Posts Tagged Personal Credit
How do I find out if a friend used my personal info for credit cards, or purchases?
Posted by admin in Personal Finance on January 9, 2011
Michelle B asked:
My ex-friend and I had moved to Key West, FL. She had a lot of my personal information and I think she claimed me and my family on income tax for 2008 because I went to file myself, it was rejected because me and my dependents had already been claimed. So can I find out if they did this if I gave her name? Also, when I moved back to TN I’ve recieved bills, etc. that I’ve never heard of and don’t know what they’re for. If I did a credit report would the information be helpful for this problem. Also, the IRS told me over the phone that my family and I might have to get new S.S #. Is this a common way of identity theft problem solving?
Elsie
My ex-friend and I had moved to Key West, FL. She had a lot of my personal information and I think she claimed me and my family on income tax for 2008 because I went to file myself, it was rejected because me and my dependents had already been claimed. So can I find out if they did this if I gave her name? Also, when I moved back to TN I’ve recieved bills, etc. that I’ve never heard of and don’t know what they’re for. If I did a credit report would the information be helpful for this problem. Also, the IRS told me over the phone that my family and I might have to get new S.S #. Is this a common way of identity theft problem solving?
Elsie
Establishing Business Credit – The Seven Steps to Success
Keith McAslan asked:
Business versus Personal Credit:
Personal – Personal credit building starts when an individual provides their social security number and applies for their first credit card. At that point a credit profile is started with the personal credit reporting agencies in the region of the country in which they reside. This profile, also commonly known as a “credit report”, is built with every credit inquiry, credit application submitted, change of address and job change. The information contained in the report is usually reported to the credit bureaus by those businesses issuing credit. Eventually, the credit report is viewed as a statement or report of an individual’s ability to pay back a debt, and is the key tool to access and grant credit.
Business – When a business issues another business credit, it is referred to as trade credit (credit from vendors or suppliers). Trade, or business, credit is the single largest source of lending in the world, but it typically not reported to the business credit agencies by most small businesses. The data regarding trade credit transactions must be submitted and then is accumulated by the business credit bureaus to create a business credit report using the business name, address and federal tax identification number (FIN). The credit bureaus use this data to generate a historical report about a company’s business credit transactions and payment history. Typically, the businesses issuing credit rely on the business credit report to determine the credit they are willing to grant and the amount of the credit limit. Additionally, many businesses (suppliers/vendors) will submit credit reference applications to the key suppliers of the business as a method to obtain payment patterns as part of the credit granting process.
The major credit bureaus are:
Dun & Bradstreet Business Credit USA Corporate Experian Small Business Equifax TransUnion (Personal)
The information provided to the business credit bureaus (primarily D&B) is sent in voluntarily, as businesses are not required to report. Therefore, credit bureaus may never receive any information about the business transactions on credit and a business could go for years accumulating business history without being reported to the credit bureaus and establishing a positive business history of sound credit practices.
Establishing Business Credit History:
Business credit scores range on a scale from 0 to 100 with 75 or more considered an excellent rating. Personal credit scores, on the other hand, range from 300 to 850 with a score of 680 or higher considered excellent. With today’s tighter credit scrutiny the higher the credit score, the more likely an individual or business is to obtain credit and at more favorable terms (interest rate and contract length).
While it is important to know that there are many factors http://www.myfico.com that affect a credit score; it’s based on more than just whether you pay your bills on time (still very important). The credit score will be affected by the amount of available credit you have on bank lines of credit and credit cards, the length of time you’ve had a credit profile, the number of inquiries made on your credit profile, paying the bills on time, bankruptcy, as well as other considerations.
