free 3 credit report – rating score

July 30, 2009

How Do you Obtain your Equifax Free Credit Report?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 7:05 pm
Helen March And Karen Ciancio asked:


Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the 3 major credit bureaus and are required by law (Fair Credit Reporting Act – FCRA) to provide you with a free annual credit report at your request.

Once every 12 months you can request a free copy of your credit report. Your credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or whether you have filed for bankruptcy.

The 3 major credit bureaus sell the information in your report to your creditors, your insurers, employers, and other businesses. Those businesses use your report to assess and evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or even renting a home…

You are also entitled to one Experian, TransUnion or Equifax Free Credit Report during any 12-month period no matter where you live, if:



You are unemployed and intend to apply for a job in the next 60 days.

You are on public welfare assistance.

You believe your credit report contains inaccurate information due to fraud.

You have received notice of an adverse decision within the past 60 days:

You were denied credit

You were denied insurance coverage

You were denied employment



Otherwise, each of these 3 major credit bureaus may charge you up to $9.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period.

You can request a copy of your Equifax free credit report here:

Equifax Information Services LLC

P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374

or call 800-685-1111

Another alternative is to print out the Annual Credit Report Request Form at the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) site and when filling out the form, be sure to mark only the Equifax free credit report. (Save the free report requests from TransUnion Credit Bureau and Experian Credit Bureau for another time.)

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) recommends that you obtain an application for the free annual credit reports through:

annualcreditreport.com or

Call: 1-877-322-8228 or

Mail the request to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service,

P.O. Box 105281,

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

For more information on your rights and application to access to your Equifax free credit report, visit the FTC site at ftc.gov.

Your Equifax free credit report is a snapshot of your borrowing and bill paying behavior over the last 24 months. The report will provide you with a credit score. With careful planning and as time goes by you have the power to change it for the better.



Manuel

Unused, 3rd credit card on credit report–Does this affect me?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:51 pm
Mari L asked:


When I was making plans to go to college, I decided to obtain a credit card. I heard two was safe, so I applied for two student cards from Citi. Everything went through, and I got my cards, but I decided to only keep one and not activate the other. I cut up the other one and disposed of it. Fast forward three years later (now), I have since applied and accepted what I thought was my ’2nd’ Citi card. I have been using both, and never made late payments.

Out of curiosity I finally checked my free annual credit report. I notice I have 4 accounts in good standing…And I was kind of concerned. 2 accts are the CCs I’ve been using as stated, 1 is for my federal student loans, and the other is that card I never activated.

I heard that having 3 CCs could hurt credit, and I know I should cancel my unused card officially. I haven’t checked my actual credit score but I’m worried that this 3rd card affects me. Can someone clarify this for me please?

Mark

July 29, 2009

Free Credit Report: Avail Credit Reports for Free

Filed under: Investing — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 2:13 am
Sophie Wilson asked:


The importance of a credit report cannot be overlooked as far as the financial world is concerned. It is what financial agencies examine to assess your credit worthiness. You can get yours made with a good reporting agency. But nowadays, it is even possible to get free credit report which won’t charge you a penny for the services rendered to you.

Your credit report is a record that contains your credit history and shows your financial status. Free credit report contains information regarding the following aspects:

• Your personal details such as your name, sex, age, address, social security number and marital status

• Your credit history focusing on your credit card accounts, bank accounts, current balance and also loans taken by you

• The public records related to your financial life such as cases of bankruptcy, CCJ concerning financial judgments, arrears, defaults and tax liens, if any

• The inquiries made by any third party to your credit report.

All these information give an indication of what kind of a financial client you would make. With a free credit report in hand, you will know what to expect when you go into the market. Also you can’t be duped when you know where you stand in terms of credit.

Having a credit report is not enough. You need to get it updated from time to time. According to surveys, up to 90% of credit reports are inaccurate. You obviously do not want to lose out on any opportunities for no fault of yours. If any incorrect data is found on the report, then you will face a lot of hassle. Moreover, records of recent credit and payment histories must be included. This is where getting a free credit report acts in your favor. As it is free of cost, you will not have to pay any extra for the updates. It is also possible to prevent fraudulent crimes such as theft of identities and fake applications.

Free credit report is being provided with a lot of credit reporting agencies. You can browse the internet and shop online for such offers easily and swiftly.



Margaret

July 22, 2009

The Benefit of Checking Your Free Credit Report in the UK

Filed under: Personal Finance — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 8:53 pm
Dave Joa asked:


Instant Online Access.

