Credit Score FAQ


Credit Score Portal

Credit Score

Question: Credit report?
I just ran my credit report and there are several hits on it to say the least. Is it better to call the collection agencies directly and work out payment arraignments or should I call the credit consolidator people. And what is the best credit consolidator co to call?

Answer: Depends on the dollar amounts of the debts you owe.

If it is relatively small, then you want to work with the collection agencies on a case-by-case basis.

All communication to the collection agencies should be in writing. DO NOT handle this matter via the telephone.

It wouldn't hurt to contact the local Consumer Credit Counseling Center to get a better assessment to how to approach your delinquent debts as well.

 

Question: How do we report an unpaid civil judgement to the credit bureau?
We were awarded a civil judgement signed by a judge and filed with our local courts in Jackson County MO for $100,000. The defendant never paid this amount and we would like for this to show up on his credit report. I have been told unpaid civil judgements can be included in the personal section of a credit report but I am unable to find out how to get the credit bureaus to acknowledge this judgement and show it on his credit report. Can anyone tell me how to get this debt on his credit report?

Answer: The credit bureaus routinely check these public records, so they will likely find it, if they haven't already.

 

Question: What's the best website to go to get a FREE credit report without the hassles?
No BS about entering a credit card so you will have to deal with them trying to charge you for other crap. I just want my free report.

Answer: annualcreditreport.com.. Its sponsered by the government.. you get one free report per year

 

Question: Why is it so difficult to bring up the free credit report?
every time i try to pull the free report up, they require a credit card. that's not free.

Answer: there're is one site that is supose to be free....

www.annualcreditreport.com

I'm not in the U.S. now so each time I try and check the site is "missing"... I think it's because they know I'm checking from a computer outside of the U.S.

 

Question: Credit score?
How much will my credit score increase if I were to pay off 50% of my credit cards within a 2 month time frame? My current credit score is 568 and Im hoping to increase it to 700 :) Im planning on getting a car by the summer and I want a great credit score...

Answer: To go from 558 to 700 will take several months of good hard credit management.

Pay your credit cards down to under 30% of your limit and keep them there.

Use them for every day things, never exceed 30% of your limit and always pay in full before the due date.

I did this with 2 credit cards and raised my score over 150-points in 12-months.

 

Question: What credit score is needed to get the best fixed rate for consolidating accounts?
Any suggestions on how to raise credit scores in the range of 597-607 received from all 3 credit reporting agencies.
I have 2 mortgages which was done by the mortgage company a couple years ago to help my credit and both have high rates, 1 car loan, 5 credit cards, and a small loan company. I have been paying more on my credit cards the last 3 or 4 months to get the balances down. I want to consolidate the mortgages and the car loan in the future. But, not sure how high a credit score needs to be for the best fixed rate.
Thank you for any help.

Answer: There are ways to improve the score within a week and position the file for a better rate than you will get with that score.

I write a blog and covered this. Check it out.

 

Question: Can someone check my credit without my social security number?
I am applying to rent an apartment and the advertisement said that there was a credit check. The application doesn't ask for my social security number. There is no application or credit check fee. Can they check my credit without my SSN?

Answer: No they can't pull your credit without your SSN. It's the SSN that makes you unique

 

Question: Why did the free credit check ask me for a credit card number?
I need a credit check on myself. I have done this in the past, and never needed a credit card number. I have never given a credit card number without being charged.
Does anyone know of a free credit check without giving a credit card number?

Answer: Because you went to a website that aims to deceive people about getting free credit report

Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com

This is the TOTALLY FREE website that will not even ask for your credit card number.

