Am I personally liable for my company’s debt?
heavyd asked:
I incorporated my company in Nevada last year then applied for several line of credits. My corporation is a C-corp. I used an agency to help me applying for the line of credits and according to them, I’m the personal guarantor of the debt even though the line of credits will not appear on my personal credit reports. Business is not going to well so I’m thinking about folding my corporation. If I am not able to pay for all the corporate credit cards’ debt, will it affect my personal credit score?
ERIK
I incorporated my company in Nevada last year then applied for several line of credits. My corporation is a C-corp. I used an agency to help me applying for the line of credits and according to them, I’m the personal guarantor of the debt even though the line of credits will not appear on my personal credit reports. Business is not going to well so I’m thinking about folding my corporation. If I am not able to pay for all the corporate credit cards’ debt, will it affect my personal credit score?
ERIK
Top 5 Things to Avoid when Fixing your Credit Report
Kimberly Kellish asked:
Repairing your credit report can seem like a daunting task if you try to do so without having the proper knowledge and information you need to get it done effectively and legally. You need to use all the expert resources out there so that when you go to talk with credit agencies, you know your rights, you know what to do and maybe even more importantly, what not to do. If you do the wrong things, you may cause negative items to remain on your credit report when you could have had them removed or re-reported in a more positive light. Creditors can be tricky and without you knowing it, a simple request for more information can turn into a new updated mark on your credit report that will begin another seven year mark on your credit! Beware of such tactics, become an informed consumer and learn that you can fix your credit yourself, effectively as long as you approach the process well prepared.
1. Avoid sending out ALL of your dispute letters to your creditors at once.
This is often done by many “credit repair companies” that are popping up on the internet. They may claim to be helping you, they may even claim to be law firms, but always do you research so you know what type of company you are dealing with. Sending out multiple complaints at once will “Red Flag” your account. What this means is that credit companies will see that you have multiple complaints all at once and therefore just assume you are frivolously attempting to change your credit report with no true grounds to do so. This may be done accidentally, by not being aware that this would happen, but once your report has been red flagged, you have caused an up hill battle to fix errors on your report, it will take twice the work to convince them that your claims are real and you may become so frustrated over their stall tactics, you may give up before you really get started.
2. Never submit a statement to a creditor to prove your side of the case.
This may seem like an easy solution, ‘Here’s my statement, now fix it on my credit report” but this tactic by the creditors can backfire on you. Upon you submitting you statement you are also confirming the account, if the item doesn’t get removed, you may then have to begin your 7 year negative mark on your credit report all over again. Credit agency’s have many of these tactics that sound good to a uniformed consumer, but in the end they are only working towards their advantage, don’t fall into their taps!
3. Dispute the accuracy not the validity.
When talking with the creditor to get an item removed don’t simply say “It’s not mine”. This give s the creditor an easy out to keep your item on your report. You want to approach it more in a way that you are disputing an inaccurate component. By saying it is simply “it’s not mine”, a creditor can easily confirm an account as truly being your credit. If you approach it as an inaccuracy, there will be more information they need to verify and the likelihood of being able to verify the smaller details will be much harder for them to do. This can in turn help you to get the item removed or at least be re-reported in a more positive manner.
4. Don’t attempt to create a separate credit identity to get around your flawed credit report.
There are many credit repair companies out there that will suggest you try to backdoor the system by getting a separate tax id number to begin a new credit report. This method is not only unethical, it is illegal! The idea is out there to get a corporate tax id number so that you can in turn use that tax id number to gain personal credit. This is not the best course of action because it is fraudulent to use a corporate tax id number to gain personal credit. Plus corporate tax id numbers are different from personal social security numbers and are easily picked up by the creditor. To get around this some firms will tell you to continuously apply for tax id numbers until you get one that resembles a legitimate social security number. This is fraudulent behavior and is illegal.
5. Don’t be belligerent!
Credit bureaus are bureaucracies, but you still have real people looking at your dispute letters. If you just rant and rave about how this is an injustice and call them nasty names you will get nothing accomplished and the checker will most likely just disregard the letter as frivolous or irrelevant. Mistakes happen and be understanding to that and frame the situation as nicely as possible, you do catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. We know how easy it is to lose your temper to a big company that seems to not care, but reframe from this behavior as it will get you no where.
These five ideas are just to start making you think and become more aware of how to repair your credit most effectively. In today day you are surrounded with lots of information to help you through this process in the simplest manner possible. Creditrepairplan.com will show you a step by step process of how to get your credit repair done in a manner that will not have you ready to pull your hair out. Their sample dispute letters, easy organization and negotiating techniques will help you approach creditors with confidence and the knowledge you need to get the job done!
Kimberly Kellish has been involved in the financial market for years. She has taken her years of knoweldge and community involvement and begun a campaign to empower the consumer by educating them about financial issues so they will be able to make more informed decisions about the financial future!
MAJOR
Repairing your credit report can seem like a daunting task if you try to do so without having the proper knowledge and information you need to get it done effectively and legally. You need to use all the expert resources out there so that when you go to talk with credit agencies, you know your rights, you know what to do and maybe even more importantly, what not to do. If you do the wrong things, you may cause negative items to remain on your credit report when you could have had them removed or re-reported in a more positive light. Creditors can be tricky and without you knowing it, a simple request for more information can turn into a new updated mark on your credit report that will begin another seven year mark on your credit! Beware of such tactics, become an informed consumer and learn that you can fix your credit yourself, effectively as long as you approach the process well prepared.
1. Avoid sending out ALL of your dispute letters to your creditors at once.
This is often done by many “credit repair companies” that are popping up on the internet. They may claim to be helping you, they may even claim to be law firms, but always do you research so you know what type of company you are dealing with. Sending out multiple complaints at once will “Red Flag” your account. What this means is that credit companies will see that you have multiple complaints all at once and therefore just assume you are frivolously attempting to change your credit report with no true grounds to do so. This may be done accidentally, by not being aware that this would happen, but once your report has been red flagged, you have caused an up hill battle to fix errors on your report, it will take twice the work to convince them that your claims are real and you may become so frustrated over their stall tactics, you may give up before you really get started.
2. Never submit a statement to a creditor to prove your side of the case.
This may seem like an easy solution, ‘Here’s my statement, now fix it on my credit report” but this tactic by the creditors can backfire on you. Upon you submitting you statement you are also confirming the account, if the item doesn’t get removed, you may then have to begin your 7 year negative mark on your credit report all over again. Credit agency’s have many of these tactics that sound good to a uniformed consumer, but in the end they are only working towards their advantage, don’t fall into their taps!
3. Dispute the accuracy not the validity.
When talking with the creditor to get an item removed don’t simply say “It’s not mine”. This give s the creditor an easy out to keep your item on your report. You want to approach it more in a way that you are disputing an inaccurate component. By saying it is simply “it’s not mine”, a creditor can easily confirm an account as truly being your credit. If you approach it as an inaccuracy, there will be more information they need to verify and the likelihood of being able to verify the smaller details will be much harder for them to do. This can in turn help you to get the item removed or at least be re-reported in a more positive manner.
4. Don’t attempt to create a separate credit identity to get around your flawed credit report.
There are many credit repair companies out there that will suggest you try to backdoor the system by getting a separate tax id number to begin a new credit report. This method is not only unethical, it is illegal! The idea is out there to get a corporate tax id number so that you can in turn use that tax id number to gain personal credit. This is not the best course of action because it is fraudulent to use a corporate tax id number to gain personal credit. Plus corporate tax id numbers are different from personal social security numbers and are easily picked up by the creditor. To get around this some firms will tell you to continuously apply for tax id numbers until you get one that resembles a legitimate social security number. This is fraudulent behavior and is illegal.
