The problem with annualcreditreport.com—other than its name—is that getting your reports from the site is a little like dealing with GoDaddy: you have to deal with upsells and side-sells at every step. You can indeed get your free credit reports from the site, but you’ll also have to keep turning down other offers from the three participating bureaus. Hell, there are even ads (sorry, “sponsor” links) on the home page, the one place where you’d hope for the least consumer confusion.
FTC Wants Your Input On How To Improve AnnualCreditReport.com
By October 12, 2009
You Paid Your Bill 3 Hours Early? Then It's 30 Days Late
By October 2, 2009
John’s fiancee bought an Apple computer earlier this year, financing it with a Juniper Visa account, then paying the account off early. That’s the responsible thing to do, right? Not according to Juniper, which branded her as a filthy, filthy deadbeat. The bank marked the payment she sent in as “late” for arriving three hours before the end of the billing cycle.
Will My Credit Score Hurt If I Pay Off And Close My Credit Card?
By August 7, 2009
Does paying off and closing a credit card hurt your credit score? That’s a two-part question. The answer to the first one is no, it helps, and the answer to the second is yes, closing your credit card hurts your credit score. Credit bureau Exerpian’s “Ask Max” says,
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Fixing Credit Report Errors
By June 8, 2009
A great way to improve your credit score is to get rid of errors on your credit report that are dragging you down, but how do you start?
"Help, I Fell For The Apartment Rental Credit Check Scam!"
By June 3, 2009
Since posting an article about Craiglist apartment listing scams a month ago, we’ve heard from lots of people who fell for the scam. If you’re one of them, here’s what you need to know.
Erroneous Public Records Data, Or: Who The Heck Is This Hipolito Guy?
By May 29, 2009
Kathy has an unusual problem. She thinks that there might be a problem with some of her public records and/or her credit report, but she isn’t sure how to find out how it got there, let alone remove it. See, there’s a man named Hipolito, with the same relatively common last name as Kathy, who keeps popping up in public records questions used to verify her identity. She has no idea who this man is, and neither does anyone in her family.
Scammers Advertise Fake Apartments, Want Your Real Credit Information
By May 4, 2009
Experian Stoppped Selling FICO b/c Contract Dispute (FICO '08 Related?)
By February 17, 2009
Just like I figured, the reason Experian won’t sell you your FICO score anymore is because of a contract dispute with the Fair Issac corporation, and I’m guessing it has to do with the rollout of FICO ’08
Four Unexpected Situations Where Bad Credit Hurts
By February 15, 2009
If you aren’t planning on getting a big loan in the next couple of years, you probably shouldn’t be worried about your credit score right? Wrong.
Experian Yanks FICO Score Away From Consumers
By February 6, 2009
Soon consumers will only be able to see two out of the three credit scores lenders use to judge their credit worthiness. Out of nowhere, Experian announced it will no longer be selling its version of the FICO score through myFICO.com.
6 Ways Your Credit Score Changes Thursday
By February 4, 2009
A new system for determining your credit-worthiness, FICO ’08, rolls out this Thursday, and there’s nothing you can to do stop it. By these 6 changes, ye shall be judged:
Debunking Five Credit Score Myths
By January 24, 2009
Your credit score. It’s amazing how one little score can have such an impact on our finances and how misunderstood that number can be. We’ll debunk five common myths about it right here, right now.
Bad FICO? Here's Three Other Credit Scores That Can Help
By December 7, 2008
FICO score isn’t the only credit score game in town. That’s good news for people who have low scores thanks to being an immigrant, divorcee, or don’t have the means to acquire the credit in the first place. It’s one of those quirks of the system. To get credit, you have to have a credit history. To get a credit history, you need to be able to get credit. Thusly, some people find themselves a bit stuck. To meet the needs of these these “thin credit file borrowers”, some alternatives to the standard FICO score are out there. Let’s look at three.
What's The Point Of Credit Repair Companies? (Not Much)
By December 7, 2008
If you have bad credit and have been thinking about working with a credit repair firm, think again. Credit repair services aren’t doing anything that you can’t otherwise do for yourself. They review your credit history, lodge disputes, follow up, rinse and repeat. The appeal of a credit repair service is that they spend all that time resolving issues so that you don’t have to. They can’t take legitimately negative things off your record and they can’t work magic. Any firm that promises or guarantees to improve your score isn’t telling you the whole truth and you should watch out.
Check Your Credit History Year-Round, For Free
By December 7, 2008
Statistics show that 80% of credit histories have at least one error. Most of them are minor and inconsequential but some can have an adverse effect on your credit score, often costing your thousands on mortgages and car loans. I believe credit bureaus were so lackadaisical about accuracy because it forced consumers to buy their credit reporting services. You wouldn’t know there’s an error unless you paid Equifax for a copy of your report. Fortunately, federal law now makes it possible for us to police our own records and force bureaus to correct them, all on their dime. Here’s how:
Paying Cards Off Doesn't Mean Reported Balances Are Zero
By October 30, 2008
Personal finance columnist Liz Pulliam Weston saw Rebekah’s story yesterday, “Is It OK To Use Credit Cards For Everything, If You Pay Them Off Every Month?” and wanted to clarify something important. If you pay off the cards in full, the balances reported to the credit bureaus will not be zero. More likely, it will be the balance from your last statement. Liz writes:
One Day Left To Register For TransUnion Class Action Lawsuit
By September 23, 2008
September 24, tomorrow, is the last day to register for the class action against TransUnion for selling consumer’s private data to businesses without permission. If you held a credit card between January 1, 1987 to May 28, 2008, you’re eligible to receive benefits. You can choose from one of three options:
