Posts Tagged Credit Scores

Free Triple Credit Reports

Bill Pratt asked:




Freecreditreport offers online credit reporting resources to consumers worldwide and belongs to the ConsumerInfo family. The company is a leading provider of online consumer credit reports, credit information and monitoring services as well as credit scores.

The company has served 3.1 members thus far and delivered more than 20 million credit reports. The indispensable services and befits offered by Freecreditreport has taken the company to newer heights as the membership count continues to rise.

Consumers can now wield control over their credit by taking advantages of the services offered by this company. The first step involves getting access to their free credit report and credit score. Customers can try these services completely free of cost with the 7 day free trial offer.

The features and benefits also include:
Daily monitoring of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports
Email reports of any kind of changes and risks of identity thefts to any of the three credit reports
$50,000 Triple Advantage Guarantee feature offered the company

The paid membership comes with access to unlimited Experian credit reports and credit scores.

Monitoring and analyzing the customer’s credit score can result in substantial savings as these credit scores are taken into consideration by lenders for the “credit worthiness” of customers in order to facilitate processing of loan application, credit card application and other lines of credit. This credit score in turn helps in determining whether the applicant qualifies for a credit or not as well as the interest rate applicable on the given credit.

These credit scores are extracted from the credit reports which have a propensity to change on a daily basis. It therefore becomes imperative to monitor your credit reports as this could directly affect the credit scores.

Freecreditreport takes care of all these intricacies for its customers/members while obviating the any associated risks in terms of unauthorized activity or potential discrepancies. Customers also get to guard their identity, as Freecreditreport monitors the customer’s Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit report on a daily basis.

It is important for the customer to note here that higher credit scores equate to lower interest rates on new loans, thereby resulting in substantial savings.

Marilyn

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Getting Free Credit Reports and Scores

Andrew Curry asked:




Credit reports are documents which contain all of the transactions you were able to incur. These reports are like a log system and it shows all the things you used your credit for, loans you applied and even mortgages. This document reflects who you really are as a financial character. It would explain to the agencies you are applying for all of your paying behaviours and spending pattern. This report may seem like pieces of paper with figures on it, but to your dismay it is generally taken as a basis for judging you in a lot ways you could ever think of.

The federal government has ordered all financing corporations and agencies to report to the three biggest credit bureaus in America. This event would facilitate consumer advocacy and protection of consumers’ rights. The main reason why credit reports are given for free is to provide chances for all credit consumers to look into their records and defend or verify its contents.

Aside from a credit report, credit scores are also issued. You would ask what this is all about. Now, this score is like a rating of your behaviour as financial character. The way you spend, how much you owe banks, missed payments, on time payments for credit and even the length of time you have been using the credit. This credit rating summarizes all of your credibility. Usually, a poor credit rating will consequently reflect a bad credit line. This will greatly affect a lot of aspects in your life like employment and financial assistance.

Try to be aware of all your transactions and limit yourself from expenses that you cannot cover completely. To be aware of your transactions, monitor the reporting of your credit and take the opportunity the government has bestowed. Get a free copy of it once a year and have it recopied so that the original document will not be in jeopardy.

Leonard

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Free Bureau Credit Reports – No Credit Card Required

Josh D Paul asked:




There are many websites that offer free credit reports and scores. Unfortunately, these offers are often misleading, as most require a credit card number and an enrollment into a trial monitoring service before the free products are delivered.

There are two websites on the Internet that offer completely free credit reports without any strings attached. They are AnnualCreditReport.com and Quizzle.com. All that is required is a social security number to verify the user’s identity.

AnnualCreditReport.com is a government website that has been established under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). It provides users with a free copy of their credit files every 12 months. These can be retrieved from any of the three main credit bureaus in the country. They are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Bureau credit scores are not included in this offer but can be purchased for an additional fee.

Quizzle.com is another website that offers free credit reports without any conditional obligations. There’s no need to enter a credit card number or even a social security number. Quizzle is able to find a person’s credit file through a series of questions asked. Users who are able to truthfully verify their identity are provided with a free copy of their Experian credit report and score. The website is able provide these free offers through various advertising revenue that is collected.