5. Don’t be belligerent!
Credit bureaus are bureaucracies, but you still have real people looking at your dispute letters. If you just rant and rave about how this is an injustice and call them nasty names you will get nothing accomplished and the checker will most likely just disregard the letter as frivolous or irrelevant. Mistakes happen and be understanding to that and frame the situation as nicely as possible, you do catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. We know how easy it is to lose your temper to a big company that seems to not care, but reframe from this behavior as it will get you no where.
These five ideas are just to start making you think and become more aware of how to repair your credit most effectively. In today day you are surrounded with lots of information to help you through this process in the simplest manner possible. Creditrepairplan.com will show you a step by step process of how to get your credit repair done in a manner that will not have you ready to pull your hair out. Their sample dispute letters, easy organization and negotiating techniques will help you approach creditors with confidence and the knowledge you need to get the job done!
Kimberly Kellish has been involved in the financial market for years. She has taken her years of knoweldge and community involvement and begun a campaign to empower the consumer by educating them about financial issues so they will be able to make more informed decisions about the financial future!
MAJOR
What is Your Credit Report Made Of?
Allison May asked:
span lang=”EN-US”>
We often hear that a person’s credit report is very important because lenders, employers and even landowners check this document to measure one’s credibility and financial capability. But what really is inside your credit report? Do you really understand how it works? Let’s take a closer look on what your credit report is made of:
Inside Your Credit Report
Credit reporting agencies collect information from your creditors, debt collection agencies or from the court and compile all these information in one report. Everything listed here are considered to be accurate unless the owner of the credit report files a dispute about certain details in his report. However, if the information is correct –whether positive or derogatory - it will stay on your credit report for up to seven years.
Information that is contained in a credit report include a person’s full name, Social Security Number, date of birth, past and present home addresses, phone numbers, Driver’s license number, employment history and other personal details. If you do find any error, you must notify the credit reporting bureaus immediately and request that these details be corrected.
Liens, wages, foreclosures, bankruptcies and other public records are included in a credit report. It also contains a comprehensive summary of a person’s accounts from all his creditors or lenders regardless of what type of debt it is. It presents charges, penalties, date of payments, amount of debt, credit limit and everything that has to do with a person’s credit.
Credit Report and Inquiries
Each time a creditor or a company makes an inquiry about your report is also included. This is why consumers are warned against submitting too many applications from various lenders and banks all at the same time. Too many inquiries in your credit report can damage your score especially if you have been rejected by a lender.
However, personal inquiries are not regarded as negative and will not affect your credit score. In fact, it is recommended to inquire about your personal credit report at least twice a year so that you can be updated with the status of your credit history and score.
The three major credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each of these agency works independently in reporting a person’s credit history. Thus, if you have any dispute about your credit report, see to it that you advise all three of these credit bureaus so that corrections can be made in your report accordingly.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act protects all consumers from fraud and ID theft by ordering all credit bureaus to do the necessary corrections immediately if a person claims a dispute in his credit report.
If you own a business, you can also apply for a separate credit history for your company from two major business credit trackers in the US- Dun and Bradstreet and Experian. The credit score for a business account is known as Paydex and this is the one used by lenders and financial providers in approving business loans.
WILFORD
span lang=”EN-US”>
We often hear that a person’s credit report is very important because lenders, employers and even landowners check this document to measure one’s credibility and financial capability. But what really is inside your credit report? Do you really understand how it works? Let’s take a closer look on what your credit report is made of:
Inside Your Credit Report
Credit reporting agencies collect information from your creditors, debt collection agencies or from the court and compile all these information in one report. Everything listed here are considered to be accurate unless the owner of the credit report files a dispute about certain details in his report. However, if the information is correct –whether positive or derogatory - it will stay on your credit report for up to seven years.
Information that is contained in a credit report include a person’s full name, Social Security Number, date of birth, past and present home addresses, phone numbers, Driver’s license number, employment history and other personal details. If you do find any error, you must notify the credit reporting bureaus immediately and request that these details be corrected.