The typical American consumer credit report receives two to three credit inquiries per year and usually has 11 credit obligations – typically broken down as 7 credit cards and 4 installment loans. Business owners are not your typical consumer, because they carry both personal and business credit. This typically doubles the number of inquiries made to their personal credit profile and the number of credit obligations they carry at any given time, all of which negatively impact the personal credit score. Additionally, because business inquiries and personal inquiries are not separated on the personal credit report, the personal credit scores are negatively impacted. As mentioned earlier, using the personal credit history to get credit for their business, businesses are not able to build their business history/score, all of which could help attain critical business credit in the future.
A critical mistake many business owners make is using their personal information to apply for business credit, leases and loans. This practice has the resultant impact of potentially lowering their personal credit score, while not building a business credit history and business credit score.
A key to establishing credit for the business and a profile and score is to find companies (UPS, FEDEX, etc.) or your key supplier and vendors that will grant credit for your business without using your personal credit information and then report the payment experiences to the business credit bureaus. By reporting the information to the proper credit bureaus, those companies will help the business establish a business credit profile and score.
The Seven Steps to Success:
1. Company Legal Structure – The business must be a legal entity unto itself in order to establish business credit. Therefore, it is recommended to form a corporation (C Corp) or LLC (discuss with your CPA the advantage/disadvantages of a C Corp versus LLC) as opposed to structuring your business as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Formation of a sole proprietorship or partnership, dictates that personal credit information could be included on the business credit report. Additionally, as a sole proprietor or partner in a partnership, you are personally liable for the debts of the business and all your personal assets are at risk in the event of litigation.
Corporations and LLC’s, on the other hand, provide the business owners liability protection, and can build a business credit profile that’s separate from the personal credit profile. Therefore, apply for credit under your business’s name and find businesses will to grant credit without a personal credit check or guarantee.
2. Register with Business Credit Agencies – The best known business credit bureau is Dun & Bradstreet. Dun & Bradstreet has a process on their web site to establish a D-U-N-S number (a specific 9 digit number related to your business) and instructions how to establish a business credit rating. It is strongly recommended that you contact D&B and follow their process to establish business credit. The following is from the D&B web site:
How do I get started with D&B? With our unsurpassed global data collection system, D&B continually gathers the data that initiates the creation of business credit profiles on new companies. Many kinds of activities can trigger a profile on a new company, such as incorporating your business, applying for a loan, getting a business telephone number, taking out a lease on office space – even just when another company seeks information from D&B about your business. Still, a new business may not have a complete business credit profile. Getting a D-U-N-S Number from D&B – the worldwide standard for business classification systems – is an essential part of helping you establish your business credit profile and will ensure that when a company looks you up in the D&B database they will find you. In some cases, a D&B D-U-N-S Number is so a requirement for doing business some entities, such as the US government.
You should make sure you have a D&B business credit profile if:
You are planning to obtain a business loan You need to purchase or lease equipment Your cash flow is tight You want to ensure you are getting a fair deal from lenders compared to your competition You want to pay net 30 days instead of COD (Cash On Delivery) You are paying interest at prime plus 1, or even higher You plan to do business with entities that require a D-U-N-S Number, e.g. the US Government
These issues and dozens other like them can be addressed by having a strong business credit profile. A good rating provides you with the financial freedom to take the steps you need to grow, and is a straightforward, unbiased method for other companies to assess your level of risk when considering taking you on as a creditor. A poor credit rating is a certain barrier to growth and success, preventing you from getting adequate funding on fair terms.
Communicating directly with D&B will help establish your business credit in less time. If you are a new company, D&B can help you build a complete business credit profile from the ground up; if you have been in operation for a while, you will want to improve and/or protect your business credit profile. Find out more about how to establish, monitor, improve, or protect your business credit.
3. Credit Market Requirements – Businesses must meet all the requirements of the credit market in order to have a higher probability of credit approval, as not being in compliance with the credit market can “send up signal flares” with both credit bureaus and potential grantors of credit.
Some of the “signal flares” include:
not having a business license, not being registered with the Secretary of State for a certificate of good standing, operating under your social security number rather than a FIN or EIN, not having a phone line (land line) that is listed in the phone directory in the exact business legal name, no web site, or not having a business email address (not AOL or gmail, but a specific URL for your company).