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf requires that U.S. consumers be entitled to a free credit report each year. The government’s goal is to make sure that consumers stay informed, fight identity theft, and get fair treatment. This is the government mandated website where you can get 1 free credit report from the 3 agencies for free in one year. Go to this website and you can get your credit report from the 3 credit agencies

 

Question: What is the best Credit Repair Service?
I am looking for a Credit Repair Co. that is a bit smaller then the rest of all the major companies out there since i want personalized service at a resonable price, people who can actually help. If anyone knows of such a company, i would appreciate the help. Thanks

Answer: Ok, this is what i can say, yes credit repair companies can only do what you can do yourself, but like myself there are many other people out there that dont have them time to go 10 times to the post office and send off letters to all credit bureaus and all creditors that are listed on a credit report, sure you can, but you can also fix your own car, mow your own lawn and home school your kids but you dont. Instead you decide to use a professional.

I went and obtained all 3 of my credit reports, and then i seeked a professional, i used www.fastcreditsolutions.net
They were super helpfull and explained to my what my credit problems were and by how much i should lower my revolving accounts by.

My results were awesome they deleted a bunch of old collections and some late payments on my car loan.

They are pretty cheap and have awesome customer service, you can contact them below.

 

Question: Are there any credit repair techniques that really work to erase the effects of chapter 7 filing?
I want to remove the bankruptcy from my credit reports as soon as possible.

Answer: The best credit repair technique is to pay all bills subsequent to your bankruptcy on time. Give yourself about 24 months to rehabilitate your credit through timely progress payments.

However, do NOT expect the bankruptcy to fall off of your credit report until the 10 year statute of limitation has expired.

That is why bankruptcy is a choice of very last resort. It stays on your credit report for a decade.

 

Question: Identity Theft?
Has anybody dealt with identity theft. Its lookin like somebody may have used my SS# to claim me on their taxes. This is why I am not getting a stimulus check

Answer: I have been a victim of ID theft. If this is the case, you need help! Most ID Theft protection plans only cover credit theft (the easiest) when there are actually 3 more types social security, criminal, and medical. Here is a link to the ID theft protection plan I use, it covers all 4 types and is the best I know of: http://BestIDTheftProtection.info
I hope this helps and do not delay in getting it fixed, there are time limits that may keep somethings from being reversed if you wait too long to report it.

 

Question: How do I file an identity theft alert for my sons and myself?
We are moving and my car was broken into. They stole my wallet, which had my sons' social security cards, and my old one with my maiden name and my new one. They also ended up with my routing and account number, but I closed the account. They had my ID too, but that was mailed back to me from across the state. I am afraid they will open accounts in my sons' names, since they have all the information needed. How do I file a identity theft/fraud alert for free?

Answer: You have to write or call each of the three credit history services. They each should have a fraud hotline. You can request a fraud alert placed on each of the SSNs in question.

Equifax:

P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

* Report fraud: Call 1-800-525-6285 and write to the above address.
* Order credit reports:
1-800-685-1111.

Experian:

P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013-0949

* Report fraud: Call 1-888-397-3742 and write to the above address.
* Order credit reports:
1-888-397-3742.

Trans Union:

P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022

* Report fraud: Call 1-800-680-7289 and write to: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 790, Fullerton, CA 92634.
* Order credit reports:
1-800-916-8800.

 

Question: What is the difference between FICO and Risk Score?
I have two credit card accounts that provides free scores each month.... one uses FICO and other uses something called "Transunion Risk Score" which is 40 pts LOWER than my FICO. The FICO is also provided by Transunion.

So which is more accurate and likely to be seen by the lenders?

It also lists this as one of the reasons why my score is lower:

Too few recently opened bank installment accounts (Reason 41)

Is this referring to car loans?

Answer: Okay... I see a couple of misconceptions about the risk score versus FICO score...

Risk score - statistical model (all vary) between credit bureaus to try to come up with a grading profile based on population sampling.. Putting it simply -- they try to grade your spending habits/debt/activity against the rest of the country (in a quantitative figure).. I cannot measure your Sears account, etc.. They utilize different %'s to grade each category - inquiries, revolving debt, installment accounts, etc....

FICO - Score based on statistical model from Fair Isaac Corporation. Funny thing.. this scoring model was created by Equifax. It is widely used today in completing of many higher $$ transactions (i.e. mortgage). A FICO score looks at what is on your credit report, but is different because the scoring model is applied the same over all three credit bureaus....

