Archive for June, 2010

How Common Mistakes Mangle Your Credit Score

MoneyTalksNews asked:


Find out how many points your credit score will drop if you make one of these common mistakes.

Veronica

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Credit Repair, Increase Credit Score, Improve Credit Score, Credit Restoration, Free eCourse, FREE Credit Repair, Boost FICO Scores, Raise Credit Score, Fix Credit Scores Fast

ImproveCreditScores asked:


www.AttractiveCreditSecrets.com http Credit Repair, Increase Credit Score, Improve Credit Score, Credit Restoration, Free eCourse, FREE Credit Repair, Boost FICO Scores, Raise Credit Score, Fix Credit Scores Visit www.attractivecreditsecrets.com and receive a free credit repair…

Lee

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3 Ways to Improve Any Credit Score

MoneyTalksNews asked:


Trying to increase your credit score? Here are the 3 best ways to improve any credit score.

Nicole

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9 Comments

What Is The Meaning Of Your Credit Score?

Ara Rubyan asked:




In the United States, your credit score is everything. It is something that you should take care of. If you don’t, getting a phone, cable or gas line hooked up in your home can be difficult to do.

There are also certain companies that take a look at your credit score first before they even hire you. Even if you are qualified to do the job, a low credit score can ruin it all for you.

Your credit score is also analyzed by creditors, such as banks and credit card companies. Just try to imagine that you need to get a loan to start your own business, with a low or bad credit score, you have a lesser chance of getting that loan approved or you may get it approved but with high interest rates.

The same thing goes when you apply for a credit card. Credit card companies or banks that issue credit cards will first take a look at your credit score before they can get your application approved. A high credit score means that you have a greater chance of getting the best credit card deals with a lot of features and also with low interest rates for your every purchase using a certain credit card.

Even if you are applying for a mortgage, a car loan and other kinds of loans, your credit score will play a very important role in it. This is why it is very important for you to have a high credit score and maintain it that way or increase it.

First of all, you have to understand what a credit score actually is.

A credit score will be a three digit number from 300 to 850. This number will represent a calculation of the likelihood of whether you will pay their bills or not. This means that if you have a high credit score, creditors will be sure that you a better credit risk than someone with a low credit score.

In the United States, FICO (or Fair Isaac Corporation) is the best-known credit score model in the country. They calculate your credit score using a formula developed by FICO. The system is used primarily by credit industries and consumer banking industries all across the country.

Credit scores are calculated using the following factors:

* Punctuality of payments

This will be 35% of the calculation. If you pay your bills on time or before the due date, your credit score will tend to be higher.

* Capacity used

This will amount to 30% of the calculation of your credit score. It will contain a ration between the current revolving debts to total available revolving credit. If you use your credit card and if you don’t use its entire credit limit, you will get a higher credit score.

* Length of credit history

This will amount to 15% of the calculation of your credit score.

* Types of credit used

This can affect 10% of your total credit score.

* Recent search for credit or the amount of credit obtained recently

This will amount to 10% of the total calculation of your credit score.

Surprisingly, not many people know their credit score and often end up wondering why they got denied for their loan or credit card application. You can easily obtain a copy of your credit report by requesting for it from the three major credit reporting agencies. The law allows you to order a copy of your free credit score from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. How can you find out what your credit score is?

* On the web

Visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com

* Via toll-free telephone number

Call 1-877-322-8228

* Via mail

Complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can you can get a copy of the form from: ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit.

You may order your free credit score from each of these nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or one at a time.

They will be able to provide you with a free calculation of your credit score every year. It is also a great way to find out if there are any errors in your credit report that may be causing you to have a low credit score. You can request it to be fixed in order to let you have a higher credit score than before.

Always remember that your credit score is an important factor of your life. Keep it high and you will get better deals on loans, and credit cards.

Eugene

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Improving your credit score

BankRate asked:


Follow these steps to improve your credit score in months instead of years.