4. Small Business Credit Lines – Investigate and locate a minimum of five businesses (vendors/suppliers) willing to grant a small business credit without personal guarantees and will report the payment experiences to the business credit bureaus. This will assist your business to establish a credit report and build a financial credit foundation for the company. Find companies willing to grant credit that report to the credit bureaus such as marketingoncredit.com, UPS, FEDEX
5. Business Credit Cards – Obtain three business credit cards (Sam’s Club Discover Business card), that are not linked to you personally and that report the business credit to the reporting agencies. Then be sure to always pay your bills on time!
6. Financial Statements, Business Plans and Loan Packages – These documents are often required by many credit grantors as part of their loan application process. CxO To GO is a national professional services firm that has assisted many business with their financial statement preparation and business plans. Additionally, CxO To Go has packages such as PowerPlan and PowerPlan2 for business plans, PowerPuncher for executive summaries, CFOCast for financial projections and BankSell for bank proposals so lenders and bankers will take action. It is important to note that 61% of all businesses are turned down for a loan due to a poor loan package, however with BankSell the lender loan package gets results and moves the applicant to the top of the list for review and credit committee approval.
7. Debt management – Be a smart money manager and manage the debt levels to ensure they are not too burdensome and can be paid back with current cash flow. Do not incur debt that will over leverage the company and cause missed or late payments.
Jesus
Business versus Personal Credit:
Personal – Personal credit building starts when an individual provides their social security number and applies for their first credit card. At that point a credit profile is started with the personal credit reporting agencies in the region of the country in which they reside. This profile, also commonly known as a “credit report”, is built with every credit inquiry, credit application submitted, change of address and job change. The information contained in the report is usually reported to the credit bureaus by those businesses issuing credit. Eventually, the credit report is viewed as a statement or report of an individual’s ability to pay back a debt, and is the key tool to access and grant credit.
Business – When a business issues another business credit, it is referred to as trade credit (credit from vendors or suppliers). Trade, or business, credit is the single largest source of lending in the world, but it typically not reported to the business credit agencies by most small businesses. The data regarding trade credit transactions must be submitted and then is accumulated by the business credit bureaus to create a business credit report using the business name, address and federal tax identification number (FIN). The credit bureaus use this data to generate a historical report about a company’s business credit transactions and payment history. Typically, the businesses issuing credit rely on the business credit report to determine the credit they are willing to grant and the amount of the credit limit. Additionally, many businesses (suppliers/vendors) will submit credit reference applications to the key suppliers of the business as a method to obtain payment patterns as part of the credit granting process.
The major credit bureaus are:
Dun & Bradstreet Business Credit USA Corporate Experian Small Business Equifax TransUnion (Personal)
The information provided to the business credit bureaus (primarily D&B) is sent in voluntarily, as businesses are not required to report. Therefore, credit bureaus may never receive any information about the business transactions on credit and a business could go for years accumulating business history without being reported to the credit bureaus and establishing a positive business history of sound credit practices.
Establishing Business Credit History:
Business credit scores range on a scale from 0 to 100 with 75 or more considered an excellent rating. Personal credit scores, on the other hand, range from 300 to 850 with a score of 680 or higher considered excellent. With today’s tighter credit scrutiny the higher the credit score, the more likely an individual or business is to obtain credit and at more favorable terms (interest rate and contract length).
While it is important to know that there are many factors http://www.myfico.com that affect a credit score; it’s based on more than just whether you pay your bills on time (still very important). The credit score will be affected by the amount of available credit you have on bank lines of credit and credit cards, the length of time you’ve had a credit profile, the number of inquiries made on your credit profile, paying the bills on time, bankruptcy, as well as other considerations.
