Credit Report Service – are Free Credit Report Services Legitimate?
Posted in Credit Denial Letter on 01/28/2011 09:51 pm by
Posts Tagged ‘Free Credit Report’
Free Credit Report Without a Credit Card
Posted in Finance on 01/27/2011 01:55 pm by
Scott Paul asked:
It seems these days there are hundreds and hundreds of sites that claim to be able to get you your free credit report with no strings attached. However this is not the case. Most site will actually have you enter your credit card information and have you commit to purchasing some kind of product from them before having you get you credit report. Granted some sites can be very helpful and paying a little extra may not be a bad thing if you can afford it, but it sure can be annoying if you are just looking to get your normal free credit report and having to jump through lots and lots of hoops to get it.
Here are a few tips on where to go to find a free credit report without a credit card. First thing to note is that no matter where you go you are going to be asked for information to prove your identity, however this doesn’t mean you need to give out your credit card information. The main thing to remember is that you are guaranteed a free credit report every year from one of each of the three credit bureaus.
You will need to give your name, birth date, social security number, previous addresses if you have moved, employment history, and some security questions. If you go online and make sure you go directly to a legit credit bureau site to make sure you don’t have to jump through hoops. Otherwise you can always go through a toll free number, or mail in directly to one of the credit bureaus.
Charlotte
It seems these days there are hundreds and hundreds of sites that claim to be able to get you your free credit report with no strings attached. However this is not the case. Most site will actually have you enter your credit card information and have you commit to purchasing some kind of product from them before having you get you credit report. Granted some sites can be very helpful and paying a little extra may not be a bad thing if you can afford it, but it sure can be annoying if you are just looking to get your normal free credit report and having to jump through lots and lots of hoops to get it.
Here are a few tips on where to go to find a free credit report without a credit card. First thing to note is that no matter where you go you are going to be asked for information to prove your identity, however this doesn’t mean you need to give out your credit card information. The main thing to remember is that you are guaranteed a free credit report every year from one of each of the three credit bureaus.
You will need to give your name, birth date, social security number, previous addresses if you have moved, employment history, and some security questions. If you go online and make sure you go directly to a legit credit bureau site to make sure you don’t have to jump through hoops. Otherwise you can always go through a toll free number, or mail in directly to one of the credit bureaus.
Charlotte
Credit Report Service – Are Free Credit Report Services Legitimate?
Posted in Finance on 01/15/2011 06:41 pm by
Tomas Loden asked:
Can you trust online credit report services? That is the question that consumers are asking today, especially with the hundreds of offers that flood your e-mail in-box promising accurate credit reporting scores with just the click of a mouse.
The good news is that most, if not all of these companies, are legitimate and do in fact provide you the necessary information that is directly related to your credit report and your overall score, which depends on whatever particular credit bureau system the company uses to check your background with.
Free credit report services
Just about every credit report organization will offer you some type of “free” background check of your credit score. While this free report may not entail every detail that you would like to know in terms of your debts, there is some valuable information that can be obtained. However, you should know that these introductory offers are merely just to give you a taste of their product so that you can upgrade to the paid credit reporting services they offer.
Is it safe to submit your personal information for a free credit report service?
If you stick with the most popular credit reporting agencies then you should have absolutely no problem worrying about your personal information being delivered over the Internet such as your Social Security number, driver’s license, etc. This information is typically handled by a secure server and there is little need to worry about the credit form being hacked and stolen by an unauthorized user.
What credit bureaus are checked when using a free credit report service?
Since there are three main credit bureaus that most agencies use to locate and filter your debts and credit score information, this free reporting service may use one of these entities or a combination of all three.
The three national credit reporting organizations used by most businesses is Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
Remember, the most accurate scoring for your credit and history can only be obtained by having a combination of all three major credit bureaus. In other words, let’s say for example you sign up with a free reporting service and the information comes back only partially accurate. This means that you would need to upgrade to the paid service in order to get 100% up-to-date credit information.
Is it possible to contact the three national credit reporting agencies on your own, instead of relying on a paid service?
While utilizing a credit reporting service is the most efficient way of compiling your information into one easy-to-read scoring system, you can in fact request your credit history from the three major national credit bureaus. Below is the contact information for Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax:
1. Experian: The phone number is 1-888-397-3742 and Experian will send you your report by mail within seven to ten business days.
2. TransUnion: The contact number for TransUnion is 1-800-916-8800 and in most cases you will receive your credit report within seven business days.
3. Equifax: The phone number is 1-800-685-1111. Equifax is faster than most services and usually sends your credit report out to you within 48 hours.