Consumers should regularly check their credit histories for reporting errors. They can do this for free through AnnualCreditReport.com and Quizzle.com. One popular course of action is to obtain a different bureau credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com every 4 months. Rotate among the three credit bureaus. That should allow the consumer to continuously spread their credit file retrieval through the year.

Amanda

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3 Types of Free Credit Bureau Reports Explained

Francine Denson asked:




There some confusion out there when it comes to free credit reports. You have likely seen the many articles that are floating around that state that you can get your free credit report, but just what does a free credit report consist of? In this article will will look at the differences in the 3 different types of credit reports advertised and learn more about which one is the most beneficial to have.

Type #1) Single Credit Bureau Report

One type of credit report is one where you can get a report from only one of the three bureaus. These three bureaus are Equifax, Trans Union and Experian; most of the time with this type of report you will have to choose one of these companies to get your report from. This may not help you very much because each of the three bureaus differs a bit in the content they report. You would probably benefit more from a 3-1.

Usefulness: C-

Type #2) 3-1 Credit Report

A 3-1 report would include a report from each of the three bureaus. The advantage to this is you get all three reports. The downside is that you get only one score from one bureau. It would be more sensible to receive all three of the bureaus scores. Mortgage companies look at the three scores and usually go by the one in the middle. I would only be logical to see what they see if you are attempting to get a loan.

Usefulness: B

Type #3) 3-1 Credit Report With Credit Scores

This brings us to the third type. This is the 3-1 credit report that included all three scores. This is the best offer there is due to the fact that this is what lenders look at. You will want to ensure that you know what you are getting when you request a credit report.

Usefulness: A+

Every consumer is entitled to one free report from each of the three bureaus annually, but this does not include a credit score. By using the services of on of the popular online free credit report sites, you can get instant access to not only your credit reports but your credit scores as well. You would be best off off obtaining a 3-1 with all three scores so you can have a clear view of what lenders are looking at when deciding whether or not to approve your loan.

Adrian

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Free Credit Reports – Get Your Credit Scores Online For Free

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Norma

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Are the Free Credit Reports and Scores For Free?

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Alex

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Factors That Raise Credit Score Fast

Jack Harmon asked:




So you need to raise your credit score fast? Well credit scores are a very complicated mathematical formula, but if you understand how they are calculated and the factors that affect your score you stand a much better chance to raise your credit score fast.

First off you must understand that there are 3 credit reporting agencies (Experian, Transunion, Equifax) and each of them could have a different credit score for you.

Sometimes a credit score is referred to as a FICO score or beacon score so don’t be alarmed if you see different terms.

In addition, different credit reporting agencies can report more heavily in different regional areas. For instance, Experian could be more heavily reported for customer in the Western region while Equifax could report more heavily in the Southern region.

It is for the above reason that frequently why you will have a different credit score with different credit reporting agencies. If you want to raise your credit score fast here are some things to consider:

Raise Credit Score Fast With These Tips

1. Get a free copy of your credit report and check for errors: Every year 1000s of people find that a creditor or creditors have placed inaccurate information on their credit report. It could be anything from a late payment to a collection. These errors can significantly affect your credit score and getting errors removed can help you raise your credit score fast.

You should highly consider getting a free copy of your credit report and check it for errors. If you find errors, you need to contact the credit reporting bureau and explain to them that you would like to file a complaint as a result of an error on your credit report.

Checking your own credit will not hurt your credit score.

2. Payoff outstanding debt: If you have outstanding debt or credit card debt paying it off can help you improve your credit score. It is not recommended you close your credit cards, because the longer length you have held the credit card can actually help your score.

However, paying off the debt on your credit card can help tremendously because payment history is highly important to your credit score.

3. Avoid shopping for too many loans or credit cards: Every time you shop for a credit card or loan each application you submit can affect your credit score. This does not mean you can not shop for a loan, just do not get out of control with it. Also, if you do shop for a loan be sure to submit all applications within 14 days of each other as this will be more favorable to keeping your credit score high.

In the end, following the above tips can be highly helpful to raise your credit score fast. It is highly recommend you get a copy of your free credit report as any errors on your credit report can be the best option to raise your credit report fast.

