for any credit. This may help to avoid any unwelcome surprises. Allowing you to look at exactly what your loan manager will look at, can prepare you for any questions.

If you’ve never had credit problems, you might think that you need not be concerned. But according to a recent government study, one out of every four credit reports contain errors, one out of every six contain errors that could cause denial of credit. Sometimes Credit reports are accidentally combined, and people with similar names or social security numbers actually share a credit report! It’s not at all uncommon for family members to have overlapping data. Nor is it uncommon for a credit card or loan company to accidentally list you as having missed a payment.

Have you ever received a late notice or collection letter on something that you already have paid? I’m sure you made a phone call or two and straightened it out immediately. But what about the monthly report to the credit bureau? You can’t help but wonder if the mistake got corrected on that report. The only way to find out what is actually on your credit report is to look at it for yourself. When you do, you may be surprised to see that your credit record looks quit different than you expected. The past and present credit accounts that you expected to see, may not be listed, and still other accounts that you did not expect to see might be listed. This is not at all uncommon because creditors are not required to report our account to a credit bureau. They are free to report only the information that they see fit.

This situation may provide for a pleasant surprise, if a past loan that became delinquent doesn’t show up on your report. It may also provide a very unpleasant surprise, if something you thought unimportant was reported. Like maybe a non paid magazine subscription, or even worse, someone else’s delinquent account record. The only way to find out what is on your report is to see a copy for yourself!

Here are some questions and answers that will help explain what a credit report is and how to get one.

What does it mean to have good or bad credit?

Having good credit means that according to your past creditors, your record (credit report) is clean. You made payments, and paid off your past debts satisfactorily. Having bad credit is just the opposite. Your record (credit report) shows that you have not paid off your past debts as agreed. This could mean late payments, collections, non-pays etc… This information is held at the “credit bureau”, and is provided to those businesses that request it.

What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the federal law that governs credit bureaus. The law was written to protect consumers from the obvious power that credit bureaus can have over their lives.

Do I have a right to know what my credit report says about me?

Yes, the Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you that right. This law also gives you the right to obtain a copy of your report for free, with a letter of denial of credit, if that denial of credit was due to information found on your credit report.

What is on my credit report?

Your credit report contains information about your credit card accounts, loans, charge accounts, and items of public record such as bankruptcies, tax liens, and judgments. It will list each account on record, who the account was with, how much was borrowed, how much was paid, and how timely the payments were made. It will also list any accounts sent to collection agencies, accounts not paid in full, and defaulted loans.

Who has access to my credit report?

According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, anyone with a “legitimate business need”. However, in most cases the report is only provided to credit grantors, employers or prospective employers, landlords, and insurance underwriters.

Are ALL of my accounts listed on my credit report?

Probably not. Businesses have a right (but not the obligation) to report to any or all credit bureaus, at their discretion. Your previous credit grantors might have reported your credit experience to just one credit bureau, all three large credit bureaus, or they might not have reported it to any credit bureau. However, most large credit grantors report to TRW, Transunion, or Equifax.

What will it cost me to get a copy of my credit report?

You can acquire a credit report from the credit reporting agencies below for free. If you’re located in the United States and Canada, you can do this once a year. You also may obtain a free copy of your report from any credit bureau that provided information that caused you to be turned down for credit.

For complete, up to date information how to receive a copy of your credit report, you may contact the three largest credit bureaus directly at:

TRW (800) 392-1122 Trans Union (714) 738-3800 Equifax (800) 685-1111

This information is provided for informational purposes only. The author assumes No liability. You should retain professional legal or financial assistance if required.

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Content 2008 Joe Rispoli

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Equifax Credit Report – Obtaining and Monitoring Your Credit Report

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Article by Carmelo Faulkner

Equifax Credit ReportsEquifax credit report is the credit record provided by the Equifax credit reporting bureau. Consumer credit reports provide a brief but comprehensive overview of his or her credit history. A credit report, sometimes referred to as your credit history or credit file, is utilized mainly by lenders to decide whether or not they will grant you credit. Credit reports are widely used in many situations from auto loans, mortgages, and credit cards to insurance, utilities, and employment. Personal credit reports provide detailed account of the individual

Basic Facts About Credit Reports

by admin

Article by Roger Peter

This article will give you a bird’s eye view of what credit reports are and some important factors that you should be aware of.

What are credit reports?

To put it in simple words a credit report is a record of all your borrowing and repaying history. It has data related to all your financial transactions, loans taken, credit card usage, repayment history, late payments and bankruptcy to name a few. So checking your credit report can give anyone a complete idea of how well you manage your credit and if you are credit worthy. You can get more information about credit reports here.