Liens, wages, foreclosures, bankruptcies and other public records are included in a credit report. It also contains a comprehensive summary of a person’s accounts from all his creditors or lenders regardless of what type of debt it is. It presents charges, penalties, date of payments, amount of debt, credit limit and everything that has to do with a person’s credit.
Credit Report and Inquiries
Each time a creditor or a company makes an inquiry about your report is also included. This is why consumers are warned against submitting too many applications from various lenders and banks all at the same time. Too many inquiries in your credit report can damage your score especially if you have been rejected by a lender.
However, personal inquiries are not regarded as negative and will not affect your credit score. In fact, it is recommended to inquire about your personal credit report at least twice a year so that you can be updated with the status of your credit history and score.
The three major credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each of these agency works independently in reporting a person’s credit history. Thus, if you have any dispute about your credit report, see to it that you advise all three of these credit bureaus so that corrections can be made in your report accordingly.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act protects all consumers from fraud and ID theft by ordering all credit bureaus to do the necessary corrections immediately if a person claims a dispute in his credit report.
If you own a business, you can also apply for a separate credit history for your company from two major business credit trackers in the US- Dun and Bradstreet and Experian. The credit score for a business account is known as Paydex and this is the one used by lenders and financial providers in approving business loans.
WILFORD
Credit report, jobs, arrests, homes, family?
Fireman 1 asked:
I wanted to know if I could get a full report of all of my personal information including health, all the jobs I have had, family, arrests, etc. What is that kind of report called and and how much would it cost.
I wanted to know if I could get a full report of all of my personal information including health, all the jobs I have had, family, arrests, etc. What is that kind of report called and and how much would it cost.
No reason in particular, just curiosity…
Thanks
SON
Credit Report Myths You Need to Know
John Mcfadden asked:
There is an increasing amount of wrong information and scams that are getting people in trouble when getting their credit report. Know the Myths what is the key information.
If I check my credit report will that harm my score?
While is if false that check this will damage your report it can if you access it the wrong we, be careful who you use to check your report, for example using a company that promises credit reports as a benefit can actually do you damage.
There are two types of ways you can access your report - one is a hard pull and other is a soft pull. A hard pull is when a bank or lender calls up to see if they cant grant you credit this is marked down as a hard pull. When you call up to get your report or score it’s only classed as a soft pull.
Only citizens can go directly to the three bureaus and get their score - if a company acts on your behalf and they do it incorrect then that will hurt you - make sure you insist this in your agreed terms.
My Credit score will be Locked in for six months.
This is incorrect, your score is a living dynamic piece of information that is updated instantly. As soon as an updated piece of information hit the FICO database (Fair Isaac Corp) your file will then be updates.
Each Credit Report are the same as each other.
This is probably one of the biggest myths out there, people think they just need to access their credit report form one of the main bureaus and then they will have all the correct information - this is incorrect in two ways.
Firstly, most Creditors report their information on you but this was not the case in the past - so many credit reports don’t have all your information, and even if they somehow do have all this financial information then your personal details will no doubt be incorrect.
The creditors might report your information to all 3 bureaus they will not update your information to all 3, so there’s a good change your address or other personal information is wrong and outdated, so you need to get your credit report form all three bureaus.
The best way to do this is get them all at the same time then get updated copies for each one individually every 4 months - this way you can be sure you have all your information and can go about correcting and updating it.
You will ant to do this so you give yourself the best possible chance of getting a loan and making sure they have the correct information.
Credit Counseling can destroy Your Credit Score
This is false but you need to be aware of a few additional things.
You need to be sure how a renegotiated loan is being reported. When you attend a Credit Councilor Debt Management program you need to be sure that the lender correctly reports that you are now paying a lesser amount so the original amount need to be readjusted so you don’t get marked down as being in arrears.
I hope a few Credit Report Myths have been cleared up.
STEPHEN
There is an increasing amount of wrong information and scams that are getting people in trouble when getting their credit report. Know the Myths what is the key information.
If I check my credit report will that harm my score?