Jeffrey
Can you trust online credit report services? That is the question that consumers are asking today, especially with the hundreds of offers that flood your e-mail in-box promising accurate credit reporting scores with just the click of a mouse.
The good news is that most, if not all of these companies, are legitimate and do in fact provide you the necessary information that is directly related to your credit report and your overall score, which depends on whatever particular credit bureau system the company uses to check your background with.
Free credit report services
Just about every credit report organization will offer you some type of “free” background check of your credit score. While this free report may not entail every detail that you would like to know in terms of your debts, there is some valuable information that can be obtained. However, you should know that these introductory offers are merely just to give you a taste of their product so that you can upgrade to the paid credit reporting services they offer.
Is it safe to submit your personal information for a free credit report service?
If you stick with the most popular credit reporting agencies then you should have absolutely no problem worrying about your personal information being delivered over the Internet such as your Social Security number, driver’s license, etc. This information is typically handled by a secure server and there is little need to worry about the credit form being hacked and stolen by an unauthorized user.
What credit bureaus are checked when using a free credit report service?
Since there are three main credit bureaus that most agencies use to locate and filter your debts and credit score information, this free reporting service may use one of these entities or a combination of all three.
The three national credit reporting organizations used by most businesses is Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
Remember, the most accurate scoring for your credit and history can only be obtained by having a combination of all three major credit bureaus. In other words, let’s say for example you sign up with a free reporting service and the information comes back only partially accurate. This means that you would need to upgrade to the paid service in order to get 100% up-to-date credit information.
Is it possible to contact the three national credit reporting agencies on your own, instead of relying on a paid service?
While utilizing a credit reporting service is the most efficient way of compiling your information into one easy-to-read scoring system, you can in fact request your credit history from the three major national credit bureaus. Below is the contact information for Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax:
1. Experian: The phone number is 1-888-397-3742 and Experian will send you your report by mail within seven to ten business days.
2. TransUnion: The contact number for TransUnion is 1-800-916-8800 and in most cases you will receive your credit report within seven business days.
3. Equifax: The phone number is 1-800-685-1111. Equifax is faster than most services and usually sends your credit report out to you within 48 hours.
Jeffrey
How to Read an Equifax Credit Report
Posted in Communications on 12/25/2010 04:02 pm by
Delia Galley asked:
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the Nationwide Consumer Reporting organizations (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) to provide you with one free credit report every 12 months per your request. This means that you are entitled to three free credit reports per year, if you deem it necessary. You can stagger the requests or order all of them at the same time.
Each of the National Consumer Credit Reporting bureaus have a unique credit report format, but in essence they provide you with the same information. When you receive your free Equifax credit report use the following guidelines to read your report:
Personal Information
This section will detail your personal information: Name, Social Security Number (SSN), date of birth, any former names, death notice information, current address, previous addresses, any other identification numbers that you may have, current employer and previous employers.
You will also find information about any fraud alerts that you may have against your credit report.
Account Information Summary
You’ll find a list of all your accounts here. Additional information will include account type, account number, date account was opened, account balance, any past due amount, account status and credit limit.
Inquiries
Any inquiries against your credit file will be listed in this section. This section is divided into two subcategories: (a) Inquiries that display to companies and may impact your credit score. (b) Inquiries that do not display to companies and do not impact your credit score.
“Inquiries that display to companies and may impact your credit score”
These are inquiries by potential creditors who are assessing whether to extend you a line of credit or not. Your credit score will be minimally affected and therefore these inquiries should not be of major concern, unless there are some red flags. The name of the company that requested the information and the date they requested it will be listed.
“Inquiries that do not display to companies and do not impact your credit score”
Unlike the previous inquiries – these do not “hurt” your credit score. They include inquiries for pre-approved credit lines, insurance, or account reviews by existing creditors. The name of the company that requested the information, the date they requested it and the type of inquiry will be listed.
Collections
Any accounts that have gone to collections will be listed here along with the name of the creditor, date reported, creditor type, your account number, original amount, dates of delinquency, outstanding balance and status information.
Public Records
Bankruptcies, liens or judgments information from federal, state or county court records will be listed here. Each public record will indicate the type of record, case number, amount in default and any relevant information associated with that particular case.
You may also find the following credit report terms helpful:
CURR ACCT – Account is current in payments and in good standing.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the Nationwide Consumer Reporting organizations (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) to provide you with one free credit report every 12 months per your request. This means that you are entitled to three free credit reports per year, if you deem it necessary. You can stagger the requests or order all of them at the same time.