Now, anytime you take on new debt, your score will dip temporarily. They have to penalize you for obtaining new debt because their studies show that new debt means more risk of not being paid.. more bills means less free cash. Yes, this can refer to a car loan if you recently got one. Give it 6 - 12 months and this will improve.

Finally, a FICO score is provided by Fair Isaac Corporation (not Transunion). Transunion probably sold the score to you, but it was Fair Isaac Corp's statistical model looking at your activity on your Transunion report.

 

Question: How many FICO points can I gain in one year?
I currently have a poor FICO score (upper 400's). I was in a financial slump for a few months and fell behind on some credit cards. I'm back on my feet and I'm able to make timely payments on the 5 accounts. How quickly does this raise your FICO? How long will it take me to re-gain an average FICO?

Answer: It takes about 6 months of regular payment and your score will shoot up about 200 points in about a year if you keep it up.

 

Question: Who actually sends info to the credit bureaus: creditors or collections agencies?
If an account went to a collections agency, who sends info to the credit bureaus: the collections agency or the original organization? Each has told me that the other does it.

If the account is payed in full not long after the account was forwarded to collections, do they still report it? They have not reported it at the moment and it's been about a month. Also, is it better to pay the original org or the collections agency?

Answer: They both will. The original creditor will list the account as a charge-off with a 0 balance. The collection agency will list the account with the amount due.

Usually the collection agency will send you out a letter asking you if the debt is yours. By default if you don't dispute it in 30 days they consider it valid and will post the account on your credit report. If you pay it within the 30 days there is a good chance that they will not report it, but again it is best to have this in writting before you send a payment.

As to who you pay. If the account is charged-off and sold to the collection agency you legally can no longer deal with the original creditor and must deal with the collection agency. When you talk to the collection agency it is best to get them to delete the collection account with payment. However, be sure to have this in writting from them before you send any money.

Question: How long have credit bureaus been in existence?
I was just wondering when did credit bureaus start. How they calculate beacon or fico scores, and how much weight do they have with the average american?

Answer: If I remember correctly it was 1968.

Scores are based on the following factors;

1. Payment history 35%
2. Time in bureau 15%
3. Types of credit 10%
4. New credit 10%
5. Debt to credit ratio 30%

As far as how much weight they have, that depends, if you are one of those that can afford to pay cash for whatever you want or need they carry no weight, but if you are like the rest of us that muct finance when we buy cars, boats or homes then they have tons of weight. No pun intended.

 

Question: Credit Rating?
I work as an env engineer in US, during my student time I raked so many bills in credit cards; I have started paying all of it , and intend to pay them of, however, I am 27 and planning to get settled by next year, I am sure with my credit rating (560), i wont be able to get loan, or any financing for even the basic stuff, will moving to Canada help? Though I know u wont have a credit when u move to a new country, however, no credit is always better than bad credit// Pls advise

Answer: okay speaking from a person who has improved there credit. if your really really late on something and close to 7 yrs since you incurred the debt..dont pay it if you pay one red cent your in for another 7 yrs wait em out and if they want to settle make em play ball and pay little or nothing on it..also make them agree to remove it if your going to pay it off otherwise they will screw you by keeping it on your report

 

Question: How soon is your credit rating affected after phoning to close a credit card?
I closed my gold card down this morning and i want to take out a new CC with better rates. How soon will my credit rating be altered for the better after requesting the termination of a credit card?

Answer: The credit card companies make non-rush reports periodically, not immediately. They may do it weekly, or twice a month.
Closing the credit card actually can lower your credit score. While credit account was open, provided that you paid on time, the credit card was a "plus" for your credit score.
I run into the same question when people are applying for loans. I advise them to keep the account open, even though account not in used. Sometimes they close the account anyway, and then are frustrated when their credit scores go down.
Closing an account improves credit rating immediately when it involves loan payoff. An example is a car loan.

