Tomas Loden asked:


Can you trust online credit report services? That is the question that consumers are asking today, especially with the hundreds of offers that flood your e-mail in-box promising accurate credit reporting scores with just the click of a mouse.

The good news is that most, if not all of these companies, are legitimate and do in fact provide you the necessary information that is directly related to your credit report and your overall score, which depends on whatever particular credit bureau system the company uses to check your background with.

Free credit report services

Just about every credit report organization will offer you some type of “free” background check of your credit score. While this free report may not entail every detail that you would like to know in terms of your debts, there is some valuable information that can be obtained. However, you should know that these introductory offers are merely just to give you a taste of their product so that you can upgrade to the paid credit reporting services they offer.

Is it safe to submit your personal information for a free credit report service?

If you stick with the most popular credit reporting agencies then you should have absolutely no problem worrying about your personal information being delivered over the Internet such as your Social Security number, driver’s license, etc. This information is typically handled by a secure server and there is little need to worry about the credit form being hacked and stolen by an unauthorized user.

What credit bureaus are checked when using a free credit report service?

Since there are three main credit bureaus that most agencies use to locate and filter your debts and credit score information, this free reporting service may use one of these entities or a combination of all three.

The three national credit reporting organizations used by most businesses is Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

Remember, the most accurate scoring for your credit and history can only be obtained by having a combination of all three major credit bureaus. In other words, let’s say for example you sign up with a free reporting service and the information comes back only partially accurate. This means that you would need to upgrade to the paid service in order to get 100% up-to-date credit information.

Is it possible to contact the three national credit reporting agencies on your own, instead of relying on a paid service?

While utilizing a credit reporting service is the most efficient way of compiling your information into one easy-to-read scoring system, you can in fact request your credit history from the three major national credit bureaus. Below is the contact information for Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax:

1. Experian: The phone number is 1-888-397-3742 and Experian will send you your report by mail within seven to ten business days.

2. TransUnion: The contact number for TransUnion is 1-800-916-8800 and in most cases you will receive your credit report within seven business days.

3. Equifax: The phone number is 1-800-685-1111. Equifax is faster than most services and usually sends your credit report out to you within 48 hours.



IRA

jade_blu_eyes asked:


My credit score is about 615. I am working on improving my score so that I can qualify for a mortgage loan with low financing in about a year or so. I currently have an auto loan, and 3 revolving credit accounts. (All bank credit cards) Two of the revolving accounts are new, and the other almost a year old. My auto loan will be a year old in July of this year. Should I apply for more credit to get my score higher? If so what type of credit? What is a good mixture of credit to have to get a person’s score higher? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

JOSIAH

ronnin72 asked:


I am going to ask another question regarding which CC should I add to my credit card profile to add to my rewards. I have excellent credit, pay my balance in full each month, and I use my CC to pay for everything I can to rack up points/miles etc.

I am at a point where I want to increase my points and miles so there are some options. The question is, what is too much. I basically share a VISA with my wife, and have an older VISA that i keep. I realize that you should keep older credit cards for history. I want to add at least one AM/EX either the Starwood points, or the Delta Miles. I also might switch our Cap1 card to the signature to get 2 points for every $1 spent, instead of 1.25 for $1. That is a new card, not a switch. And recently, I have received letters for UNITED miles (20,000 bonus) and AA Miles (21,000 Bonus). I would love to use those just to add to my miles on those flights. Could I add 3-4 cards without hurting my excellent credit? I will not rack up debt.

MAC

Emanuele Allenti asked:


We have all seen the advertisements on the Internet telling us that we are entitled to free credit reports. But many people want to know if they can get their free credit report without a credit card? In short the answer is no, because if you want to check your free credit report without a credit card, you will be hard pressed to find a company that will be willing to do that.

The reason that you can’t check your free credit report without a credit card is because you need a credit card for the verification process. This then shows that you are who you say you are. Credit cards are a good way to prove your identity and a lot of people from all over the world have a credit card partially for this purpose. But of course you can’t apply for a credit card unless you know your credit score; this then saves you the hassle of possibly getting turned down for a credit card.

