One lady reports that she started to get inexplicable credit card charges from Creditreport.com. After speaking to 12 different reps, she reached a supervisor who threatened to sue her because she had signed a contract. When she asked for the contract to be mailed to her, the supervisor said, they “couldn’t” print it out, they could only email it. To which the lady responded, “So how exactly is this going to hold up in court? What are you going to do, Email the judge?” Oh snap. Eventually, after a little more hassle, they canceled her account. Someone should have told her that the only place to go to for a free, no strings, no monthly fee access to your credit report is annualcreditreport.com.
credit reports
How Can A Minor Get Their Credit Report?
By 1.4.08
“Why can’t I get my credit report?” one of our 16-year-old readers (obviously precocious in the personal finance responsibility department) wanted to know. It seems if someone under 18 tries to get it online, say through annualcreditreport.com, they’re told no. It turns out you can order your report, you just need to do it by an old-fashioned letter. You’ll want to to include in your request your name, address, and Social Security number. This is good not just for go-get-em kids like our reader who want to make sure no one is buying a $40,000 boat with their credit, but also parents who want to protect their children from identity theft. The addresses for each of the bureaus follow.
Ben Popken On Fox Business News Chatting About FICO '08
By 1.2.08
Here’s the clip of yours truly, Ben Popken, on Fox Business News discussing some of the changes in store for FICO ’08, the credit-scoring system lenders use to determine how punitive a rate they get to charge you. You may notice that I have a strange look on my face at the beginning.
By 12.31.07
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Consumerist Editor Ben Popken will be on Fox Business News Monday at 12 noon to discuss the changes in store for FICO 08. UPDATE: It looks like our video slave is home today, so if anyone wants to DVR Ben’s appearance and email the video file to tips@consumerist.com, we’ll like, make you a cake or something.
An Overdue Library Book Could Scuttle Your Dreams Of Home Ownership
By 12.28.07
That unreturned library book could threaten your credit score if it becomes a permanent fixture on your shelf. According to the New York Times, libraries are treating borrowed materials as debts and siccing debt collectors on borrowers who fail to pay longstanding late fines. The Queens Public Library has used Unique Management Services to collect over $11.4 million from delinquent borrowers, who may not realize that their unreturned books could eventually stand between them and a mortgage.
How FICO 08 Changes Your Credit Score
By 12.20.07
The FICO system, whose credit scores lenders use to determine whether you’re credit-worthy and how favorable to set the terms, is set for a makeover. An article in today’s WSJ reveals more of the changes in store than previously disclosed, here’s how they’ll affect your credit score:
Bill Me Later Can Ding Your Credit Score
By 12.13.07
BillMeLater is a new service that does what its name says: you can buy something paying using BillMeLater, they’ll front the cash, and send you a bill later, but, FiLife reports that what the name doesn’t tell you is that using it could temporarily damage your credit score.
By 12.6.07
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Did you know you can upgrade your credit card with the issuer without losing your credit history? [Bankrate]
Consumer Wins $2.7 Mil Lawsuit Against Equifax For Screwing Up Her Credit
By 12.4.07
Angela P. Williams tried for more than a decade to clear up her credit report after Equifax confused her records with those of a person with bad credit but a similar name. The company denied any wrongdoing, right up until the jury awarded a $219,000 verdict in damages against Equifax, and $2.7 million in punitive damages for violating the federal credit-reporting laws. The decision is a victory for frustrated consumers at the mercy of these powerful institutions whose record-keeping errors can ruin innocent lives.
Is It Necessary To Freeze Your Credit?
By 11.22.07
We focus so much on identity theft and safeguards against it that it may seem like freezing your credit is the only solution in a world of identity thieves. That may or may not be an accurate assessment (ask me the next time my credit card is duped), but credit freezes aren’t for everyone. Consumerism Commentary offers a sort of beginner’s guide to the topic for readers who are trying to decide if it’s right for them.
Buying A Home? Don't Rack Up Debt Between Approval And Closing
By 11.15.07
Don’t open any new lines of credit or go crazy with the credit card purchases between your home loan’s approval and the actual closing date, warns Ilyce R. Glink (doesn’t it look like we just tapped a bunch of keys at random to spell that name?) at Inman Real Estate News. Your lender will pull a second credit report before closing to make sure that you’re still capable of paying your loan—so if you’ve done anything in the interim that could impact your ability to pay, rest assured it will show up.
Where To Get Your Real Credit Score
By 11.14.07
Finding your credit score can be hard if you’ve never done it before. There’s scam sites, conflicting information, and the credit bureaus offering their own version of the credit score. But if you want your FICO, the real score looked at by lenders to determine your credit-worthiness and interest rates, here’s where you can go:
How To Freeze Your Credit Report
By 11.6.07
Red Tape Chronicles has a good guide for how to set up a credit report freeze at each of the three major credit bureaus.
Credit Card Piggybacking Still Raises FICO Scores
By 11.5.07
You can still raise your credit score by getting added as an “authorized user” on the credit card account of someone with better credit. Industry plans close the loophole starting this September are still yet to be implemented. The change was to be part of the update to “FICO ’08,” a revised version of the credit scoring system sold by the Fair Issac Corporation and in use at the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. So-called credit piggybacking is used by parents to help their kids get on the fast-track to better credit ratings. It has also used by fraudsters to qualify for mortgages they wouldn’t otherwise get – a contributing factor to the delinquencies in the subprime meltdown.
Reach Experian Executive Customer Service
By 10.25.07
(714) 830-7000 is answered by a live human being
By 10.15.07
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How filing a fraud alert with each of the three major credit bureaus works, as told by a blogger who recently had to go through the process. [No Credit Needed]
Widow Loses Credit History Along With Husband
By 10.11.07
Widows finds that she’s lost more than just a husband, she’s also lost decades worth of credit history, as creditors are unwilling or unable to transfer the joint accounts into her name. Takeaway: married couples, make sure your credit history is correct and listed under your individual name. Free credit report copies available at annualcreditreport.com.