The typical American consumer credit report receives two to three credit inquiries per year and usually has 11 credit obligations – typically broken down as 7 credit cards and 4 installment loans. Business owners are not your typical consumer, because they carry both personal and business credit. This typically doubles the number of inquiries made to their personal credit profile and the number of credit obligations they carry at any given time, all of which negatively impact the personal credit score. Additionally, because business inquiries and personal inquiries are not separated on the personal credit report, the personal credit scores are negatively impacted. As mentioned earlier, using the personal credit history to get credit for their business, businesses are not able to build their business history/score, all of which could help attain critical business credit in the future.
A critical mistake many business owners make is using their personal information to apply for business credit, leases and loans. This practice has the resultant impact of potentially lowering their personal credit score, while not building a business credit history and business credit score.
A key to establishing credit for the business and a profile and score is to find companies (UPS, FEDEX, etc.) or your key supplier and vendors that will grant credit for your business without using your personal credit information and then report the payment experiences to the business credit bureaus. By reporting the information to the proper credit bureaus, those companies will help the business establish a business credit profile and score.
The Seven Steps to Success:
1. Company Legal Structure – The business must be a legal entity unto itself in order to establish business credit. Therefore, it is recommended to form a corporation (C Corp) or LLC (discuss with your CPA the advantage/disadvantages of a C Corp versus LLC) as opposed to structuring your business as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Formation of a sole proprietorship or partnership, dictates that personal credit information could be included on the business credit report. Additionally, as a sole proprietor or partner in a partnership, you are personally liable for the debts of the business and all your personal assets are at risk in the event of litigation.
Corporations and LLC’s, on the other hand, provide the business owners liability protection, and can build a business credit profile that’s separate from the personal credit profile. Therefore, apply for credit under your business’s name and find businesses will to grant credit without a personal credit check or guarantee.
2. Register with Business Credit Agencies – The best known business credit bureau is Dun & Bradstreet. Dun & Bradstreet has a process on their web site to establish a D-U-N-S number (a specific 9 digit number related to your business) and instructions how to establish a business credit rating. It is strongly recommended that you contact D&B and follow their process to establish business credit. The following is from the D&B web site:
How do I get started with D&B? With our unsurpassed global data collection system, D&B continually gathers the data that initiates the creation of business credit profiles on new companies. Many kinds of activities can trigger a profile on a new company, such as incorporating your business, applying for a loan, getting a business telephone number, taking out a lease on office space – even just when another company seeks information from D&B about your business. Still, a new business may not have a complete business credit profile. Getting a D-U-N-S Number from D&B – the worldwide standard for business classification systems – is an essential part of helping you establish your business credit profile and will ensure that when a company looks you up in the D&B database they will find you. In some cases, a D&B D-U-N-S Number is so a requirement for doing business some entities, such as the US government.
You should make sure you have a D&B business credit profile if:
You are planning to obtain a business loan You need to purchase or lease equipment Your cash flow is tight You want to ensure you are getting a fair deal from lenders compared to your competition You want to pay net 30 days instead of COD (Cash On Delivery) You are paying interest at prime plus 1, or even higher You plan to do business with entities that require a D-U-N-S Number, e.g. the US Government
These issues and dozens other like them can be addressed by having a strong business credit profile. A good rating provides you with the financial freedom to take the steps you need to grow, and is a straightforward, unbiased method for other companies to assess your level of risk when considering taking you on as a creditor. A poor credit rating is a certain barrier to growth and success, preventing you from getting adequate funding on fair terms.
Communicating directly with D&B will help establish your business credit in less time. If you are a new company, D&B can help you build a complete business credit profile from the ground up; if you have been in operation for a while, you will want to improve and/or protect your business credit profile. Find out more about how to establish, monitor, improve, or protect your business credit.
3. Credit Market Requirements – Businesses must meet all the requirements of the credit market in order to have a higher probability of credit approval, as not being in compliance with the credit market can “send up signal flares” with both credit bureaus and potential grantors of credit.
Some of the “signal flares” include:
not having a business license, not being registered with the Secretary of State for a certificate of good standing, operating under your social security number rather than a FIN or EIN, not having a phone line (land line) that is listed in the phone directory in the exact business legal name, no web site, or not having a business email address (not AOL or gmail, but a specific URL for your company).
4. Small Business Credit Lines – Investigate and locate a minimum of five businesses (vendors/suppliers) willing to grant a small business credit without personal guarantees and will report the payment experiences to the business credit bureaus. This will assist your business to establish a credit report and build a financial credit foundation for the company. Find companies willing to grant credit that report to the credit bureaus such as marketingoncredit.com, UPS, FEDEX
5. Business Credit Cards – Obtain three business credit cards (Sam’s Club Discover Business card), that are not linked to you personally and that report the business credit to the reporting agencies. Then be sure to always pay your bills on time!
6. Financial Statements, Business Plans and Loan Packages – These documents are often required by many credit grantors as part of their loan application process. CxO To GO is a national professional services firm that has assisted many business with their financial statement preparation and business plans. Additionally, CxO To Go has packages such as PowerPlan and PowerPlan2 for business plans, PowerPuncher for executive summaries, CFOCast for financial projections and BankSell for bank proposals so lenders and bankers will take action. It is important to note that 61% of all businesses are turned down for a loan due to a poor loan package, however with BankSell the lender loan package gets results and moves the applicant to the top of the list for review and credit committee approval.
7. Debt management – Be a smart money manager and manage the debt levels to ensure they are not too burdensome and can be paid back with current cash flow. Do not incur debt that will over leverage the company and cause missed or late payments.
Jesus
Personal Credit Report
Beth Pardue asked:
Your personal credit report is an electronic record of your credit activities. These activities include borrowing money to buy a car, applying for a loan or credit card and your payment history of the loans you have taken. Every time you apply for credit or a loan, potential lenders use this report to see how you use credit and how much of it you have available.
According to TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus, there are four main areas of content in your personal credit report: Identifying information, credit history, public records, and credit inquiries. Your credit report also shows any current credit that you have. This includes amounts owed, amounts available, like on a credit card or other form of revolving credit and payment amounts on installment loans.
When lenders evaluate your loan request they use the information on this report to generate your credit rating. The higher this rating, the more likely you will receive the loan and at more favorable terms. If you are planning on applying for credit anytime soon, it’s a good idea to take a look at your credit report before the people reviewing your application do. This will ensure that you aren’t caught off guard by any unpleasant surprises that may be on your credit report. Many people have found errors on their credit report that were bringing down their credit score.
Luckily, getting a copy of your credit report is easy and if you request it from the right place it can also be free! A quick Internet search will direct you to many reputable companies that will provide you with a copy of your credit report free of charge. We recommend visiting [http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com] to learn more about credit and to obtain a free copy of your credit report.
If you find errors or false information on your credit report, they can be disputed and corrected. However, correcting these mistakes can sometimes be a lengthy process. That is why it is the best idea to keep a watchful eye on your credit report activity at all times in addition to checking it before you plan to apply for credit or a loan. That way, if any errors ever do make their way on to your credit report you can save valuable time by correcting them before you are ready to apply for your next loan.
————————-
Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published “as is” (unedited) and all URL’s are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.
Alice
Your personal credit report is an electronic record of your credit activities. These activities include borrowing money to buy a car, applying for a loan or credit card and your payment history of the loans you have taken. Every time you apply for credit or a loan, potential lenders use this report to see how you use credit and how much of it you have available.
According to TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus, there are four main areas of content in your personal credit report: Identifying information, credit history, public records, and credit inquiries. Your credit report also shows any current credit that you have. This includes amounts owed, amounts available, like on a credit card or other form of revolving credit and payment amounts on installment loans.
