Posts Tagged Annual Credit Report

Equifax Personal Credit Report – Phone and Address Information

Hector Milla asked:




There are plenty of places that you can receive a detailed credit report. Equifax is one of the three credit bureau agencies. Everyone is entitled to one free finance report each year. There are a couple of things the report will show including; credit scores, opened and defaulted accounts, phone and address information and much more.

Many people seek an up-to-date credit report to make sure their identity has not been stolen. With the increase of identity fraud, account agencies are now offering people the chance to protect themselves. Some of their account services include annual credit report requests, fraud alerts, freezes and dispute options.

How To Request a Free Annual Report From Equifax

To get an up-to-date report from Equifax, go the agency’s main website. Next, you will be asked to request a report by choosing your current state of residence. After that, you will be taken to another page which will require you to fill out some basic information such as your name, date of birth, social security number, current address (and past address if it applies). People have the option to receive reports over the web, or in the mail (or a combination of both). The site is also sponsored by the other two account agencies; TransUnion and Experian.

From there, you will receive a report that shows all of your activity regarding loans, lines of credit, employment and address history.

It is important to check your financial status every year in order to monitor for scams, fraud and unlawful charges. Some people’s lives have been tarnished because they didn’t know they were a victim of identity fraud.

Viewing Credit Scores

There is a small fee for viewing specific scores. This is essential to those who want to know what their chances will be of getting a loan from creditors in the future. Most creditors are worried about lending money to those who have a poor credit score.

Fraud Alerts and Freezes

Requesting a fraud alert is quite simple. The alert will remain active for 90 days. There are options to extend the alert (the information is available in a free downloadable PDF document on the main website). When a fraud alert is made, your personal information and alert will be forwarded to the other two agencies (which means you don’t have to contact them separately). This is a good option to protect your identity and credit.

Lance

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Is Annual Credit report.com a safe website to check credit?

Nathan asked:


I want to know how my credit looks and was wondering if this was a safe site to use. I’m not really sure if it’s safe. it looks a little shady but I might be wrong. Personal experience greatly appreciated!

Jesse

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What Is a Credit Report and How to Get One

Brandon H Johnston asked:




A credit report will inform you of all the vital information that you need to check your personal credit rating. You can obtain get a “free copy of my report” with very little effort online.

By filling out a form offered by the FTC, you can obtain your free annual report by post. If you have the internet to hand, you may also apply for this free of charge service via the annual credit report website.

If you do not use Annual Credit report when applying for your report, you will have to pay for these services. The three most recognized credit rating bodies are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.

Obtaining your score is slightly different from your credit report. This will cost you a fee. If you would like to request your free report which has been free for many years now, you simply go to the website and click on “free copy of my credit report.

A report actually gives information to potential lenders. This information includes things such as loans that have been paid, payments that are still due, how much you have borrowed and how many times you have been refused. You can look into this further by visiting http://www.creditscorereportguide.org.

Viewing your free report once a year for free prevents any errors or problems that you may have in the future. If you have been refused credit elsewhere, this has no effect whatsoever on your right to view your credit report.

If you would like to stop the embarrassment of being refused credit in the future, you can go to Annual Credit Report and view your personal history before it’s too late.

Don’t get sucked into the commercial business of having to buy your report and pay a monthly fee to access your score, when you can get it for free.

Jim

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Deleting Bad Credit Items on Your Credit Report

Bob Pering asked:




Deleting bad credit items on your credit report is definitely a worthwhile pursuit. It is possible to improve your credit scores anywhere from 100 to 200 points or more, by removing derogatory information from your credit reports.

The first step is to review your reports so you know where the problems are. Start by getting copies of your reports from the three major credit bureaus. The three bureaus are Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.

If you have not taken advantage of your free annual credit report this year, contact Annual Credit Report or phone 1-877-322-8228. You can also mail your request to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

If you have already received your free reports for this year, contact the three bureaus individually for your reports. You will be required to pay a small fee for each report.

Experian PO Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374

Equifax PO Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013

Transunion PO Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022

The next step is to review them carefully, looking for errors, omissions, and inaccurate items. Make note of all you find. First check the spelling of your name and verify that the addresses they show you’ve lived at are correct.

Then look for items that are incorrect or inaccurate. Pay particular attention to: derogatory items still showing even though they should have dropped off your report by now (most derogatory items can only be reported for seven years, bankruptcies for ten years). Also look for accounts that do not belong to you and accounts that show a balance due even though they have been paid off.