While is if false that check this will damage your report it can if you access it the wrong we, be careful who you use to check your report, for example using a company that promises credit reports as a benefit can actually do you damage.
There are two types of ways you can access your report - one is a hard pull and other is a soft pull. A hard pull is when a bank or lender calls up to see if they cant grant you credit this is marked down as a hard pull. When you call up to get your report or score it’s only classed as a soft pull.
Only citizens can go directly to the three bureaus and get their score - if a company acts on your behalf and they do it incorrect then that will hurt you - make sure you insist this in your agreed terms.
My Credit score will be Locked in for six months.
This is incorrect, your score is a living dynamic piece of information that is updated instantly. As soon as an updated piece of information hit the FICO database (Fair Isaac Corp) your file will then be updates.
Each Credit Report are the same as each other.
This is probably one of the biggest myths out there, people think they just need to access their credit report form one of the main bureaus and then they will have all the correct information - this is incorrect in two ways.
Firstly, most Creditors report their information on you but this was not the case in the past - so many credit reports don’t have all your information, and even if they somehow do have all this financial information then your personal details will no doubt be incorrect.
The creditors might report your information to all 3 bureaus they will not update your information to all 3, so there’s a good change your address or other personal information is wrong and outdated, so you need to get your credit report form all three bureaus.
The best way to do this is get them all at the same time then get updated copies for each one individually every 4 months - this way you can be sure you have all your information and can go about correcting and updating it.
You will ant to do this so you give yourself the best possible chance of getting a loan and making sure they have the correct information.
Credit Counseling can destroy Your Credit Score
This is false but you need to be aware of a few additional things.
You need to be sure how a renegotiated loan is being reported. When you attend a Credit Councilor Debt Management program you need to be sure that the lender correctly reports that you are now paying a lesser amount so the original amount need to be readjusted so you don’t get marked down as being in arrears.
I hope a few Credit Report Myths have been cleared up.
STEPHEN
What Is Your Credit Report?
David Faulkner asked:
What role does your credit report play in your life? In case you apply for some sort of a loan, how do you think the lender would judge you? The lender simply checks your credit report which reflects all your credit history along with your credit score. Things do not just end there. The rate of interest decided by the lender on which he will lend you money is also decided on the basis of your previous transactions that reflect in your credit report. Having a bad credit report and credit score can be a sure shot reason for ant one not to trust you for further dealings.
Importance of credit report:
You must always keep a close watch on your credit report keeping in view the effect it has on your life. A person with bad credit report may possibly bear the expenses of not maintaining it and on the other hand, a person who has well maintained it can get much more credit than he otherwise can. A good credit report clearly puts up a faith in your credibility.
The credit report must be checked thoroughly. One should not just rely on one of the bureaus and get regular statements from all the three agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In case you find anything that is not clear to you, you must report it back and case the problem still persists, you must dispute on it.
What exactly a credit report contains. Basically it contains the complete records about all the transaction being made by you, either it is some expenditure done by you or some payment delivered by you to the concerned agency along with your full identity including your name, personal address, employment status and your social security number. It clearly shows your credit applications. Loans sanctioned to you, loans you asked for but not given to you, credit you still have to pay and also the available amount of money you are still offered by the bureau. It show’s the description of monthly payments that you have to make. All payments made by you, pending towards you and once which you were unable to pay. Last dates of payments along with previous late fees and interests if any are also mentioned.
Taking advantage of the free online credit report annually helps you track your history and make necessary inquires if you find mistakes. This step is important for everyone, even if you have excellent credit or poor credit. You need to know what the credit report says about your credit history. Because lenders use your credit reports and credit score to see if you are credit worthy and what amount of money you may borrow along with your interest rate, you need to keep a close on your credit history.
Once you receive your free online credit report from Annual Credit Report, a highly recognized agency, you can look over the three different credit-reporting agencies and check for errors and wrong information. For instance, if you are divorced and it has you still married, you can summit a letter to them with a copy of your divorce decree so they can correct your credit history. The idea is to have all the information accurate when a lender views your credit history.
