Posts Tagged credit report

Learning About Credit Reports And Why They’re Used

Posted by Lynn Daniels on Sunday, 20 December, 2009

There are number of issues to understand about credit reports and why they seem to be such an intrinsic part of our society nowadays. For fact, there’s almost nothing that can be bought on some sort of time payment arrangement that won’t require the pulling of a credit report, and there are plenty of things that have nothing to do with time payments that end up involving a credit report these days.

As an example, it’s important to understand that having what the credit industry refers to as poor credit can cause much more to be paid for something that’s financed — in terms of interest rates — than if good credit existed when upon initial application. Additionally, understand that organizations like auto insurance companies are pulling credit to determine policy cost.

Those kinds of companies are doing so because they believe that a person’s credit history can be a good indication of the level of risk they might bring to the game in terms of getting into accidents or receiving traffic tickets and the like. Many experts vehemently dispute this outlook and the states are beginning to come to the conclusion that the practice needs to be outlawed.

What is also good to know is that more and more prospective employers are looking at a prospective employee’s past credit history before coming to a decision about hiring him or her. Keep in mind that a prospective employer must obtain, in writing, permission from the prospective employee to pull credit from one of the three major bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, Equifax) in order to assess it.

What all this means is that credit and the need to have it and also the need to assess just who is a good credit risk and who isn’t is a a fact of life in our society these days. Mailboxes can be stuffed full of credit offers from organizations that have accessed what the credit bureaus call a quick look report and sent out an offer for “possible” credit because of that quick look, for example.

A report on a person’s credit worthiness can be a way to gauge how risky a person might be in terms of what they’ll be able to do in repaying consumer credit, it must be said. Also, they can provide a creditor a 7 to 10 year look at a person’s past credit history. Those with poor credit (below 600, usually) pay higher interest rates for just about everything, including mortgages and car loans.

All of the above highlights why it’s important for a consumer to pull his or her credit reports on an annual basis. By law, each of the reporting bureaus must provide a free credit report to a consumer who asks for it. There won’t be a credit score on the report (that costs money) but the report itself can be a good way to see just what each bureau might have on a consumer, which is a good thing to know.

Understanding and appreciating credit scores and why they exist becomes necessary anytime an individual is going to apply for credit and they want to make totally sure they’ll be successful in the application for it. Bad credit thus calls for credit repair.

Your Credit Report And Credit Score

Posted by Lynn Daniels on Saturday, 19 December, 2009

Many consumers tend to a credit score and credit rating confused at times. They are totally different things that are directly connected to each other. A credit score is a number given by the credit bureaus that indicates the risk of giving someone a loan. A credit report is the summary of the consumer’s credit history and credit rating. Many financial institutions and some employers will determine eligibility by the report and score combined.

Your score is actually called your FICO score. In the 1980’s, The Fair Isaac Company designed custom soft ware that would give lenders a number derived from a person credit history, that would help them in making the decision of whether your were credit worthy or not. This is called your FICO score.

Credit reports often contain a lot of personal information, such as the name, birth date and address of the consumer. A credit score is not attached to this report, it is added up separately, but it is directly related to the report. There are three places to obtain a copy of a credit report and that is through the credit bureaus. It is wise to see a copy of the report in case there are changes to be made or mistakes that need to be corrected.

The three credit bureaus that need to be contacted are Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian. These are the only places that you can request a copy of your credit report. They will offer one free one to anyone that requests it. There are other ways of getting a FICO score. Some of the places will differ from the other, but it shouldn’t be by much. If it is, the companies should be contacted immediately.

Having a high credit or FICO score is important for the simple reason that this number will follow you throughout your lifetime. When applying for loans, mortgages or consumer credit, your score being at the higher level is important. The score ranges from 300 to 850, with 850 being the highest credit score you can have.

If you are applying for some type of credit, your score will help the lenders to be able to decide how much they will give you. Usually, the better your score, the more you are qualified to borrow. You will also be eligible for lower interest rates. No matter what the loan is for, a low score will result in a higher interest rate. Sometimes credit scores can even be used in the process of hiring employees.