Each of the National Consumer Credit Reporting bureaus have a unique credit report format, but in essence they provide you with the same information. When you receive your free Equifax credit report use the following guidelines to read your report:
Personal Information
This section will detail your personal information: Name, Social Security Number (SSN), date of birth, any former names, death notice information, current address, previous addresses, any other identification numbers that you may have, current employer and previous employers.
You will also find information about any fraud alerts that you may have against your credit report.
Account Information Summary
You’ll find a list of all your accounts here. Additional information will include account type, account number, date account was opened, account balance, any past due amount, account status and credit limit.
Inquiries
Any inquiries against your credit file will be listed in this section. This section is divided into two subcategories: (a) Inquiries that display to companies and may impact your credit score. (b) Inquiries that do not display to companies and do not impact your credit score.
“Inquiries that display to companies and may impact your credit score”
These are inquiries by potential creditors who are assessing whether to extend you a line of credit or not. Your credit score will be minimally affected and therefore these inquiries should not be of major concern, unless there are some red flags. The name of the company that requested the information and the date they requested it will be listed.
“Inquiries that do not display to companies and do not impact your credit score”
Unlike the previous inquiries – these do not “hurt” your credit score. They include inquiries for pre-approved credit lines, insurance, or account reviews by existing creditors. The name of the company that requested the information, the date they requested it and the type of inquiry will be listed.
Collections
Any accounts that have gone to collections will be listed here along with the name of the creditor, date reported, creditor type, your account number, original amount, dates of delinquency, outstanding balance and status information.
Public Records
Bankruptcies, liens or judgments information from federal, state or county court records will be listed here. Each public record will indicate the type of record, case number, amount in default and any relevant information associated with that particular case.
You may also find the following credit report terms helpful:
CURR ACCT – Account is current in payments and in good standing.
CUR WAS 30-2 – Account is current was 30 days late twice.
PAID – Account has been paid off and has a $0 balance and is inactive.
CHARGEOFF – Unpaid balance on account was reported as a loss by creditor and the creditor is no longer seeking reimbursement.
COLLECT – Account is severely delinquent and assigned to collections.
FORECLOS – Property was foreclosed.
BKLIQREQ – Debt was forgiven due to Chapter 7, 11 or 13.
DELINQ 60 – Account is 60 days delinquent.
INACTIVE – Account is inactive.
Sample Equifax credit report
George
Free Credit Score Report – How to Really Get One Without Paying
Posted in Finance on 12/21/2010 03:53 am by
Bob Randooke asked:
Back when I was young adult if I wanted check credit score I had to actually pay to view it. These companies make a lot of money just from a simple service like this, but thanks to the law that was passed a few years back we are now entitled by to one free credit report from the major three companies every year, which are Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. The problem here is that most people haven’t done enough to diligence to know this simple fact. Instead they respond to an e-mail from an online an online site that promises to give them an accurate credit report for free, but they end up asking you to pay a fee for this report.
These so-called free credit reports scam companies are also all over the Internet and mix in really well with the truly free credit score report agencies. The key here is to look at the fine print. The scam companies put in fine print that they will charge your credit card for their credit monitoring services after 30 days. Just remember to read the fine print before clicking or giving permission to access your credit report from any online company. While filling out any credit report application if they ask for any more than the basic info from you and they are probably a scam company.
Never give away your credit card information for any service that is supposed to be given to you free by law. If you are still confused you can go straight to the official FTC website where they will give you free information on how to get a free credit report and avoid being scam.
Now that you’re on with the knowledge and have gotten your free credit report hopefully you will start to work on raising your credit score and become a dependable borrower again.
Vernon
Back when I was young adult if I wanted check credit score I had to actually pay to view it. These companies make a lot of money just from a simple service like this, but thanks to the law that was passed a few years back we are now entitled by to one free credit report from the major three companies every year, which are Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. The problem here is that most people haven’t done enough to diligence to know this simple fact. Instead they respond to an e-mail from an online an online site that promises to give them an accurate credit report for free, but they end up asking you to pay a fee for this report.
These so-called free credit reports scam companies are also all over the Internet and mix in really well with the truly free credit score report agencies. The key here is to look at the fine print. The scam companies put in fine print that they will charge your credit card for their credit monitoring services after 30 days. Just remember to read the fine print before clicking or giving permission to access your credit report from any online company. While filling out any credit report application if they ask for any more than the basic info from you and they are probably a scam company.
Never give away your credit card information for any service that is supposed to be given to you free by law. If you are still confused you can go straight to the official FTC website where they will give you free information on how to get a free credit report and avoid being scam.
Now that you’re on with the knowledge and have gotten your free credit report hopefully you will start to work on raising your credit score and become a dependable borrower again.
Vernon