When lenders evaluate your loan request they use the information on this report to generate your credit rating. The higher this rating, the more likely you will receive the loan and at more favorable terms. If you are planning on applying for credit anytime soon, it’s a good idea to take a look at your credit report before the people reviewing your application do. This will ensure that you aren’t caught off guard by any unpleasant surprises that may be on your credit report. Many people have found errors on their credit report that were bringing down their credit score.
Luckily, getting a copy of your credit report is easy and if you request it from the right place it can also be free! A quick Internet search will direct you to many reputable companies that will provide you with a copy of your credit report free of charge. We recommend visiting [http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com] to learn more about credit and to obtain a free copy of your credit report.
If you find errors or false information on your credit report, they can be disputed and corrected. However, correcting these mistakes can sometimes be a lengthy process. That is why it is the best idea to keep a watchful eye on your credit report activity at all times in addition to checking it before you plan to apply for credit or a loan. That way, if any errors ever do make their way on to your credit report you can save valuable time by correcting them before you are ready to apply for your next loan.
————————-
Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published “as is” (unedited) and all URL’s are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.
Alice
Free Credit Report – The 3 Advantages of Viewing Personal Credit Reports
Mike Singh asked:
A few years ago, getting a free credit report was virtually unheard of. If there were any such options, there was a lot of fine print and hidden fees involved. Over the recent past, the government stepped in and consumers are passed a law which gave consumers the right to request a free credit report from all three bureaus once in a 12 month timeframe. Besides this one annual check-in, we would recommend you review your credit report quarterly if you don’t intend to make any major purchases such as a house or a car in the next 6 months. Why is constant monitoring this important? We’ll give you five reasons:
1) Make the unknown known
Did you cancel that magazine subscription? Did you take care of the utility bill before you moved? Such small details aren’t that small in the grand scheme things when it comes to your credit. If these bills were substantial there is a chance that your creditor reported the delinquency to 1 or all 3 bureaus. Sometimes they settle with a collection agency and someone from the agency will be banging down your door so to speak. So, what do you do if you notice a collection activity or other delinquencies on your account? You call up the agency associated and get it fixed right away. You settle or pay it as fast as possible. The effect these blotches will have on your credit will reduce with time. But, without careful monitoring you might’ve never caught it in the first place.
2) Employment opportunities
In todays tight job market, employers are getting to pick and choose who they hire on the basis of several criteria. One of these is your credit score. Is it fair? The answer is – it doesn’t matter. The employers are doing it and its your job to present the best possible picture you can of yourself not just in the interview but also in your financial report card.
3) Error resolution
Sometimes, you will see stuff on your report that doesn’t belong there. Whether its an item that doesn’t belong to you or something that you already took care of, you need to clear this up again. Call the creditor in question and try to figure out the source of the item. Keep written records of all conversations you have. Also, request a confirmation via email or snail mail of all communication.
Alvin
A few years ago, getting a free credit report was virtually unheard of. If there were any such options, there was a lot of fine print and hidden fees involved. Over the recent past, the government stepped in and consumers are passed a law which gave consumers the right to request a free credit report from all three bureaus once in a 12 month timeframe. Besides this one annual check-in, we would recommend you review your credit report quarterly if you don’t intend to make any major purchases such as a house or a car in the next 6 months. Why is constant monitoring this important? We’ll give you five reasons:
1) Make the unknown known
Did you cancel that magazine subscription? Did you take care of the utility bill before you moved? Such small details aren’t that small in the grand scheme things when it comes to your credit. If these bills were substantial there is a chance that your creditor reported the delinquency to 1 or all 3 bureaus. Sometimes they settle with a collection agency and someone from the agency will be banging down your door so to speak. So, what do you do if you notice a collection activity or other delinquencies on your account? You call up the agency associated and get it fixed right away. You settle or pay it as fast as possible. The effect these blotches will have on your credit will reduce with time. But, without careful monitoring you might’ve never caught it in the first place.