 

Question: Credit history?
How is one's credit history built, and how do you build up a good history? Some people have said to me it's paying utility bills on time, others have said it's spending a lot of money on your credit card every month and paying THAT off on time, and yet others have said you need take out a loan and pay it back on time. So what exactly is it, and how does one get one? At whate age can you start creating a credit history?

Answer: You can start building a credit history as soon as you can have accounts in your own name. All the answers you've received thus far are correct. Something to remember is that credit history takes a long time to build, but not long to destroy. Good credit history means paying your bills on time and ahead of time. It's always good to pay more than your minimum payment on loans and credit cards. Another good tidbit of information is this: When most creditors run your credit, they weigh recent activity most heavily. They will see what your recent trends are. How have you been doing the last 6 months or 1 year? If you did well for 5 years, but you've been missing payments for 6 months, forget about that loan. The best thing to do is keep paying bills on time or ahead of time and don't spend more than you make.

 

Question: How much credit history do I need to get a mobile phone on contract?
Hi

I am trying to get a mobile phone on contract. As I had no credit history I started paying with a credit card, repaying everything every month. I have been using my credit card for a couple of months now.
Do I have enough credit history now or should I keep using my credit card? For how long?

Answer: i didn't have a credit history when i go my first contract as long as your over 18 your fine.
and don't go to anywhere house as they wont give you a credit scores go straight to the network shops. my first contract was with virgin which was really good but if i was you shop around you may have to pay a little but shop around I'm now on o2 on line which is £20 a month which is good its the new simcity one :)

 

Question: Credit reporting?
I recently checked my credit report and found out one company who I did not pay my account on is reporting that I made 3 payments this year(I did not make these payments)...they should be rolling off my credit report because account is over 7 years old... I think that's why they are reporting these payments, so that they can consider my account "current" and continue reporting negatively on my credit report. What can I do?

Answer: I would request the item be removed through the credit reporting agency(s) that are reporting the error to see if it can be removed/corrected. By law the agency cannot report a payment made to an account to keep you on the credit report without an actual payment being recieved and posted to the account in collection.

First try to submit a request directly to the reporting agency, such as Transunion, Equifax or Experian. It should say on your report which one(s) are reporting this tradeline with a payment made.

If that doesn't work you should try to contact them or get a letter from a credit repair attorney. That will usually get their attention and they will report it correctly. Let me know if I can help any further I have over 10 years experience with credit.

 

Question: Is there a credit reporting agency that will accept credit reports from a small business w/o charging a fee?
I own a small business where there are numerous debtors who run up bills and then refuse to pay. Are there any credit reporting agencies which will accept credit reports from me without charging me any kind of fees? I cannot afford to pay a membership fee. I am already losing money and only a small percentage of debtors will pay to resolve a bad credit report. Many just don't care if they have a bad credit rating. Thanks.

Answer: You have to pay but you also get a discount/credit for information that you supply to the credit bureau about your customers. I was thinking about this once but the terms and conditions seemed pretty sleazy to me so I never followed thru. Also, if you have signed contracts or even invoices, a collection agency will try to collect and if they succeed, they'll give you a decent percentage of what they collect. If I remember correctly there's some kind of base fee or minimum volume requirement for this which makes it uneconomical at extremely low volumes.
But I definitely recommend the collection agency based on personal experience. It works for me. It's really nice to get something back after you've given up hope. Good luck.

 

Question: Transunion?
I am trying to go onto transunion on get my report and score, but when i log onto it, and try to buy it, it is adding on experian and equifax also, i dont need them i already got them from the other sites. I only want transunion..any help?

Answer: Check out my source link for more details on myFICO services, which offers you your score and report from TransUnion for $15.95.

On my source link, check out the FICO Standard Plan, which gives you your score and report from your choice of the 3 major credit bureaus, and then choose to receive your info from TransUnion.

Hope this helps.

