Credit Reporting Agencies Are Not Your Friends

Rayven Perkins asked:


There are multiple credit myths and rumors that surround the realm of credit reporting. Some are urban legend, and have become so widely disseminated that they are taken as gospel; others are deliberately encouraged by lenders to terrorize or cajole debtors into compliance.

The following is a compilation of the most common credit myths concerning your credit file, and the reality that all consumers should be aware of.

Myth: Credit reporting companies are subsidiaries for or working on behalf of the federal government.

This belief is fostered by the fact that creditors make such a big deal about “registering” you as a debtor with a credit reporting agency that the power of the agency itself becomes inflated. In fact, credit reporting companies are nothing more than mega businesses and their true subsidizers are the banks and finance companies.

Myth: If you pay a bad debt, the negative report will automatically be removed from your credit immediately.

This is a tactic used by unethical bill collectors to get you to pay your debt, and 9 times out of 10 it is a flat out lie. You can occasionally make an agreement with a creditor to pay a debt on the condition that it be removed or marked paid as agreed, but this should always be in writing, and they must put in writing that they will contact the credit reporting agency, request the update, and follow through until it is done.

Myth: You have to sign up for a credit monitoring service to get a free credit report.

This one is just ridiculous, and has been picked up by hundreds of companies trying to sell “credit protection” packages. They offer you a free credit report through their website and then sign you up for a monthly automatic charge for an overpriced, basically useless “credit alert” program that you can duplicate simply by taking reasonable precautions. Don’t be fooled. You are entitled by law to a no strings attached, once a year, completely free report from each of the three major credit reporting companies.

Myth: Trying to get stuff removed from your credit report is illegal.

Again, this is just not true. There are illegal and unethical ways to tamper with your report, but many people have incorrect or outdated items on their report and it is perfectly legal to try to have those removed or updated. The steps to accomplish this are easy, and you can do it yourself so don’t waste money on a “credit repair” company that claims it can restore your credit for a huge fee.

Myth: Credit Reporting agencies are required by law to keep negative items on your report for at least seven years.

Actually, the Fair Debt laws state that after 7 years credit reporting companies are required to remove adverse reports - and nowhere does it say that these can’t be taken off earlier. The credit reporting agencies perpetuate this myth themselves so people will not ask them to remove stuff.

Myth: Credit reporting agencies strive to keep accurate reports.

In what alternate universe? Again, a credit reporting agency is not an agent of the government, and has little interest in helping anyone out or motivation to be accurate. They are in business to make money, and they make it from the lenders.

They have a vested interest in reporting whatever the creditors tell them because the creditors pay them to, and they double dip by selling this personal and private (and often inaccurate) information to other lenders and agencies as well. They have no vested interest in removing items, or in helping you at all.

Now that you know what credit myths to watch out for, you can take steps to review your credit and begin to correct any discrepancies. Unfortunately, credit reporting agencies do hold a lot of power over the average American citizen, and it falls to you personally to make sure that you are not being taken advantage of or wrongfully portrayed.



NIGEL

Glitches on Your Credit Report: How to Fix Them Right

David Siegel asked:


s world, having a bad credit report may be detrimental. Even though in most cases consumers have brought this upon themselves, in some cases the bad credit report may be caused by a glitch in the credit bureau system. As up to 25% of credit reports have a substantial error that can affect the consumer in getting credit, housing or a job. Although, some may feel helpless against the unperfected credit bureau system, that is far from the truth.

Every person should order a credit report at least once a year, it is free on annualcreditreport.com. This report should be carefully examined for mistakes and biased information. Once a mistake is found the credit bureau should be contacted through certified mail, explaining the mistake. The creditor that reported the information to the bureau should also be contacted by mail, stating the mistake that was found. The Fair Credit Report Act mandates credit bureau to delete all incorrect information that may be on the report. Therefore once the credit bureau receives your letter disputing the mistake within the report, it will investigate the glitch by contacting the creditor and trying to verify the credit report. If the creditor does not respond in time or if he does not verify the information on the original report then the bureau will delete the erroneous information from the report.

Furthermore, if your credit report displays information that you feel is biased towards you, you can add an explanatory note explaining the situation. For example, if you moved to another address while your bills kept coming to your old address, causing impairment to your credit score, you can add a note to your credit report explaining that situation. Just write a note to the bureau explaining that you would like such a note included on the report. Sometimes an easier route to fixing your credit report is by contacting the creditor that reported the problem to your credit bureau and asking them to clear up the glitch, by contacting the bureau.

No matter which approach you take to fixing your credit report you need to make sure that the mistake has been fixed by getting a subsequent credit report. Remember if the credit report gets a letter notifying them of a glitch, they have to investigate it, and if they can’t verify the original report then they have to delete the information. By taking control of your credit report, you can begin to change your financial picture.