Today in the UK you can now have instant access to get your free credit report online.

But what are the benefits of being able to see this record of your credit history and the other details that the credit reference agencies hold about you on your personal credit file.

In order to look at every potential benefit that your credit report could give you, we need to look at what your credit report is used for.

Who Uses Your Credit Report And How?

Your free credit report in the UK will be used by financial institutions whenever you apply to them for credit cards, loans or mortgages and by other companies when you apply for any product or service that requires you to sign up for some form of credit, such as a mobile phone contract.

All these companies want to know your current credit rating and they will determine this using your credit score, which they calculate with their own company formula using information on your credit history and current credit status from a copy of your credit report.

This credit check will involve checking your credit report from one of the three credit reference agencies in the UK all of which gather relevant credit and personal ID information about you to create your credit file.

Failed A Credit Check?

If you fail a credit check and don’t get the loan or credit you applied for, you usually won’t be told why or which credit reference agency was used.

However, the details held on your credit report can help you find out what is causing your application to be refused.

The reason may not even be a valid one as it is very easy for a mistake, typing error or old inaccurate information to be held on one of your three credit reports.

Such errors may relate to your credit history or the other personal data on your credit record, which is used to confirm your identification and what you put on your application form.

Major Benefit

A higher credit score will help ensure that you get the loans or credit you want and that you will get a better rate of interest than if your credit rating were lower.

To ensure that your credit score and therefore your credit rating is as high as it can be you need to make sure that everything on all three of your credit reports is accurate and up to date.

You therefore need to get a copy of your credit report from each of the 3 credit reference agencies. Don’t assume that if one is correct that the others will be!

Fortunately you can get instant online access your credit report at each agency for free as all agencies are currently offering a free trial of their UK credit report service.

You should take advantage of this to check all three of our credit reports and fix them if you find any problems. Just talk to the relevant agency about how to get issues with your credit report resolved.

Remember however that this could take time so start as soon as possible, especially if you are planning to apply for a loan or other credit some time soon.

Other Benefits

Your credit reports are a great asset and should be checked and maintained just like you check you bank statements. If you don’t check them they could easily become your greatest liability.

Effective management of your credit report could save you a lot of money over time and ensure that you are not refused credit when you need it.

If you are going to apply for a loan or mortgage then it makes sense to check you credit reports before applying as failed applications will be recorded on your credit file and can lower your credit score making your next credit application even more likely to fail.

When you fix your credit reports and get your credit score to be as high as possible you will be able to borrow more money from lenders and get more credit and all at lower interest rates.

Checking you credit report regularly is a great way of making sure that your identity has not been stolen and used in fraud to steal money or pay for products and services using your personal details and your money.

Compare reports from different credit agencies to make sure that they are all the same because when you apply for credit you have no way of knowing which credit reference agency your potential lender will use.

So What Next?

It is very easy to check your UK credit reports and you can do this online for free.

So do it now before you forget to make the most of this opportunity.



Lauren

July 18, 2009

Fix the credit?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 6:02 am
Alanna V asked:


If someone has some old outstanding debts (2000/2001 and prior), what is the best scenario to fix the credit? If he’s going to ask 3 agencies for his free credit report, he will have to supply his address. Is this going to show up on the report then? What about creditors? If the last payment was made, on any account, about 6 or 7 years ago, is it ok to ask for this report now or better wait to make sure it’s been 7 years? Will these debts disappear from report after 7 years? Can the creditors go after him still?
Well, just asked for all 3 free credit reports, there are some collection accounts that will be removed either 2008 or 2009. Is it worth paying it off or rather wait it out?

Francis

July 12, 2009

I paid collection agency 3 years ago, but my record is still bad and no one issues me credit cards?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 8:22 am
Alvydas asked:


In 2005, I was shopping in Macy’s (in Los Angeles, CA, USA) for a pair of shoes, one day before flying back to my native country of Lithuania. When I was paying for the shoes, the cashier suggested that I fill out a form and get $20 off the price. I did that, and flew back to Lithuania for 1 year. Speaking very little English, little did I know that I was signing up for the Macy’s credit card, and the cashier did not explain it to me (if she did, I sure did not understand it). I came back 1 year later, and to my horror found a bunch of bills from Macy’s and then bills from a collection agency. When I was explained by friend who speaks better English, what it was, I immediately paid the $20 plus a fee of $165, and the collection agency said that they will take it off my credit record. It has been 3 years since, I still can’t get a single credit card issued from any bank, and they say that I have a bad record.