 

Question: TransUnion deleted accounts how do I get the other two Bureaus to do the same?
I disputed some accounts on my credit through TransUnion, I've also disputed the same ones with the other two Bureas but Experian and equifax won't delete the accounts that TransUnion has! What do I do?

Answer: If they are the same accounts and you disputed recently, try contacting the creditor/collection agency reporting the accounts and requesting the information they used to answer your dispute.

Compare the information they send you with the information you already have and see if there is anything else you can use against them in another dispute.

 

Question: Experian??
I need to send a bankruptcy discharge certificate to experian but only have a PO Box number. Their website and phone numbers are no help either. Does anyone out there have the address that I can send this sensitive document to?

Answer: Go to the link below. (yell.com) I've found the address for you. Hope this helps

 

Question: Why is my Experian credit score different on the TransUnion website?
I am currently enrolled in Experian credit monitoring. I signed up to get all 3 scores from TransUnion just to see if there was a difference and there is! My score on the Experian site is 75 points higher than the one TransUnion shows as my Experian score. How can that be?? Shouldn't they be the same?

Answer: Because each of the credit bureaus has different information on their reports. Therefore, there will be some variation in the score with each of the 3 bureaus.

 

Question: How is the "Average Account Age" in the Equifax credit report calculated?
I have a combination of Open, Closed, Revolving, consolidated and unconsolidated student loans, and a couple credit cards I have never used. I have averaged these in many different ways but have not yet arrived at the "Average Account Age" that is reported in the Equifax credit report. For those who haven't purchased their report, an "average account age" is given, and the longer it is, the better for one's credit score. Hopefully someone who has a simpler credit history can shed some light on how it is calculated. Thanks!

Answer: I believe it is oldest account (in month) plus newest account (in month) divided by 2.

Card 1: 24 month
Card 2 : 16 month
==> 24+16= 40 / 2 = 20 month (1 year 8 Month ) average account age.

 

Question: What is the quickest way to dispute with equifax? And, how do I insure they are promt on my dispute?
Trying to get a home loan and something on my credit has put everything to a stop. The claim is inaccurate and is currently under dispute with Equifax...

Answer: If you have already filed a dispute, all you can do now is wait. Equifax will forward your dispute to the creditor and has to give them 30 days to respond. Keep in mind that the creditor does not have to provide any sort of proof. All they have to do is say, yes that's right.

If you are under a time constraint, you may want to dispute the item with the creditor at the same time. Send the creditor a certified, return receipt letter requesting validation of the debt to include copies of contracts or other documents that prove the debt is yours. You have to give them 30 days to respond.

If they don't validate and the item isn't removed from your file, send another dispute to Equifax with a copy of your validation request attached, indicate they failed to validate. That should get it removed.

If they do validate, you should have the proof needed of the error and can dispute with the creditor and Equifax.

Unfortnately, all of this will take a minimum of 45 days.

 

Question: Does being enrolled in a Credit Monitoring service get you more easily approved for credit cards?
Does being enrolled in a Credit Monitoring service get you more easily approved for credit cards?

I am offered this service for free for one year through my job, and i would like to know if being enrolled in a Credit Monitoring service which includes total protection from identity theft, can improve your chances when applying for credit cards and loans.

Or is it simply just good for protecting you from fraudelent charges?

Answer: It just tells you when an inquiry is made, or something got added, or deleted.

 

Question: How long does it take a credit monitoring service to discover a new account has been opened?
I pay for a credit monitoring service every month. March 1st I opened a new account, and expected the service to notify me of the change, since they have no proof I was the one who opened the account. Typically how long does it take a credit monitoring service to discover changes made on an account? To my knowledge they only work with one bureau, not all three. I have not called them because I want to see if they ever notify me. If not, I'm closing the service and requesting a refund.

Answer: The credit reporting monitoring service will usually notify you of activity in a short time frame say 24 to 48 hours, check the FAQ on the credit bureau monitoring service where you signed up. A new account can take 60 to 90 days to appear on your credit report. Many lenders submit there updates from the prior month in the first week of the new month. http://www.aboutmycredit.com/


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