WINSTON
What role does your credit report play in your life? In case you apply for some sort of a loan, how do you think the lender would judge you? The lender simply checks your credit report which reflects all your credit history along with your credit score. Things do not just end there. The rate of interest decided by the lender on which he will lend you money is also decided on the basis of your previous transactions that reflect in your credit report. Having a bad credit report and credit score can be a sure shot reason for ant one not to trust you for further dealings.
Importance of credit report:
You must always keep a close watch on your credit report keeping in view the effect it has on your life. A person with bad credit report may possibly bear the expenses of not maintaining it and on the other hand, a person who has well maintained it can get much more credit than he otherwise can. A good credit report clearly puts up a faith in your credibility.
The credit report must be checked thoroughly. One should not just rely on one of the bureaus and get regular statements from all the three agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In case you find anything that is not clear to you, you must report it back and case the problem still persists, you must dispute on it.
What exactly a credit report contains. Basically it contains the complete records about all the transaction being made by you, either it is some expenditure done by you or some payment delivered by you to the concerned agency along with your full identity including your name, personal address, employment status and your social security number. It clearly shows your credit applications. Loans sanctioned to you, loans you asked for but not given to you, credit you still have to pay and also the available amount of money you are still offered by the bureau. It show’s the description of monthly payments that you have to make. All payments made by you, pending towards you and once which you were unable to pay. Last dates of payments along with previous late fees and interests if any are also mentioned.
Taking advantage of the free online credit report annually helps you track your history and make necessary inquires if you find mistakes. This step is important for everyone, even if you have excellent credit or poor credit. You need to know what the credit report says about your credit history. Because lenders use your credit reports and credit score to see if you are credit worthy and what amount of money you may borrow along with your interest rate, you need to keep a close on your credit history.
Once you receive your free online credit report from Annual Credit Report, a highly recognized agency, you can look over the three different credit-reporting agencies and check for errors and wrong information. For instance, if you are divorced and it has you still married, you can summit a letter to them with a copy of your divorce decree so they can correct your credit history. The idea is to have all the information accurate when a lender views your credit history.
WINSTON
Can bad business debt go on your personal credit report?
christine s asked:
I opened up a couple of accounts for my business in 2005 but under my tax ID number. Unfortunatley the accounts went bad because I was in a car accident and now can’t work. Does this go on your personal credit report or the duns and bradstreet report.
JORDAN
I opened up a couple of accounts for my business in 2005 but under my tax ID number. Unfortunatley the accounts went bad because I was in a car accident and now can’t work. Does this go on your personal credit report or the duns and bradstreet report.
JORDAN
Your Personal Credit and Your Business Credit History
Pamela Williams asked:
When establishing a separate credit history for your business, does your personal credit matter? Does it make a difference whether or not you have good personal credit? As a business owner, why should you be concerned about your personal credit score?
Your Personal Credit and Your Business
As a new entrepreneur, you may need to apply for a loan in order to finance your business. Without business credit, lenders would be looking at your personal credit history instead to determine whether to approve or decline your application. Thus, having an excellent personal credit or a high FICO score would surely win you an easy approval from your preferred lender. Consequently, if you have a low FICO score or a questionable credit, you may find it more difficult to get approved for a loan.
On the other hand, you may also be able to obtain the loan you need by applying for a bad credit business loan. Lenders who offer poor credit business loans always approve clients regardless of the status of their credit. However, these loans are expectedly more expensive than loans that require good credit.
Clearly, the status of your personal credit score makes a difference in getting the financing you need for your business. But what happens after your loan has been approved? What’s the next step in building your business credit? Why should you establish a separate credit history for your business?
Establishing Your Business Credit
As soon as your loan has been granted, you should take the necessary steps to establish a separate credit for your business. Make sure that you’ve obtained all the necessary permit, licences, tax id numbers, and registration numbers that are required for businesses. Afterwards, register your business with a business credit reporting agency like Dun & Bradstreet or Experian Business.