Frank

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Why Your Credit Score May Drop Soon

MoneyTalksNews asked:


New banking decisions in the midst of a recession mean even responsible borrows may see their credit scores drop.

Kathy

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Credit Scores Education – Time

adcouncil asked:


Do you know how your credit score is calculated? Or that you are entitled to one free credit report per year under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act? A survey conducted by Opinion Research USA and the Ad Council shows that Americans are misinformed about their credit health, with over 70% wrongly identifying a credit score of 600 as average or above average. Targeting low to moderate-income Americans of all ages and ethnicities with some form of credit, this campaign was developed to inform consumers about their credit and the importance of actively taking responsibility for maintaining its health. Additionally, this campaign aims to educate consumers about important steps they can take to establish and maintain good credit, including: paying bills on time, keeping credit card balances as low as possible and resisting the urge to open up more credit cards than are needed within a short period of time. The English PSAs remind people that, Theres no magic to improving your credit. But there is help and its free.” New Spanish-language PSAs complement the effort and direct consumers to a distinct website, www.controlatucredito.org, better tailored to the audience. The underlying aim of both efforts is to encourage consumers to better understand the intricacies of credit scores and credit reporting, and to provide information necessary to do so.

Josephine

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What is the Average US Credit Score?

Zach Ford asked:




The credit score, also well known as a FICO score, is a statistical or numerical interpretation of the information portrayed through your credit file that basically provides a likely window to whether you would pay a loan back on time — the higher your credit score, the higher your credibility in the loan market.

The report is written and generated by the credit bureaus on the basis of the information which they acquire from creditors and the companies from where you obtained credit in the past and other details composing mainly of your past payments, your credit period and the nature of credit that you availed and amounts still due. From this report a credit score is calculated which ranges from a minimum of 300 to a perfect score of 850. The median or average credit score for borrowers in the United States is 723.

This credit score acts as a ready reckoner and a handy mechanism to assess how much risk is involved by providing loans to a potential borrower. The higher the score of a likely debtor, the lesser is the risk posed to the lenders and a higher score also determines the likelihood of obtaining the best available deals and return rates.

The consumers who can manage to maintain their credit scores more than 700 are the ones who are usually charged relatively lower rate of returns, while those having credit scores rising further above 760 are charged the lowest prevalent market rates.

Those consumers having their credit scores below 600 normally have to pay relatively high loan rates. If you find it difficult to manage funds and your credit score dip alarmingly low and the credit score is really bad, you might find it difficult to secure loans from anywhere at all. Most creditors find the credit score of 620 to act as a break-even point.

The scores fluctuate from time to time, because your repayment determines your credit scores. The later your payment is made after a date due; it will affect your credit standings and will lower your credit score. Establishing or re-establishing a good repayment track record of settling the credit bills on scheduled time will help in strengthening your score.

Delayed payments of bills have a very negative impact on your score For instance, someone with an average credit rating of 700 plus can increase their score by as much as 20-25 points by payment of all the bills on the correct time in a given month.

Elevated debts can affect your credit score. Stretching out all of your credit cards to the maximum limits might lower your average score by as much as 70-80 points.

It is advisable that one should not open credit card account that they do not require. Even a closed credit account would still appear on your credit report and may be considered while evaluating your credit score. Every new subscription tends to reduce the average credit account age, which would eventually cut your score down further by a margin of 10-15 points.

Although it is better to have a credit account than none at all because generally, having credit cards and timely repayments in the same will increase your score. Someone who does not possess credit cards, for instance, has a tendency to be at a higher risk than anyone who has responsibly managed their credit cards.

Donna

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The Free Credit Report Scam

Gary Gresham asked:




Every consumer in America has the right to a free credit report once every year by law as of September 2005. But since that law has passed there has been nothing but confusion.

The web sites that say they are offering this so called free credit report, are asking us to give them our credit card information. Does that sound like a free credit report to you?

You may have even given your credit card number to these companies to sign up for a thirty day trial for a credit service that has almost nothing to do with getting your free credit report.