CONRAD

Finding an Instant Credit Report

Sandra Stammberger asked:


Due to the increasing number of households having an Internet connection, instant credit reports obtained online have risen in popularity and are preferred when compared to the traditional methods of written requests and toll free telephone calls to major reporting agencies. An instant credit report allows a consumer to access their complete credit file within minutes or in some cases seconds with a click of their mouse. This is a vast improvement and is greatly appreciated by the consumer, especially if they are wanting to pursue a loan application and need an instant credit report to assess their chances.

There are currently two ways to obtain your instant credit report online, one is more cost efficient than the other depending on your specific needs. The first is a free annual, or even in some cases biannual, instant credit report. These types of free instant credit reports do not usually contain all three reports or a credit score. The second way is to pay a competitive fee including a three in one report from Equifax, Experian and Trans Union complete with a credit score. Paying for your instant credit report can be a little more complicated, as more choices accompany this option. You can go directly to the credit reporting websites or use a credit service company. With a credit services company, you will usually receive a free one-time instant credit report for agreeing to purchase many others throughout a set period, usually one year. However, with these companies you will not receive the free instant credit report information available at the major reporting agency sites.

Instant credit reports enable you to correct vital mistakes that may affect your financial future by submitting a request for an investigation into discrepancies online. They also allow you to update any or all information that has changed or been misreported since you last viewed the credit report. Even more importantly, an instant credit report can allow you to recognize if you have been a victim of identity theft faster than ever before.

Obtaining an online instant credit report requires that you have access to an online computer and have all your personal information ready to enter. It really is as simple as that to get your instant credit report. As with any online interaction that involves personal information it is always important to remember to check that the website is secure before entering any details and requesting your instant credit report.



JONATHAN

Recommendations for a good paper shredder for personal use?

kimber181 asked:


Sorry I know this isn’t the right section to be asking but didn’t get any replies in consumers. I know this section is usually busy.
I need one, I have tons of personal papers, old pay stubs, old loans, credit reports, etc. that I need to get rid of. Don’t want to spend a fortune but dont want junk either. What would you suggest? Any that you think are better than others? Prices?

THAD

Why would a collection company only accept guaranteed money?

SoulSearching asked:


I was going to pay with a debit card and I wanted then to fax me a copy that the bill was paid for my personal records.credit report..

they said the only way they would do that is if I paid with guaranteed money
They said no credit card payment

AL

Reccomendations for credit monitoring?

katie asked:


Can anyone reccomend an online program/company for personal credit monitoring? I had a friend have some trouble with idenity theft and I’d like to have something where I can watch my credit reports and score every month for a low fee. Any suggestions?

CORNELIUS

Free Instant Credit Report: Know About Your Credit Standing in an Instant

Amy Gordon asked:


How will you know whether your financial position is really in a good shape or not? This is where the credit report comes in handy. The real essence of a credit report lies in its ability to help you understand the financial matters along with your credit status. In fact, the report is prepared by the credit bureaus, who keep a track of all your financial activities. .Free instant credit report too is meant to provide you a detailed report about how to maintain your financial well being. This report is absolutely free and can be derived mainly by applying online.

It is your credit report on the basis of which, your loan application form is approved or while applying for a credit card and even while applying for a job. Thus, it becomes equally important to have a free instant credit report. Moreover, the report will also assist you to check if there are any inaccuracies or irregularities on your report and which can be a major embarrassment for you in future.

In accordance with the federal law, the report is issues mainly by 3 prominent credit agencies namely, Transunion, Equifax and Experian. Initially, this report is meant to keep a check on your various financial activities and credit stand. The information pertaining to your financial activities is collected from the lenders and merchants. So, it is of utmost importance to keep checking your credit status on a regular basis.

There are various websites who specialize in offering free instant credit report. Online accessibility of this credit report is beneficial when you are in need of this report urgently. Moreover, you can derive the report without paying any nominal fee.

A  credit report is an official document which contains complete details about your personal information, credit standing, financial transaction made on the past, outstanding payments that remains to be paid along with your credit score. So, a free instant credit report is all that you need to have a perfect understanding about your credit report.



GRADY

Consumer Credit Report - Do You Know What Yours Says?

John Mcfadden asked:


A consumer credit report is the annual assessment of each person’s credit standing. By knowing what is on your you can get a lot of benefits when you go to get credit based services like loans, credit cards and even rent and phones.

Each year, by law, American citizens are entitled to obtain a free copy of their annual consumer credit report which basically details their credit risk profile. This allows companies who are considering extending some type of credit to the consumer to make an educated decision on the risk of that transaction. The better the credit of the consumer, then the better chance that company has of being paid back by the consumer.

By having a good credit report, a consumer can gain advantages such as cheaper loans and credit cards and avoid the embarrassment of being rejected for things like rental apartments and telephone contracts.

There are three companies which can offer a free consumer credit report (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) and are legally obliged to offer that annually.

By knowing what is in your credit report, you can negotiate for better credit condition (if you’re report is good) or you can strive to repair your credit by challenging inaccurate or false items on your report.