If you want a free credit report without a credit card, then there are ways to do this. You can write to one of the credit-reporting agencies with a copy of a recent bill, or a copy of your driving license. You then mail them your request for your free credit report. There is another way to get a free credit report without a credit card and that is by making a telephone call to one of the credit reporting agencies; they will be happy to oblige with your request.

It is almost impossible to get a free credit report without a credit card on the Internet. Credit cards are the only way to prove to these companies that you are who you say you are. But if you are not heavily concerned about your credit score, then you can wait for your annual credit report, which means that you will always get a free credit report without a credit card.

There are hundreds of websites that offer you the opportunity to view your free credit report with no obligations–no obligations, that is, until your 30-day free trial runs out. That is the main problem with these companies; they will let you see your free credit report with no obligations. But if you do not cancel your membership with them before the end of your 30-day free trial, then they will start to charge you for a service that you are no longer using. That is hardly fair, considering you only joined them to view your free credit report with no obligations.

These companies understand that you will want to view your free credit report with no obligations. So that is why they are only offering their customers 30 days free membership. Remember that you must cancel your membership before the 30 days are over, otherwise you will be charged a month’s worth of use. They will always let you know how you can cancel. The information on how to cancel will usually be printed in the small print on the bottom of the webpage; write that information down, so you can become a free member. Then you can check your free credit report with no obligations.

If you want to view your free credit report with no obligations, then you have options. You can check either through the Internet or you can get it through the mail. You can do this by getting in touch with an official credit-reporting company. The best thing about these official credit-reporting companies is that you will receive your free credit report with no obligations and you won’t have to give them your credit card information. Going with an online company for your credit report is a good idea if you need to keep a constant eye on your credit reports, but if you are happy with just your annual report then there is no real reason for you to sign up to one of these credit websites.



KIM

Lee Beattie asked:


Credit Report Basics

The Credit Reporting Agencies work with lenders, creditors, insurers and employers to collect information from them and share it with companies with whom you desire to do business. Here’s an instance of how the system works:

A) When you apply for newly credits the creditor petitions a copy of your financial history from at the least one credit reporting agency. This causes a “hard inquiry” to be recorded on your credit report.

B) The creditor utilizes your credit reports and scores along with income, debt and other information to set what rates to offer up to you.

C) You begin to utilize the new credit and the creditor reports your payment history to one or more of the credit reporting agencies every 30 day period.

D) The credit reporting agencies update your credit report as they obtain new information (positive and negative) from those of your creditors.

E) Your credit profile varies based on your financial activeness.

Your Credit Report And How It Is Broken Down

Your credit report is separated into six main sections:

1. personal information (name, date of birth, last reported address,

2. any previous addresses on file,

3. the name and address of your current employer,

4. any previous employers that have been reported as well as any consumer statements you add to your file); summary; inquiries; creditor contacts; account history; public information.                

5. When you open a new account, miss a payment or move, these sections are updated with new information.

6. The old information will stay on your credit report for several years.

Not all creditors report to each of the three agencies and the agencies don’t share their data so your credit reports from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian could be considerably different from each other. That’s why it’s important to look into your three credit reports every a couple of months to determine that the information is correct and up-to-date.

Constantly Check For Inaccuracies That Demand To Be Corrected

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers are protected from having faulty information on their credit reports. If you find an incorrect record on your credit report, many identity protection agencies supply you with the tools and information to assist you in disputing it. Verify the disputing section on those sites for less told information about disputing details on your credit report. You can likewise dispute the inaccuracy direct with the credit reporting agencies.

Make Sure To Be Diligent

I recommend that you verify your credit reports every 3-6 months in order to defend against inaccuracies and identity theft. Routine check-ups along with paying your bills on time, preserving your credit card balances below 50% of their limits and rectifying any inaccuracies may serve you to maintain a healthy credit profile.

If you would like more information on this topic and want Fast Credit Repair or if you are in need of Free Credit Repair, Beatlands Credit Repair has many credit repair topics and tips that can be very useful.