In all fairness, you can cancel this service after thirty days. But how many people do you think forget and end up with monthly or even annual credit card charges?

In fact, these companies are counting on you forgetting about the thirty day trial and charging that fee on your credit card. But if the law says you get a free report, what’s the deal?

A lot of people are confused about these free credit reports because of how some companies are marketing the free credit report. Hopefully, this information will clear a few things up for you.

For people who just want the bottom line, a free credit report is available at http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com and this is the only official site that helps consumers to obtain their annual free credit report.

This site’s security protocols are excellent with physical and technological security and encryption. That’s important for identity theft purposes because the information on your credit report should be seen by your eyes only.

So if this site is readily available and anyone can get a free credit report once a year, what’s the catch? Here is the catch: the credit report you get from http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com does not have any credit scores.

Now you may be asking, “Then what good is getting this free credit report without a credit score?” There are a few good reasons why you may want to look at your credit report even without a credit score.

Did you know that more than forty percent of all credit reports have errors? If you spot these errors, you can get them cleared up before it affects your credit score. If you contact a credit bureau about an error, they have to clear it up or remove it after thirty days by law.

If you monitor and review your credit report, you can check to be sure that you are not a victim of identity theft. If someone takes over your accounts and charges up thousands of dollars in debt, they can destroy your credit score in a matter of hours.

These are just a couple of good reasons why you want to get your free credit report once a year and inspect it just to be sure everything looks like it should. You can get your free credit report online at http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com or by phone or through the mail.

So where do you get your credit score from? This is where the confusion comes in and here is the answer. The law Congress passed did not say anything about a credit score just one free credit report a year per consumer.

You have to pay a service to get your credit score and some companies are confusing people with the way they are marketing this. They offer you a free credit report and score and many consumers believe it’s their annual free credit report.

But if you have to sign up for a credit service they offer for a 30 day trial period, does that sound free? What these companies are counting on is you forgetting about the 30 day trial and charging a fee on your credit card once that trial period is over.

It’s in the fine print, but how many people actually read that. So here is a good common sense rule of thumb. Any time you have to give your credit card information, ask yourself, “is this really free?”

Many of you probably know this is happening because you have been trapped with this kind of marketing tactic. But for those of you that just want your annual free credit report, you can at least be aware as to what is really going on and have a no nonsense way to get it.

Copyright

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Obtain A Free FICO Score

Zach Ford asked:




If you’ve read or heard anything about credit scores, you’ve heard mention of a FICO score but may not know what it is. The FICO calculates all your financial activities into a score ranging from 300 to 850. The higher your score, the better credit risk you are. The FICO is a tool used by lenders to help them decide if you’re a good credit risk. Anyone who applies for a loan will likely have their credit checked and their FICO number could make the difference between being approved for the loan or turned down.

Your credit report, used to calculate your FICO score, is an accounting of all your financial activity. Returned checks (NSF), late payments and loan defaults are all reported by your creditors to the three major credit history companies. If you pay off a loan early or make all your payments on time, there’s no glowing recommendation made. A credit report and the resulting FICO score are merely a dry accounting of financial facts.

You can and should receive a free credit report and FICO score every year from the three major credit-reporting companies. By calling or going online, it’s easy to keep an eye out for any erroneous information or mix-ups on your credit history.

The more responsible you’ve been with credit, the better your FICO score will be. Your score above 700 identifies you as an excellent credit risk and qualifies you for lower-interest loans as well as access to higher credit limits. You’re still considered a good risk if your score is above 680 but less than 700 but if the FICO sinks below 580 you’re considered a poor credit risk.

Your FICO is your credit reputation, just as your family name is your character reputation. It’s important to check it at least yearly to be sure that you’re not a victim of credit fraud. Your financial reputation is nearly as important as your personal reputation in this age of credit and credit abuse. Perhaps you want to buy your first home and have worked hard the past few years to establish yourself as a good credit risk; without regular checks of your credit report, all your conscientious efforts can be ruined by fraudulent activity of which you were unaware.