I looked at my free credit reports from Experian and Equifax and they say “Charge Off as of Jun 2006”, “You have no negative accounts on file”, and “You have no Collections on file” – why then no one wants to open a credit card for me? I never had a chance to even open a single credit card in the US. What should I do now to get good credit score?

Donna

July 10, 2009

Free Credit Report: How To Get It

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 1:37 pm
Jay Delgado asked:


You have the right to obtain one free credit report a year from each of the major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Reviewing your free credit reports each year can be extremely beneficial when it comes to protecting and improving your credit standing. If you have not taken advantage of this free resource, you should do so immediately.

There are three ways that you can order your free report:

* Online: When you order your credit report online, you will be able to view and print it instantly.

* Phone: 1-877-322-8228. If you order your report by phone, it will take 15 days to process your request.

* Mail: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta GA 30348-5281. You will need to fill out a request form to order your report by mail. It may take 3 to 4 weeks to receive your report through the mail.

Remember; you can only obtain your free annual credit report through Annual Credit Report; you can NOT contact the credit agencies directly for your free report. They will provide you with a report, but you will have to pay for it (average cost $10.50).

When you request your free credit report, you need to have the following information: address, social security number and date of birth. If you have lived at your current address for less than two years, you will need to provide your previous address. You will also need to be able to provide information about your personal financial affairs so that the bureaus can confirm your identity. Some of the most common questions asked by credit bureaus involve information that you are very familiar with such as the amount of your mortgage payment, car payment or credit card balance.

In addition to one free annual credit report, there are special circumstances where you may be eligible for a free report directly from one of the credit reporting bureaus:

* Adverse Action: If you are turned down for credit, employment or insurance benefits because of information contained on your credit report, you are entitled to a free report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will include all the information you need to request your free report.

* Unemployment: If you are unemployed and plan to look for a job within the next 60 days, you can request a free credit report from one of the three main credit reporting agencies. You are only allowed one per year. This also applies for families receiving public assistance.

* Identity Theft: If your report is inaccurate because of fraud or identity theft, you can request one free copy per year.

Most financial advisers recommend that you review your credit report for errors every 90 days. If you are not requesting your free reports regularly, you could be putting your financial future in jeopardy. Nearly 25% of credit reports contain errors that can lead to a denial of credit. Yours may be one of them, but you will never know unless you check it out for yourself.



Linda

July 4, 2009

need help with credit reports?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 7:28 am
jj asked:


i’m trying to obtain a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com. but when it takes me to each of the 3 credit websites, it tells me they are unable to verify my identity and for me to send in information verifying it. i have moved recently and had a name change. i know the credit reports i’ve had before still had my old name and address on it. i thought the information was suppose to update automatically when your creditors report to them. if i send them updated information, will they update that on their file? also, could this prevent me from being approved for credit? i tried to apply for a credit card and was declined. this is what caused me to look into this in the first place. i’ve never been late on any payments or had any trouble with things like that. could this be the reason why i was declined?

Beverly

July 3, 2009

Credit monitoring service.repairing credit, is this service necessary?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 2:08 am
Reality Check asked:


I am in the process of repairing my credit. I already have the most up-to-date credit reports from the 3 major bureaus which I got for free from http://www.annualcreditreport.com

While repairing my credit, having debts deleted or paid off, etc…I want to be able to see the changes happening. I can only order my credit reports for free once per year…so cannot check to make sure that collectors are erasing the debts as being requested in negotiations. I was wondering if anyone uses a “realtime” credit monitoring service (preferably that is updated daily, or everytime a change is made to the report), so that I can validate my requests are happening.

I’m not so much concerned about the scoring…but if it’s included, then I suppose that’s a bonus. Any suggestions? Is there a way to request my FREE credit report more than once per year (e.g. tell the CRA’s that I am repairing credit, and need a fresh copy, etc) without having to pay each time?
Micki…you did not read my question at all. I am talking about online monitoring services, not a debt consolidator or debt management service. I am doing the work myself.
Sgt Big Red, thanks for the response. Are you referring to “they” as the CRA’s (Equifax, Experian, TU)? “They” make changes all the time to reports, without sending you an updated report, thus why you have to request it. Otherwise, every time someone inquires into my credit file, or reports me (adversely or positively), I would get a new credit report in the mail. I’m not so sure who you’re referring to…

If you mean the collection agency will send me an updated report, I wouldn’t count on that either…they just want their money to settle the debt, not send me an updated report.

Stephen

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