Consumerist
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security defects
Thief Runs Up $10,000 Credit Card Bill Using Only Name, Address, Social, DOB
John says that his wife's identity was stolen two weeks ago and since TransUnion shows your full credit card numbers on your credit report, the thief was able to run up a $10,000 credit card bill in his wife's name. More » -
credit
36 Risk Factors Creditors Use To Deny You Credit
Lenders can use the data from your credit report to deny you credit for any one of several reasons. If you are denied, you receive a letter identifying the credit reporting agency that provided the report, along with a risk factor reason code. Bargaineering published a list of the common risk factor codes that lenders use to deem you unworthy of credit. For all three reporting agencies, the cardinal sins are owing too much and failing to pay your bills. The list of codes, inside. More » -
fico
Experian Yanks FICO Score Away From Consumers
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. More » -
credit score
How Credit Bureaus Correct, Or Fail To Correct, Errors On Your Report
SmartMoney's Anne Kadet looked into the process by which the three major credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax—investigate and correct errors on credit reports. What she found was that the process is "almost entirely automated," and that "many lenders respond by simply rereporting the erroneous data." Here's how it works, and your meager options when something goes wrong. More » -
credit scores
Debunking Five Credit Score Myths
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. More »
10:01 AM on Sat Jan 24 2009
By Bargaineering.com
20,574 views, 46 comments -
fico
Check Your Credit History Year-Round, For Free
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: More » -
credit scores
Hard And Soft Credit Inquiries, And How One Hurts Your Credit Score
Did you know that when a company checks out your credit report, it can damage your credit score temporarily? It depends on if the inquiry is "hard" or "soft." Hard inquiries ding your score, soft don't. If you're going to get a mortgage or a car loan, a few points difference translates into a big chunk of change. So how do you know when an inquiry is going to be "soft" or "hard?" More »
12:57 PM on Sat Dec 6 2008
By Bargaineering.com
28,439 views, 58 commentsMost discussed SadSam: When I bought a car this past fall I ended up with a hard inquiry and a ding to my more »
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zombie debt
Judge Orders Credit Reporting Bureaus To Strike Forgiven Debts From Records
The three big credit reporting agencies—Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax—have been inaccurately reporting debts on millions of consumers' credit reports even after the debts have been forgiven during bankruptcy filings. Once forgiven, the debts are supposed to be removed from credit reports, but the agencies are continuing to report them as active. They have until October 1st to comply with Judge David O. Carter's order to "revamp their systems," writes Jane J. Kim on the Wall Street Journal's finance blog. Now if you're in debt trouble, you can look forward (?) to having either unpaid debts on your credit report, or a bankruptcy filing, but hopefully no longer both at the same time. More » -
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annual credit report
Consumer 101: Get Your Free Credit Report From "Annual Credit Report.com"
You've probably seen those commercials featuring a friendly looking jackass and his factually inaccurate songs about what can happen to you if you don't check your credit report. It's true, checking your credit report is a good idea, but you can avoid subscription-hawking pay sites and, instead, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. More » -
class actions
One Day Left To Register For TransUnion Class Action Lawsuit
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: More » -
Just a reminder: you can get free credit reporting services for at least six months by participating in a class action settlement against TransUnion. Carey posted details about it back in June; the deadline to participate is September 24th. (Thanks to Michael!)
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credit reports
Really, Credit Bureaus, I'm Not Dead
John wants to know how he can convince the world that he's not dead. He writes: More » -
credit bureaus
Mailing Addresses For TransUnion, Experian, Equifax
Having trouble finding the mailing address for any of the three major credit bureaus, TransUnion, Experian, Equifax? Here they are: More » -
free credit scores
CreditKarma.com Makes Free Credit Score More Like FICO's
The CreditKarma.com site we told you about in our roundup of "5 No BS Ways To Get A Credit Score For Free" has changed its calibration system so the free, advertising-supported, credit score it gives you is now on the 300-850 range, just like your FICO score. It's still not your FICO score, but it does make the approximation, based on TransUnion data, more relevant. If you're do some major money moves, like getting a mortgage, you would still want to pay for the FICO score for total accuracy, but if you just want a general sense of how you're doing, CreditKarma.com is a great way to do it for free.
Credit Karma [Official Site]
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equifax
5 No BS Ways To Get A Credit Score For Free
Here are 5 ways to get your credit score for free. Note, all of them are the credit scores developed by the credit bureaus themselves, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, and are not your actual FICO scores. Only the FICO score is used by lenders to determine your credit worthiness. However, you can at least use these credit bureau scores to get a general sense of how good your credit is. More »
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class actions
Massive TransUnion Settlement To Reveal Credit Scores
Did you have a credit card between Wednesday and 1987? Great! You're part of a massive class action settlement with TransUnion. The credit reporting agency has agreed to fork out services worth over $100 to every cardholder as a way of saying "sorry for grossly violating federal privacy laws by selling your private data to businesses!" More » -
worst company in america
Round 38: TransUnion vs Diebold
This is Round 38 in our Worst Company in America contest, TransUnion vs Diebold!Here's what readers said in previous rounds about why they hate these two companies... More »
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heroes
Leukemia Survivor Who Had Identity Stolen By Lab Tech Tells His Story
We wrote about Eric Drew a few weeks ago—his personal information was stolen by a shady lab technician while he was undergoing treatment in 2004. Even after the lab tech was convicted, Drew still had to fight with the credit reporting companies to prove he existed and to clear up his credit record, so he filed lawsuits against TransUnion, Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, Equifax and Experian. He settled with TransUnion earlier this year, and as part of the settlement they will now accept doctors' notes for the hospitalized and the elderly, as well as offer free credit freezes to victims of ID theft. More »
transunion
New York, 7:56 AM
Wed Nov 11
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