Like everything else, your credit report and FICO score needs to be watched. It would be wise to designate a certain time of year to request your credit report. By checking your credit regularly you can maintain your reputation as a good credit risk, prevent or quickly report fraudulent activity and avoid being the victim of identity theft.

Rick

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Discover Your Equifax Range Of Possible Scores For Credit – Credit Score Inquires Don’t Hurt You

Tim Gorman asked:




Consumers with scores below about 620 will pay significantly higher rates and fees to obtain a loan. At a time when financial literacy is a major public policy issue, the educational factor alone warrants a price most favorable to consumers. Consumers will also be entitled to receive from a CRA one free credit report in a 12-month period. The CRA will be required to provide the report within 15 days of the consumer’s requesting it. Consumers’ ability to obtain scores easily and at a fair price will further all three of these objectives.

Consumers should not be concerned about inquiries they make, such as ordering a credit report. Self inquiries don’t affect the credit score. Consumer reporting agencies and other companies sometimes use an estimated score to illustrate a consumer’s general level of credit risk. Consumers should pay their bills on time every month. Remember that 35% of the credit score is comprised of payment history. The Equifax range of possible scores for credit is somewhat flexible.

Consumers with scores in the 800 range get reason codes just as consumers with scores in the 500 range. The reason codes may be used in describing to the consumer the reason for adverse action.

Lenders will use your credit score to determine if you are likely to pay your bills and also help them place you with the appropriate repayment plan. For example, if you have claimed bankruptcy in the past, they might place you at a significantly higher interest rate. Lenders studied the relationship between credit scores and mortgage delinquencies. There was a definite relationship. Lenders use FICO scores to predict what kind of borrower you’ll be. Scores range from 300 to 850; the higher, the better.

Lender or credit card companies set multiple cutoff points. For example, if you are above 800, you might be offered the Platinum card. Lenders realize that many people occasionally pay late. Therefore, being late with a single payment is typically not as harmful as being late with two or more consecutive payments. This will be reflected in the Equifax range of possible scores for credit that you need to obtain your loan. Lenders may consider employment, income, expenses, assets and other factors when making credit decisions. Also, different lenders may weigh some of these factors more heavily than other lenders.

Lenders review credit scores along with the additional applicant information to decide whether they want to extend credit to borrowers who represent a particular level of risk. Typically, credit points range from 330 to 830.

Without a sufficient credit score, you either can’t get loans or you are paying higher interest rates for the loan you have. We have found that NFC(TM)/American Credit(TM) is the best choice for improving your credit report and obtaining a loan at the lowest possible rate. At what point can you expect to pay a higher interest rate? Check with your Equifax range of possible scores for credit to obtain your loan.

It does not mean that you cannot get a loan. Experts say that a person with a low credit score , say, below 600, will likely receive mortgage interests rates that are nearly 3% higher than someone with a score above 700.

Jim

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Free Online Credit Report Score

Jack Harmon asked:




Many people try to apply for loans or credit cards only to be turned down, but forgot to check their free online credit report score beforehand. Being turned down on a loan can be a shock to people, and they do not understand d why the banks have done this.

The thing that many banks or other lending institutions fail to tell you is that your credit score is the most important thing that they look at to determine how reliable you are at paying back money and how much you can afford to pay back each month. You can also find this out by searching for your free online credit report score.

There are many broker companies that will find your credit reports, charts and credit scores for free once you register with them. This free online credit report score service may be only a trial and you will have to start paying and monthly and yearly fee after a certain period of time.

Why Get A Free Online Credit Report Score

It is very beneficial to have the free online credit report score because you can then work at improving your credit score before you approach banks and other money lenders. There are many ways of doing this but some would be to pay off more than your monthly installments on various outstanding debts, make all of your monthly payments, lower your spending costs, and cut down on some of your credit cards or store cards.

The free online credit report score will also be offered with a notification service which will allow you to get updates whenever a new report is listed or if your credit score changes. This will help you to stay on top of your finances.

Another benefit is that this service is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, so whenever you feel like checking your credit charts or score, you will have immediate access.

When you apply to get a free online credit report score, you will be ensured of quick and easy access and that your information will be totally private. Your credit report will be delivered online, but you will be the only one to see it, as a secure internet connection will be used and you will have your own username and password.

So if you need a loan for any reason, make sure that you first check your free online credit report score to find out how you can improve your chances of getting a better loan with the best interest rates.

Once you have this information at your fingertips, you can take control of you life, your finances, and your future.

Karl

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Credit score basics

creditcardstv asked:


Jeremy Simon, staff reporter with CreditCards.com, explains the ins and outs of credit scores and credit reports. For more information, visit www.creditcards.com

James

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Refinancing Before Your Credit Score Turns Bad

Himanshu Joshi asked:




Many of us are struggling just to make payments. Our jobs are not paying enough for our expenses and we have cut back on the incidentals as well as the luxuries. Now it is time to refinance your mortgage. Refinancing your mortgage to keep your credit score from becoming bad or fair is important. You may even wish to refinance before cutting your luxuries. The point is you can refinance to save your credit scores if you do so before you make late payments to the loan companies and credit card companies. Head off the problem before it gets out of hand.

So to refinance you will need a credit score of 660 or higher. Seek a company that can help get old credit information of your credit report. It can be a quick fix company as long as you can get the loan in six months are less. When you are refinancing to save your credit score make sure you are getting a lower interest rate.

There are fees associated with refinancing so you will want to try for a fixed rate mortgage. If the interest rate is not low enough for you to save your credit scores and thus help with your mortgage payments you may look for a FHA loan or interest only loan. An interest only loan will have a cap.

You may find a loan that will have an extremely low interest rate for the first three years or maybe just for a year. If you can get a better interest rate for three years go for it. The idea is to lower your monthly mortgage payment so that you have more income to put towards other loans, credit card debt, and your expenses. If, you can save a little money in the process of refinancing that is great.

Herbert

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Who Has An 850 Credit Score And How Do You Get One?

ExpertRealEstateTips asked:


Credit scores, on the scale assigned by FICO, range from 300 to 850. Who has an 850 credit score and what canyou do to get one? Less than 1 percent of the population has a credit score above 800, so it’s very unlikely you will have an 850 credit score. However, if your credit score is above 720, you will probably still receive the best rates. Watch more credit and identity theft videos from Expert Real Estate Tips to learn how to raise your credit score.

Brian

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Free Credit Report – No Credit Card Required – Where To Get One?

Mike Clover asked:




Free Credit Report with no credit card required is available at annualcreditreport once a year. Here is what they don’t tell you. When you get your Free Credit Report at annualcreditreport there is no Credit Scores. So what good is a Credit Report without your Credit Scores? A Credit Report with no Credit Scores is like a destination with no address, it is useless. The following look at your scores very closely when determining your credit risk, interest rates, and terms.

1. Insurance Companies

2. Utility Companies

3. Credit Card Companies

4. Mortgage Companies

5. Car Finance Banks

6. Employers

7. Even Hospitals are now determining your Credit Risk.

Folks this is serious business, just imagine if you are applying for that new job that pays more, and they determine whether they are going to hire you based on your Credit Score. The main point is, yes you can get a Free Report with Annual but it’s once a year and no Scores are included. A Report with no Scores is useless, especially when that is what creditors look at. Let’s just assume you are getting ready to buy a car, and you are a customer that does not know there scores. Dealerships love customers like you because an uneducated consumer is a consumer they can rip off and make more money on. An educated consumer that knows there scores will show up ready to get the interest rate on the loan. This is what most lenders don’t want to deal with, because they make less money on consumers like this. Maybe you are wondering what is considered a good score.

Here is a break down:

o 780-850 – Low Risk

o 740-780 – Medium -Low Risk

o 690-740- Medium Risk

o 620-690- Medium High Risk

o 620 and Below – High Risk

There are all of these offers out there selling Free Credit Score Reports with all these up sales. For example:

1. Credit Monitoring

2. Savings Club memberships etc

When it comes down to being an educated consumer and that is all that is available out there to get your scores, there is not much choice. I would not hesitate to get these services, because everyday thousands of people get there identity stolen. I would recommend being an educated consumer so you are aware of what is being reported about you. Start saving today and protect yourself and your family.

Eddie

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