Deleting any bad credit items you discover is done by sending a letter to the credit bureau disputing any incorrect or inaccurate items you find. The credit bureau then forwards your dispute to the creditor that reported the item, and asks them to verify the legitimacy of the reported item.

If the creditor responds that the report is accurate, then the item stays on your report and is not removed. However, if the creditor does not respond to the dispute within 30 days of receipt, the item, by law, must be removed from the report.

It is possible to improve your credit scores anywhere from 100 to 200 points or more, by removing derogatory information from your credit reports. Deleting bad credit items on your credit report is definitely a worthwhile pursuit.

Martha

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How To Get Rid Of Bad Information On Your Credit Report By Writing Letters

Helen Hecker asked:




Assuming you already have a copy of your annual credit report you may have already found some errors that should be removed. Errors should always be a big concern because they can and probably have affected your credit score, also called a FICO. You can repair your credit with a little bit of help.

It may seem like a lot of work but it’s really easy. The hardest part is actually sitting down to do it. You’ll need to check all three credit bureaus to make sure the same error isn’t on all three but if you just have one credit report, start with that one.

First make a list of any and all errors that you find on your personal credit report. These could be in the form of personal information such as birth date or more likely there will be information that you know not to be true such as late payments or no payments recorded etc. If you think there is any possibility that you could be wrong check your past history with the creditor in question first.

You want to make sure you are right before you make the request to have any information removed from your credit report.

You will be sending the letter only to the credit bureau mentioned on the report, which would be Esperian, Equifax or TransUnion. You don’t want to sound angry in the letter, just be matter-of-fact, straightforward and business-like. Just outline the facts – name of creditor, dates, and the error(s) or problem(s) you’re finding on the credit report.

Here is a sample letter:

Date:

To whom it may concern at Esperian (or other credit bureau):

I recently acquired a copy of my credit report and found some errors that I’d like to dispute. I am enclosing documentation to prove the information is incorrect and would like a correction. I value my good standing and good credit history and want to maintain a good credit rating and credit score.

Name the creditor along with the reference date including the month, day and year if possible.

The error(s) I have found are:

I’m including copies of my payment record, with a (cancelled check or online payment print-outs or any other documentation that you have).
I would appreciate any attention to the matter as I would like my credit report to be accurate. I’m sure you understand that credit bureaus need to include only information that is accurate in my file.

Thank you for taking a look at my letter and file and hopefully making the necessary corrections so I can continue to maintain my good credit standing. Please let me know that my file has been reviewed and what action has been taken. I would also like a copy of my corrected credit report sent to the enclosed address. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Besides your full name as shown on the report, include you mailing address, a copy of the report that you have, your social security number, driver’s license photocopy and any other documentation such as a cancelled check or online payment confirmations.

Make a copy of the letter for yourself and a copy of any enclosures with the letter. Send the dispute letter by certified mail with a ‘return receipt’ requested. Then make sure to get the free credit reports from the other two main credit bureaus or reporting agencies to make sure they don’t have the same incorrect information. You can get free instant credit reports from the other two online.

Jessie

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Your Personal Credit Report – What’s In It and What Does It All Mean?

Marie Stark asked:




Do you know what your credit score is? Do you know what credit
score banks and other lenders look for when they review your
mortgage application? When was the last time you looked at your
personal credit report?

Your credit score is a reflection of how well you use credit and
many view it as an excellent picture of your financial health or
stability. Your credit score is based on information contained in
your credit report. Your personal credit report shows several
pieces of your financial history. It shows:

- How much credit you have been approved for and how much of it
you are using

- Which bills you pay on time and which bills you pay late

- Who all of your creditors are, how long you’ve had
each account open and how much credit you are using with each
creditor.

A person seeing your credit score and reviewing your credit
report can draw many conclusions about you based on what they see.

Your credit score is a numeric value between 300 and 900 that is
primarily determined by the timeliness of your past loan payments
and the amount of debt you have.

Actual rankings vary slightly from lender to lender but
generally speaking, a credit score of 620 or above is considered
good and a credit score of 619 or below is cause for some concern
and additional review. The median credit score in the United
States is 723. This means that the same number of people have a
credit score above 723 as those that have a credit score below
723.

Obviously, the higher your credit score is, the better off you
are. A credit score of 750 or above is usually considered to be
excellent, while a credit score below 580 means it could be very
difficult to qualify for a loan.

You should review your credit report at least once a year to make
sure it is accurate and to see what your credit score is. Each of
the three credit reporting bureaus — Experian, Trans Union and Equifax — are required by law to give you one free annual credit report and you can even get this credit report free online.
You can find information about getting your free credit
report online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/

Lori

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