Frederick

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6 Comments

Free Online FICO Score Report – 5 Tips

Jed C. Jones Ph.D. asked:




Your FICO score determines everything from your eligibility for car and home loans to the interest rate on your loans. Before you refinance your home or car, you owe it to yourself to find out your current score and then improve it as much as possible. Improving your score by just 50 points could save you $1,000s in annual payments. Reason: a better score means much lower interest rates, which can save you literally $200-$300 or more each month on your home or auto payments. You have an amazing opportunity to get your credit score for free online and taking advantage of it is definitely worthwhile. Here are 5 tips for getting your free online FICO score report:

Tip #1: Remember that your report is your right as a U.S. citizen: The U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the Big Three national credit reporting bureaus to provide you with a free copy your report every 12 months upon request.

Tip #2: Get your report only from the one official source: There is only one official source from which to obtain your FCRA-authorized free credit reports: the Annual Credit Report Request service. This is a service implemented jointly by the Big Three credit bureaus. Note: many other Web sites do offer free online FICO score reports, but those offers may come with strings attached such as billing your credit card each month after an initial, free-trial period.

Tip #3: Prepare the necessary information: Before you order your FICO report, be sure to prepare the necessary information needed to pull it. Required items should not require any special research: your name, current address, social security number, and date of birth. However, if you have moved within the past two years, be sure to have your previous address on hand. Note: during the order process, you may be asked additional information that only you may know in order to verify your identity.

Tip #4: Get your authorized report via the Internet or by mail: Search for Annual Credit Report Request online to find the current Web address or physical address from which to order your report. You can also download a printable order form from the official Web site and then send in your order form via regular mail.

Tip #5: Monitor your report monthly: Given the identity theft epidemic and the common occurrence of credit report errors, it is wise to check your reports from all three national bureaus each month. There are many Web sites that offer this service and you can cancel at any time in most cases. Most of these sites will give you valid credit information for a fee and are completely legitimate. Just remember to read the terms and conditions carefully before use.

Improving your FICO score can save you $1,000s in annual debt payments. When obtaining your score, remember that the free annual report authorized by the FCRA is only available from a single official source. However, to obtain monthly credit report updates for a fee, subscribe to the services any of a number of legitimate online sources.

Gloria

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How can I get your free credit score and report?

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All the sites I have been to will give you the free credit report., but not score. Where can you get your free credit score and report?

Constance

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1 Comment

Is there any site where I can check my credit score free?

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I know there are places I can get my free credit report but what about my score? I have seen a few places but I don’t want to enter my credit card number.

Dawn

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1 Comment

Free Triple Score – Protecting Your Credit Check Report Rating From Identity Theft

Marc Marseille asked:




Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. The effects of identity theft can be a very hurtful experience that mostly occurs during the important moments of your life. Many victims of identity theft do not even realize that someone or in some cases several people have been violating them by getting access to their personal credit bureau report. Protecting your credit bureau report can easily be achieved by getting a copy of your free triple score from all three credit bureaus.

Your free triple score report will provide you with all the information you have reporting with all three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. Once you have received your credit bureau report, it is crucial that you do a thorough investigation to make sure that all your information is reporting correctly. If you find that you have been a victim of identity fraud, the best thing to do in that situation is to seek professional legal help through a reputable credit attorney.

It is unfortunate if you find yourself dealing with the situation of having your identity stolen, but there several steps you can take to prevent identity theft before it happens. The first step is to arm yourself with identity protection. Many credit card companies offer identity protection through a small monthly fee on your credit card, but if you have several credit cards, you may want to consider getting a more universal identity protection policy. Getting a universal identity protection policy includes using a company that works hand in hand with the 3 credit bureaus to create a lock on your credit bureau report.

Once you’ve create a lock on your credit report, no one can make any purchases using your information without having to verify some very vital information. To secure yourself even further, it is important to shred all important personal information before disposing of them. Information that should be shredded is bank statements, credit card statements, and anything that shows your Social Security Number.

Another precaution you can take is to never give your Social Security Number over the internet through an unsecured server. One way to find out if the website you are viewing is insecure is by looking at your browser window. All secure internet websites start with https: and not just http:. To make it even safer to surf the internet, you should get virus protection, spyware and a reliable internet explorer like Firefox.