Improving your score is relatively easy if you have made mistakes in the previous years. There are a few things to remember when trying to repair low credit numbers which include keeping older accounts open which are still in good standing as well as having your debt load manageable and making your payments on time.

A credit score is a number obtained from your credit report which will give a lender the ability to establish whether they should give you credit or not for their product or service. improve credit score with credit repair, now!

How Can I Remove Late Payments From My Credit Report?

Posted by Jesse Smith on Wednesday, 16 December, 2009

Have you ever wondered this yourself? If so, you may be included with a large number of Americans who are finding it difficult to come up with the money to pay their bills timely every month. When you are late paying your bill, your creditor will report the untimeliness to the credit reporting agencies. Each late payment is then reported on your credit report. If a lender requests a copy of your credit history, all of your late payment entries will be viewed by the lender and possible be enough of a reason to deny your credit application.

Payments received after the due date are considered late, regardless of “how late” they may have been. If your payment was received the day after the due date or 30 days following the due date, it is still late. To add insult to injury, if your payment is late, you will probably find yourself with a hefty late payment penalty.

To remove late payments from your credit report, you will need to obtain a copy of your credit report. You can do this by contacting one of the three credit reporting agencies, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. These companies are legally required to provide you with one free copy of your credit report every twelve months.

Though the credit reports may vary slightly in their layout, they all contain the same types of information. You should be able to easily and quickly ascertain how each credit report lists entries showing late payments and should report the number of late payments you have made over a given period of years.

Late payments are not a good thing in the credit realm, and this is certainly an understatement. However, most consumers do not understand the vast consequences of these entries. At least thirty percent (30%) of your credit score is attributed to the timeliness of your payments. If you plan to apply for any type of credit in the future, these late payments can mean the difference between being approved or denied the credit.

The first thing you can try in order to remove late payments from your credit report is to contact the creditor directly and ask that it remove the late payments. This is often successful, however, if you habitually make late payments, it may be less likely.

If your creditor is unwilling to remove the late payments, you should contact the credit reporting agency by mail and request that they remove the late payments. Your letter should include copies of any supporting documentation that you have which corroborates your claim. You should always retain copies of any correspondence to or from the credit reporting agency. The credit reporting bureau has 30 days to verify your claim. If it cannot verify your claim within 30 days, it must remove the late payment from your credit report.

Of course, it is always easier to try to stop the situation from occurring in the first place. If you know you will be late paying a bill, contact the creditor and explain the situation to them. Many times creditors will work with you to agree on a payment plan.

Did you know that late payments can be shown on your credit report for up to seven years? It’s true! This, of course, can severely damage your credit score and can cause you to be denied credit. Try to avoid late payments on your credit report by working with your creditor if you feel you will be late. You will be happy you did!

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Will My Credit Score Decrease If My Auto Is Repossessed?

Posted by Amber Deanwater on Wednesday, 16 December, 2009

Auto repossession in and of itself is not a good thing and will severely affect your credit score. Please read this article completely to discover how auto repossessions come about and what can be expected.

Many people believe that an auto repossession will take place after a long succession of missed loan payments. This may be true, however, what you need to know is that a creditor can repossess your vehicle after just one missed payment. When this happens, your creditor will probably make some phone calls to you and follow up with a few letters.

If you do not bring your loan up-to-date or make arrangements to get back on track, the creditor can move forward to repossess your automobile. If you attempt to work with the creditor, you may be able to keep this from happening.

Your credit score can be affected for seven to ten years, depending on your state of residence, if your vehicle is repossessed. Your credit score will spiral downward if this happens.

If you feel you are headed for an auto repossession, it is best to contact your creditor, explain your situation, and try to work something out. It is often possible to work out a payment plan with your creditor, thereby saving your credit score from a large, negative impact.

If your vehicle is repossessed, you will be responsible for any repossession fees, towing charges, storage fees, and any other costs associated with the repossession. These costs can add up quickly and can end up being several hundred dollars.

Auto repossession is not a pretty thing and it is important that you understand this. If you see an auto repossession ahead and do nothing to try to turn it around, you will greatly harm your credit score as well as lose your vehicle. So, call your creditor and see if you can work out a payment plan. If successful, this will result in your keeping your vehicle and not damaging your credit rating.

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