Remember to submit your monthly loan payments on time to build good credit. At the start, any delays or misses on your payments will also reflect on your personal credit report. Why is this? Since your personal credit history was used on opening up the loan, your credit report acts like a co-signer for your business. Therefore, it is crucial to keep up with your payments not only to build a good business credit but to protect your personal credit as well.
After some time of consistent payments, you should have already established your corporate credit. You may need to wait a year or more before you can completely separate your business credit report from your personal credit report.
New businesses are just like a teenager who’s just starting to build a credit history for himself. At first, a student may need a co-signer to get a loan but once approved, a student can slowly build his own credit history and after a while, he can easily apply for new credit without relying on other people’s credit. Clearly, if you plan to venture in business, preparing your personal credit is a must. Although a good personal credit history isn’t necessary required to start a business, it is definitely an advantage.
WADE
When establishing a separate credit history for your business, does your personal credit matter? Does it make a difference whether or not you have good personal credit? As a business owner, why should you be concerned about your personal credit score?
Your Personal Credit and Your Business
As a new entrepreneur, you may need to apply for a loan in order to finance your business. Without business credit, lenders would be looking at your personal credit history instead to determine whether to approve or decline your application. Thus, having an excellent personal credit or a high FICO score would surely win you an easy approval from your preferred lender. Consequently, if you have a low FICO score or a questionable credit, you may find it more difficult to get approved for a loan.
On the other hand, you may also be able to obtain the loan you need by applying for a bad credit business loan. Lenders who offer poor credit business loans always approve clients regardless of the status of their credit. However, these loans are expectedly more expensive than loans that require good credit.
Clearly, the status of your personal credit score makes a difference in getting the financing you need for your business. But what happens after your loan has been approved? What’s the next step in building your business credit? Why should you establish a separate credit history for your business?
Establishing Your Business Credit
As soon as your loan has been granted, you should take the necessary steps to establish a separate credit for your business. Make sure that you’ve obtained all the necessary permit, licences, tax id numbers, and registration numbers that are required for businesses. Afterwards, register your business with a business credit reporting agency like Dun & Bradstreet or Experian Business.
Remember to submit your monthly loan payments on time to build good credit. At the start, any delays or misses on your payments will also reflect on your personal credit report. Why is this? Since your personal credit history was used on opening up the loan, your credit report acts like a co-signer for your business. Therefore, it is crucial to keep up with your payments not only to build a good business credit but to protect your personal credit as well.
After some time of consistent payments, you should have already established your corporate credit. You may need to wait a year or more before you can completely separate your business credit report from your personal credit report.
New businesses are just like a teenager who’s just starting to build a credit history for himself. At first, a student may need a co-signer to get a loan but once approved, a student can slowly build his own credit history and after a while, he can easily apply for new credit without relying on other people’s credit. Clearly, if you plan to venture in business, preparing your personal credit is a must. Although a good personal credit history isn’t necessary required to start a business, it is definitely an advantage.
WADE
I found an account that was five years old on my credit report now the company is threatening legal action?
Matt T asked:
Upon reviewing my credit report today I came across an account that said I had a balance of $26. It is five years old. I contacted the collection agency today to pay the $26 now they are telling me the account balance is $650. What options do I have? They are threatening garnishment now that they have my updated personal information if I don’t pay the balance in full by Friday. I offered to pay this account in full over the next 45 days and I was told no, if you don’t pay before Friday we will take you to court. Do I have any options requesting copies of detailed statements so I can question the validity of this debt and if so what law is this covered under. Also will this postpone any legal action
DESMOND
Upon reviewing my credit report today I came across an account that said I had a balance of $26. It is five years old. I contacted the collection agency today to pay the $26 now they are telling me the account balance is $650. What options do I have? They are threatening garnishment now that they have my updated personal information if I don’t pay the balance in full by Friday. I offered to pay this account in full over the next 45 days and I was told no, if you don’t pay before Friday we will take you to court. Do I have any options requesting copies of detailed statements so I can question the validity of this debt and if so what law is this covered under. Also will this postpone any legal action
DESMOND
Keep an Eye on Your Credit Report
Peter Kenny asked:
Vital personal information such as where you live, your place of employment, your bill paying methods, and whether you’ve ever been arrested or declared bankruptcy is all contained within your credit report. This information is vital because it can affect som many areas of your life.