To do that, you simply need to obtain a copy, unfortunately you need to actually a report from all three credit bureaus. Why, because lenders don’t report to each bureaus, they just report to one with your past financial information - so if you only obtain a copy of one report then you will not have your complete financial position and history, it is recommended that you get all three reports - they way you know where you stand and you start improving nay negative information, it is common for your personal information to be old or incorrect.

Make sure you update them with your correct address. Be sure not to use companies that claim they can quickly improve your credit score, they are most likely to be scammers.

Assess the items on it that are negatively affecting your credit score and challenge those items to the relevant consumer reporting company. That company is then legally obliged to pursue the matter.

The thing is that challenging your credit report takes knowledge and time and so it may often be a better option to hire a credit reporting company to do the leg work on your behalf.

It’s essential you know how lenders will read and give weight to different parts of your Credit Report:

The American company FiCO has a tool that helps credit bureaus determine your credit score - below is the matrix that is used:

Payment History 35%

Amount Owed 30%

Length of Credit History 15%

New Credit 10%

Types of Credit Used 10%

Such companies know exactly what can be challenged as well as how to do it and who to contact about your credit.

By having a good credit report, you can make your own life a lot easier and cheaper in the long run.

Hopefully this article has been helpful for you and you will now know exactly what yours says.



DAMIEN

Beating Capital One’s Credit Limit Reporting Disposition?

Alexander Vasarab asked:


From everything that I’ve ever read to my own personal experience, Capital One does not report your credit limit to any of the three credit bureaus. That said, I know that FICO’s score algorithm substitutes your highest recorded balance in for your credit limit in the absence of it being reported. My question is this: Will finding an item equivalent in cost to your real credit limit, charging it to your card, and then returning it immediately correct credit reports to reflect the true credit limit?

For example, let’s imagine that I have a credit limit of $10,000 and I purchase a huge, flat-screen plasma television for $9,000, and return it the next day and thus have the $9,000 credited to my account, will this set it straight in my credit reports? Thanks!

NESTOR

Check Free Credit Report UK

Dr. Vicki Fidler asked:


We’ve teamed up with the UK’s market leading credit reference agencies so that we can provide you with a fantastic range of services that enable you to check, monitor and improve your personal credit report. What’s more, all of these services are available to you online!

We appreciate that everyone has differing requirements when it comes to using personal credit checking services. In order to assist you in choosing the right personal credit reporting product for your requirements, we have provided a wealth of information on each of the credit reference agency services available.

The most popular online credit report services that we have on offer are summarised below. Use the links provided to learn more about what each service offers and to start gaining the benefit of using them to improve your credit rating and protect yourself from identity fraud.

1 Equifax Credit Report: An Equifax credit report provides you with a snapshot of your personal credit history as it stands at the time of you running the report. Access to this service is provided online. Read more about Equifax Credit Report and order your copy. Equifax will provide you with free access to their credit report for 30 days after registration.

2 Equifax Credit Watch Gold : This personal credit report monitoring service from Equifax provides you with a FREE 30 day trial period, in which time you have unlimited online access to your personal credit reports and are provided with monitoring update notifications within 24 hours of each change to your personal credit history. Read more about Equifax Credit Watch Gold and start gaining the benefits of monitoring your personal credit file.

3 Experian CreditExpert: A personal credit report monitoring service from Experian. This service offers a FREE 30 day trial period. The full service provides you with weekly alerts of significant changes to your personal Experian credit report. You can check your online credit report an unlimited number of times. Read more about Experian CreditExpert and start monitoring your Experian credit file.

4 Equifax Credit Rating: This service from Equifax provides you with a copy of your personal Equifax score. An Equifax credit score can range from 0 - 900. A higher credit score indicates you are likely to be a better candidate for credit. With your Equifax Credit Rating you also get a copy of your personal credit report.

5 Experian Credit Score: Only Members of the Experian CreditExpert monitoring service are able to purchase their personal Experian Credit Score. The Experian credit score is a numerical display of your level of credit risk. A higher score represents a lower credit risk. Experian credit scores range from 0 - 999.

6 Equifax Identity Watch: A credit monitoring service from Equifax, specifically developed for those concerned with the risk of identity theft & identity fraud. With this credit service you receive one Equifax credit report (with discounts on further Equifax reports). You then receive alert notifications within 7 days of key changes to your Equifax credit history. Read more about Equifax Identity Watch and start gaining the benefits of this service.

7 Statutory Credit Report: All UK Credit Reference Agencies offer the statutory credit report service. This is the most basic of all personal credit report products. You can order statutory credit reports for a small fee.

Learn More About Personal Credit Reports:

Accessing your credit report and signing up to credit monitoring services is one thing, but making the most of your credit file and improving your credit score is a whole other ball game. We’ve put together a number of articles to help dispel many of the myths regarding personal credit reports, to help you better understand credit reference agency services and to put you on the way to managing your credit record in the best possible way.

For further assistance on credit check UK, free credit report, equifax, experian, credit management, credit rating, credit reference agency, bad debt recovery, debt collection, debt purchase, debt sale, credit control, business credit check browse http://www.thecreditagency.co.uk/credit-report/check-my/ now!



BRADLEY

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