2) Employment opportunities
In todays tight job market, employers are getting to pick and choose who they hire on the basis of several criteria. One of these is your credit score. Is it fair? The answer is – it doesn’t matter. The employers are doing it and its your job to present the best possible picture you can of yourself not just in the interview but also in your financial report card.
3) Error resolution
Sometimes, you will see stuff on your report that doesn’t belong there. Whether its an item that doesn’t belong to you or something that you already took care of, you need to clear this up again. Call the creditor in question and try to figure out the source of the item. Keep written records of all conversations you have. Also, request a confirmation via email or snail mail of all communication.
Alvin
Personal loans for bad credit-Chicago area only?
jds asked:
I have less than perfect credit (about 530 credit score). I am now trying to improve that score. I have a great job and make very good money. I am looking to get a personal loan for about $5,000. I would like to get this loan for a purchase but also to have the positive payment history on my credit report and bump up my score.
I have less than perfect credit (about 530 credit score). I am now trying to improve that score. I have a great job and make very good money. I am looking to get a personal loan for about $5,000. I would like to get this loan for a purchase but also to have the positive payment history on my credit report and bump up my score.
Does anyone know of any banks in the Chicago area that may be able to help?
Also, the purchase I am making will not allow me to use a credit card. It must be a cashier’s check or cash.
Thank you!
Tommy
Useful Information About Credit Report Addresses
Hector Milla asked:
Credit reports usually carry such information as your personal details, credit accounts and the transactions, people who have been looking at your reports, all the lenders you have borrowed loans from and how you repaid them. Your addresses form part of your personal details. Finding something such as a transaction you do not know about is easier since you only look at the relevant section in your report.
The reports normally come with a number of addresses including your address and the addresses of your creditors. It is important to have all the addresses of the three credit reporting bureaus because you will definitely need them. You need to know how to contact them whenever you want to access your credit report or need to send a dispute letter to them. The telephone numbers come in handy when you want to call them to confirm something. In case you are an identity theft victim, the address on your report may be showing a different location probably given by the person who is using your credit cards hence verifying your address every time you get your report is one way to discover that.
Your own address must be correct at all times to avoid your reports being sent to another location. The best is to get a three in one credit report and check that the previous and current addresses showing on the reports are the same and correct. Credit report addresses also help you find the contacts of all the lenders you have dealt with and use to communicate to them in case of anything such as wrong entries on your report provided by them. It is important to check the details of the creditors to make sure they are the ones you borrowed loans from and that the details they provided are accurate.
You can browse online to get the addresses of the three credit reporting agencies if you have never dealt with them before to request for the reports. The address for reporting identity theft is also given and this is important when you realize your identity is being used by someone else.
Howard
Credit reports usually carry such information as your personal details, credit accounts and the transactions, people who have been looking at your reports, all the lenders you have borrowed loans from and how you repaid them. Your addresses form part of your personal details. Finding something such as a transaction you do not know about is easier since you only look at the relevant section in your report.
The reports normally come with a number of addresses including your address and the addresses of your creditors. It is important to have all the addresses of the three credit reporting bureaus because you will definitely need them. You need to know how to contact them whenever you want to access your credit report or need to send a dispute letter to them. The telephone numbers come in handy when you want to call them to confirm something. In case you are an identity theft victim, the address on your report may be showing a different location probably given by the person who is using your credit cards hence verifying your address every time you get your report is one way to discover that.
Your own address must be correct at all times to avoid your reports being sent to another location. The best is to get a three in one credit report and check that the previous and current addresses showing on the reports are the same and correct. Credit report addresses also help you find the contacts of all the lenders you have dealt with and use to communicate to them in case of anything such as wrong entries on your report provided by them. It is important to check the details of the creditors to make sure they are the ones you borrowed loans from and that the details they provided are accurate.
You can browse online to get the addresses of the three credit reporting agencies if you have never dealt with them before to request for the reports. The address for reporting identity theft is also given and this is important when you realize your identity is being used by someone else.
Howard