What is the use of a credit report?

A credit report contains all information about your credit history. It can tell anyone if you are a responsible borrower or a reckless one. A good credit history is reflected in your report with a higher credit score and vise versa. The information on your credit report can be highly useful to lenders are other financial institutions who can refer the reports to ensure they are giving a loan to the right person. Generally lenders shy away from people having a poor credit score and they can give loans with lower interest rates to those with good scores. So in a way a credit report also acts as an external element forcing you to borrow responsibly.

Who records my credit history?

The recording part is done by three credit agencies namely Experian, Equifax and Transunion. Whenever you fill out an application for credit from a bank/financial institution the information is forwarded to all these three agencies. All these three agencies work individually and hence there are chances that your report will have slight differences with each agency.

What is a 3 in 1 credit report?

A 3 in 1 credit report is a reporting format that includes reports from all three credit agencies namely Experian, Equifax and Transunion. This is the best and simplest way to get access to all three credit reports in one shot rather than approaching and requesting reports from each agency separately. In addition to the ease of information access a 3 in 1 report is cheaper and saves you a lot of time as well.

How often should I check my reports?

You can check your reports once every year but to be on the safer side it is always better to have a credit monitoring firm monitor changes to the reports on a regular basis. This will ensure that you stay clear of credit fraud. A monitoring firm will intimate you against any major changes made to your credit report within 24 hours. This gives you a chance to check your credit report and ensure that those changes are valid and have not been made by unauthorized parties.

How can I check my reports?

The easiest way to do this is to apply online. But ensure that you are applying through a trusted source. You get access to one free credit report every year which you can get from annualcreditreports.com. This is the only place where you should apply to get your free credit repot

What if I have used my free credit report?

You get access to a free copy of your credit report every year which you can order from annualcreditreports.com. In-case you have used up your free credit report you can still get access to your credit reports through other agencies. You can either directly approach one of the credit agencies or apply through other companies that work for these agencies.

Get a copy of you 3 in 1 credit report at BestCreditReports.com and save!










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Credit report

by admin

Article by James

CREDIT REPORT

Definition:-Credit report is Personal file that contains factual records of consumer’s credit activities which are used by potential lenders to evaluate your credit reliability.Credit report reflects variety of information about your credit history like your open and closed loan accounts, credit balances, history of payments etc.

Credit reports contain following information about you:

Identifying information:- Your credit report contains information that identifies you, including the following: Your name Your social security number Your current address and previous addresses Your phone number Your date of birth Your current employer and previous employers This information helps ensure that your credit report is accurate and doesn’t mistakenly include details about another person perhaps same name.Public record information:- Your credit report lists any items that may affect your credit, including:Court judgments, including child support judgments Tax liens Bankruptcies It is generally gathered from local courthouses. This information is used to determine if you have previous defaults or legal judgments against you. Information showing a critical or disrespectful attitude can generally remain on your credit report for up to seven years, except for bankruptcy information, which may be reported for 10 years.

Credit history information:- Your credit report includes your history of bill paying with lenders such as:Banks Mortgage companies Retail stores Finance companies Here negative information about your credit relationships, such as late payments or defaults, will remain on your report for up to seven years, and bankruptcy information may appear on your report for 10 years.Inquiries: – Your credit report lists the lenders and credit grantors that have requested or received your credit report. A better general rule is to have fewer inquiries on your credit report. Inquiries typically can remain on your credit report for only two years.

What is 3-in-1 Credit report?3-in-1 credit report (also called a 3 agency credit report or a 3 bureau report) provides your credit history as reported by all three Bureaus i.e. Experian credit bureau, Equifax credit bureau, and TransUnion credit bureau)3-in-1 credit report will contain: Your details of every credit card opened in your name. Your details of every loan opened in your name. Your complete breakdown of payment history. Complete information of all the companies that have reviewed your credit report. Comparison of the information on each of the credit reports from the three credit bureaus.

3-in-1 Credit report is better than single credit reportThe credit bureau companies are independent of each other and do not share any information, so the personal and financial information that is contained in one credit check agency is not the same as the personal and financial information contained in the others; therefore, By obtaining a 3-in-1 credit report, you will be aware of any information a potential lender can see concerning your financial history.Also, because up to 70 percent of credit reports contain errors of some kind, experts recommend you get a 3 bureau report to ensure all errors are captured.

James is credit Counselor who has more than 5 years experience in Debt and credit counseling,Credit settlement, credit score etc.He also writes copy for brochures.This article is aboutcredit report. It also discusses the Annual credit report.