RODRICK

Derek asked:


I need to build my credit but I cant seem to get a credit card or loan with out any credit history.

WALLY

Liz Roberts asked:


Whenever somebody applies for credit or financing, his or her credit report will be pulled electronically from any of the three major consumer reporting agencies (CRA). These CRAs are Experian, Trans Union, or Equifax - companies that are responsible for maintaining correct and up-to-date credit information around the country. Everyone is probably aware that these three nationwide credit bureaus have to monitor billions of data records therefore it is not inevitable to find errors with the reports. A majority of consumers would have at least one omission or inaccurate detail on their credit report.

It is for this very reason that as a consumer, the responsibility of checking your own credit information falls on your shoulders. Make sure that you get a copy of your credit report from each of the three Credit Reporting Agencies. You should contact each credit bureau and ask for your free credit report (you are entitled to 1 free copy every year). If you have been denied credit within the past 60 days, you are also entitled to a free credit report.

Here is a list of each credit bureau. Make that call and start checking your credit info.

Equifax, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta , GA 30374-0241;(800) 685-1111.

Experian(formerly TRW),P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013; (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742).

Trans Union , P.O. Box 1000 , Chester , PA 19022 ; (800) 916-8800.

Using The Internet To Obtain Your Credit Report

You can also use the internet to obtain your credit report. Many companies offer instant access to your credit report online and will offer you a free credit report if you try their credit monitoring service for 30 days. Credit monitoring services are a great way to keep track of your credit and stop potential identity thieves. As soon as you or someone else applies for credit using your name and social security number, these services will alert you via email. If you did not request this new credit you just need to log into your account and start the process of alerting the credit bureaus of potential fraud activity.

How is the information found on your credit report used

The credit information that is reported on your credit report will be used to evaluate you when you apply for credit, insurance, employment, and other purposes allowed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Therefore it is crucial that you review your credit reports for accuracy from at least annually.

Why is it important to monitor your credit report

By monitoring your credit report you will save yourself a lot of problems or unpleasant surprises when you have to get that credit card or if you’re considering buying a home. You will also be aware of any potential problems that may stop the credit grantor from approving you for the credit you seek. Knowing exactly what a lender will see when they pull your credit will allow you either try to dispute the items and have them removed from your report or prepare explanations for the credit problems and discuss them with your potential lender BEFORE you apply for that line of credit.

What to do if you find inaccurate information

- Be meticulous in examining your credit information. If you see any discrepancies, verify them as soon as possible. The law says that the credit bureau should examine the matter within a reasonable amount of time, usually 30 days.

- Dispute inaccurate information your credit report. Some credit repair specialist suggests you dispute items one at a time. Some say do it all at once. I have had clients that have done both, and there was never any one way that was more successful then the other in our case. I truly believe it depends on the agent you get at the credit bureau.

- Write an ORIGINAL dispute letter. Don’t just copy a form you found online. If you found it, then so did potentially hundreds if not thousands of other people. The agents at the credit bureaus in the disputes area have probably seen any freely given online dispute letter hundreds if not thousands of times. They will not take your request as seriously as they should if you do this.

The credit bureau is required to investigate and if that item cannot be confirmed within a reasonable amount of time, that credit record must be removed from the credit file. They must provide you with a free copy of your corrected credit report. Send your dispute letter to the credit bureau via certified mail, return receipt requested. If you are using a credit monitoring system you can do this online. Just make sure they send your dispute to all 3 agencies. If the credit bureau completes its investigation and decides that the negative information should remain in your file, you can add a letter of explanation to your credit report to refute the claim.



ISIAH

wifey asked:


Is it 600 or above? I am working on fixing my credit and I have an auto loan that will help rebuild my credit. I need a credit card for emergency’s and to help my credit, just wandering when I should apply for one. Right now Its not near 600.

MICHEAL

Sean S asked:


I spent some time in jail and my credit card expired. Currently I have no checking account or active credit card. How do I get a credit report? All the sites I have seen require a valid active credit card.

OLLIE