My last recommendation to protection your free triple score report sounds simple enough, but a lot of people fall victim to it everyday; you should never give your Social Security Number over the telephone to a company you do not trust. Unless you have a long lasting relationship with a certain company, it is better to deal in person. If you must give sensitive information over the phone such as banking, try to establish a relationship with one particular individual in that department before you do so.

Laura

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The Credit Score Blues

gnormb asked:


A blues about credit scores for everyone who’s ever had less than perfect credit…

Ron

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4 Comments

How Your FICA Score Effects Your Personal Credit History

Gerald Washam asked:




Understand Your Credit

Trying to understand how credit works can be frustrating. Most people do not even know where to begin when trying to identify their personal credit rating. There are three major credit bureaus that report your credit status. These three credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. All three also keep your FICA or credit score. This score can give you the best idea of how your credit ranks.

FICA…What Is It?

FICA scores range from 375 to 900. In general, the higher your credit score the better you will be able to obtain credit. A FICA score under 620 makes obtaining credit difficult. You should identify what your score is and if it isn’t a good number you should then work on making it better. Creditors use your FICA score to determine whether to give you credit and sometimes base interest rates on this score. It is a very important number to know.

Your FICA Score

To determine your credit score you should request your credit report from the three major credit bureaus. The new legislation passed that allows you one free credit report every twelve months does not require the credit bureau to give you your FICA score, so you will probably have to pay for these reports. The contact information for each bureau is as follows:
Equifax 800-685-1111 http://www.equifax.com

Experian 888-397-3742 http://www.experian.com

TransUnion 800-916-8800 http://www.transunion.com


You should receive a copy of your personal credit report that includes your FICA score. Your FICA score is listed along with a comparison to the general population. This lets you know where you fall on the scale from excellent to poor. The credit bureau may include information as to why your score is not higher. Once you have your score you can then determine what you need to do to make it higher.

Raising Your Score

Some simple things can be done to help raise your FICA score. Paying your bills on time, keeping a small amount of unused credit available, keeping your debt low, and avoid inquires to your credit report can all help improve your credit score. Some things like, length of credit history, length of time on your job, and length of time at residence are things you can do nothing about, but that will also affect your FICA score. Practicing good credit methods will help you to obtain a better FICA score.

If you are worried about your personal credit you should really check out your FICA score. Then work to improve it. It may take time, but everyone has the ability to have good credit.

Tim

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Best tips to see my free credit score? If i already have my free annual credit report?

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I get my free credit report every year. I need to know how I can get my free credit score I’d appreciate any good answers someone can teach me, how to get free credit score report.

Helen

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3 Comments

How do we get the free credit score?

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Is there a way to get a free credit report?I tried but they only offer a “Free Score”,then money to see

Phyllis

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1 Comment

How Does Your Credit Score Chart Stack Up

Jack Harmon asked:




When you need to find out your credit score for helping you to get a good home loan or for many other loans you might want to get, you can go to many online sites where they will allow you to get your credit score as well as a full credit report for free.

You will not only have access to the important information regarding your finances, but you will be able to view a credit score chart where you can ***** how well you are doing with your credit score. The higher you credit score the more likely it is that you will be approved with a high loan, and possibly good interest rates.

It is very important to keep you credit score high, but many people, especially when they are younger, tend to think of lifestyle and go on spending sprees. They do not know how to successfully manage their money and end up in debt with credit card companies and store cards.

This will cause the credit score chart to dip, as other institutions will be hesitant to approve a loan with someone who does not pay back loans reliably. But don’t worry if you understand your credit score chart you can improve things.

A credit score chart can be very useful in helping individuals to improve their credit score and allow them to get out of debt. The chart can be viewed any time of the day or night via a secure internet connection on the different free trials that websites can offer.

How To Use A Credit Score Chart

Using the credit score chart, you can then work out the exact amount of money you should pay back each month and how much this will improve your rating.

If you need to improve your credit score dramatically for a specific reason like you want to get a home loan, then you will possibly need to pay back more than the requested monthly amount.

You credit score char twill differ depending on the credit report company that you use. You can easily compare your credit score chart to find out which one will be better for you to show to your bank, although they will be able to look at all of them.