Your credit score is used by lenders to determine interest rates for mortgages and other loans. Employers are allowed to check credit reports before offering employment. And increasingly, auto insurance companies are checking credit reports before determining policy premiums. Even if you’ve never been in an accident or received a ticket, you may still find yourself paying higher rates for insurance.
There are three major credit reporting agencies that gather your financial information and provide your credit report to lenders, insurers, employers and other businesses that have a legal right to access your report. These three major companies are Experian, Equifax and Trans Union.
You should be aware that you are entitled, under federal law, to one free copy of your report from each of these agencies annually. Consumers should get a one copy from each agency because they all get their information from different sources at different times of the month and each report may differ slightly from the other.
It’s recommended to stagger your requests so that you receive the reports separately, one report approximately every four months.
Checking your credit reports regularly is clearly very important, given the information they contain. When looking over each report, make sure that all the information is accurate and up to date. You should also check for any charges or accounts you don’t recognize. This can be a sign of identity theft. If your personal information, such as your social security number or credit card number is stolen, any fradulent charges or accounts will appear on your credit report.
If any inaccurate information is found on your report, it should be reported immediately. The consumer reporting company should be notified in writing. Clearly outline the information you believe to be incorrect or inaccurate. Provide as much detail as possible to back up your statements. The reporting agency is required to investigate your claims. The company that provided the inaccurate information to the reporting agency will receive a copy of your dispute as well. If the information is determined to be inaccurate, the provider is required to notify all three reporting agencies of the correction.
In the event that the investigation does not find that the information is inaccurate, you may ask to have your statement attached to your credit report. This will allow anyone who looks over your report to see that you have disputed the item and the reasons for your dispute.
CRUZ
Vital personal information such as where you live, your place of employment, your bill paying methods, and whether you’ve ever been arrested or declared bankruptcy is all contained within your credit report. This information is vital because it can affect som many areas of your life.
Your credit score is used by lenders to determine interest rates for mortgages and other loans. Employers are allowed to check credit reports before offering employment. And increasingly, auto insurance companies are checking credit reports before determining policy premiums. Even if you’ve never been in an accident or received a ticket, you may still find yourself paying higher rates for insurance.
There are three major credit reporting agencies that gather your financial information and provide your credit report to lenders, insurers, employers and other businesses that have a legal right to access your report. These three major companies are Experian, Equifax and Trans Union.
You should be aware that you are entitled, under federal law, to one free copy of your report from each of these agencies annually. Consumers should get a one copy from each agency because they all get their information from different sources at different times of the month and each report may differ slightly from the other.
It’s recommended to stagger your requests so that you receive the reports separately, one report approximately every four months.
Checking your credit reports regularly is clearly very important, given the information they contain. When looking over each report, make sure that all the information is accurate and up to date. You should also check for any charges or accounts you don’t recognize. This can be a sign of identity theft. If your personal information, such as your social security number or credit card number is stolen, any fradulent charges or accounts will appear on your credit report.
If any inaccurate information is found on your report, it should be reported immediately. The consumer reporting company should be notified in writing. Clearly outline the information you believe to be incorrect or inaccurate. Provide as much detail as possible to back up your statements. The reporting agency is required to investigate your claims. The company that provided the inaccurate information to the reporting agency will receive a copy of your dispute as well. If the information is determined to be inaccurate, the provider is required to notify all three reporting agencies of the correction.
In the event that the investigation does not find that the information is inaccurate, you may ask to have your statement attached to your credit report. This will allow anyone who looks over your report to see that you have disputed the item and the reasons for your dispute.
CRUZ