The main places that offer credit reporting services are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, and you can view all of your credit score charts online very easily.

You are also able to check your score every day if you want and some websites will offer notification of any changes to your credit report or the actual score.

Bill

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Credit Ratings & Bad Credit : How to Buy a House With a Bad Credit Score

ehowfinance asked:


Buying a house with a bad credit score can be done by finding a desperate seller who needs to get rid of the house and is willing to negotiate, and any house with a “for sale” and a “for rent” sign is a good place to start. Negotiate with the seller of a home to lay out the terms of a lease or mortgage with advice from a credit repairconsultant in this free video on personal finance. Expert: Stetson Lowe Contact: stetsonlowe.typepad.com Bio: Stetson Lowe is a credit repair expert. Known as the “mortgage insider,” Lowe assists increasing credit scores for the most challenging of clients. Filmmaker: Paul Kersey

Clifford

8 Comments

How To Receive a Free Credit Report FICO Score Online

Zach Ford asked:




A big part of the financial aspect of your life is to know your FICO score. This rating is essential, especially when you want to be accepted for loans and mortgages. There are lots of things that maybe a factor in the deterrence of your FICO score, like errors out of your hands, or other outdated information, with these kinds of possibilities out there, you should keep track of your credit information all the time.

Your past really matters when it comes to the computation of your FICO score, because the way you pay your bills before, the number of credit cards you have acquired, and the way you manage your debts counts. The better management given to your past and current debts will give you a better financial reputation which make you more reputable.

Generally, FICO scores range between 300 and 850, with 850 representing the best possible score, and 350 signifying the worst possible bad credit rating The average American has a score of around 720-740, which is seen as a satisfactory rating and will be rewarded with lower interest rates and better terms.

You should know where you belong in the range to determine how much loan can you get and how much interest is possible for you. The more educated you get about your money, the better you can manage your money.Do not let your credit go down, because if you do it would be hard to put it up. Better track your finances to have a high FICO score. Always remember a high score means that you are a credible loaner.

Lois

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TRW Credit Group – Score Went Up 82 Points in 60 Days (WOW!) – www.StartMyCreditRepair.com

raleighbimmer asked:


In this 5 minute video, I’ll show you my wife’s actual credit score. It went from 604 to 686 in 60 Days. I think it will go even higher the next 60 days. Visit www.StartMyCreditRepair.com

Tonya

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Free Credit Report With Score – Understanding Credit Score Made Easy

Bart Newman asked:




Equifax, TransUnion and Experian are nationwide consumer reporting companies required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA to provide consumers a copy of their free credit report with score each year. This Act is implemented by the Federal Trade Commission, a consumer protection agency that also promotes privacy and accuracy of information from these three companies.

In general, a credit score is the measure of credit risk computed from a collection of credit reports using a standardized formula. It includes information of your address, how you pay your bills, and whether you have filed for bankruptcy or have been sued or arrested. The scale for credit score ranges from 349 to 849; indicative, for example, that a 640 rating will most likely give you difficulty getting a good loan. This kind of information are sold by consumer reporting companies to insurers, creditors, employers and businesses for evaluation of your credit, employment, insurance and home rental.

So why would you want to have a copy of your credit report? Because it contains information whether you can get a loan and how much you will have to pay; to make sure that it is up-to-date, accurate, and complete before doing a major purchase for car, insurance, house or even to apply for a job. Getting your report on a regular basis makes you manage your accounts well and lets you venture on possible ways to improve or raise your score. This is also one of the many ways to combat identity theft which has been widespread today especially to internet-related transactions.

To get a free credit report with score, you need to provide your name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number. You may also need to indicate previous addresses if you have moved in the last two years. To ensure your security, every nationwide consumer reporting company asks for information that is exclusive to you.

Along with the credit report, it is also advisable to request for credit monitoring to be updated of any strange transaction or activity on your accounts such as change of account information and opening and closing of investments and bank accounts.

Usually a free credit report with score can be accessed immediately although it may even take longer if the nationwide consumer reporting company requires more information to verify your identity.

Under a state law, consumers living in Vermont, Georgia, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland have access to free credit report with score.

Bryan

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