Credit Information

Home Loans ? Repair Your Credit Before You Buy

Before you take out a home loan or make any major purchase, you should be aware that any prospective lender will want to take a look at your credit report. Your credit report is a record of all of your past financial dealings, and any loans, credit cards, judgements, bankruptcies or other major financial transactions are listed there. Along with your credit report will come your credit score, which is a three digit number between 300 and 850 that represents a distillation of all of the above. That score represents your entire financial life, and your ability to obtain financing for any major purchase depends on having a good one. What if you don?t have a good record? Should you go to one of those companies that promise to repair your credit? What you should do is repair it yourself.

Choosing the Best Low Interest Credit Card

With so many low interest credit cards on offer, how do you know which one to choose? Here is a brief guide for choosing your low interest credit card.

Free Credit Report ? A Website Typo Could Be Costly

In 2003, Congress passed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions act (FACT), which made it possible for consumers to obtain a copy of their credit report for free. In fact, the legislation makes it possible for consumers to obtain one free report from each of the three main credit bureaus ? Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax, per year. All that is necessary to do so is to write, call or log on to the Website the credit bureaus have created for this purpose. Millions of Americans have done so, and the program has been called a success so far. There?s just one problem ? unscrupulous individuals have created Websites with similar names, and consumers who type the names wrong have ended up at sites designed to steal their Social Security numbers.

What is Credit Repair and How Can It Help You?

There are millions of consumer credit reports on file from mainly three major reporting bureaus which include Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax. These credit gathering agencies store huge amounts of data about every person that takes out a loan, credit card, or any other line of credit. Information is reported to these credit bureaus when you apply for credit, apply for some jobs, or even apply for an insurance policy.

Credit Score ? for Scoring the Right Loan

Somebody once said, ?There is always a way of knowing your limitations and going beyond it.? It is fundamentally true with respect of credit score. There can be nothing more rewarding during loan borrowing than knowing your credit score. There are many people who are practically unaware of what their credit score is; in fact they don?t even know what it means. This credit scoring system has been used since many years to decide whether a borrower is a credit risk or not. Your credit score is immensely decisive in the acceptance and rejection of your loan application.

Identity Theft ? Guard Your Childrens Social Security Numbers

Identity theft is a growing concern among Americans, and rates among the top five complaints received by states? Attorney General?s offices. A stolen identity can lead to tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt in the victim?s name and it can take years to completely undo the damage done to the victim?s credit report. Identity thieves can successfully commit crime with as little as a driver?s license number or credit card number, but the ideal target of such criminals is the Social Security number. With that number in hand, the identity thief can pass themselves off as the victim and open credit card accounts, bank accounts, and even obtain home equity loans. As more Americans become aware of the problems posed by identity theft, consumers are doing more to protect themselves. This has inspired thieves to look to a new source of identities to steal, and they have found one. They are now stealing the identities of children.

Credit Problems? Heres How to Manage Your Creditors

If you find that creditors are calling you almost daily or that one of more of your bills has been turned over to a collection agency, you should know how to manage your debts.

Credit Report ? Look Out for Your Debit Report, Too

Most consumers are aware that there are companies that keep track of their personal financial transactions ? installment loans, mortgages, credit card accounts, bankruptcies and judgements. These items are assembled by the three main credit bureaus into a credit report, which is available upon request by lenders, employers and anyone else with whom a consumer might do business. The credit report tells these people, in a simple, summarized form, whether or not a consumer is worthy of more credit or another loan. What few people realize is that there is another firm that keeps track of the banking transactions by American consumers, and that information is available only to banks in the form of a debit report. You may not have heard of a debit report, but it can affect you in ways you may not even realize and can prevent you from opening a bank account.

Which Citi Mastercard Is Right For You?

You've decided to apply for a Citi MasterCard, but with so many different cards to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? Here is a brief guide to the different types of MasterCard available from Citibank.

Credit Cards Can Help You Get Out Of Debt

Your credit rating / credit score is based upon how you have dealt with credit previously. If you have always paid the full amount owing and never missed a payment then your credit score will be high. If you miss payments, been late paying, not paid in full each month then your credit score will be lower. If you're trying to re-build your credit or if you're young and just starting out, pay close attention the next time you receive a new card offer in the mail. When you're trying to build a positive credit history for yourself, using the right credit card makes sense. Making small purchases and then making your payments on time each month is a simple, reliable way to build an outstanding credit report.

Automobile Credit Report

When applying for a loan to purchase a car, the lender will want to take a look at a person?s auto credit report. Credit reports tell lenders all they need to know about granting a loan to all applicants. When a person applies for a car, an auto credit report shows the lender what kind of credit or risk score a person has and the likelihood of an individual?s ability to repay the new debt. An auto credit report can tell a lender a great deal about the person applying for a loan including their capacity to repay, the kind of collateral they have and the kind of character the person applying for a loan has.

What You Need to Know about Debt Negotiation on Credit Cards

Debt negotiation on credit cards is often referred to as credit card debt settlement. Whenever you make a credit card payment- or even pay your utility bills- it usually gets reported to one- or all- of the three main credit agencies. This activity will influence your credit score, which will determine your future credit status. But what do you do, if you find that you can no longer make the minimum payments on your credit cards? If your accounts are behind, or about to fall behind, you can turn to a credit management company, that will help you with your debt negotiation.

It Takes Credit To Build Credit

Using a credit card wisely is an important step in building a good credit rating. If you're trying to re-build your credit or if you're young and just starting out, pay close attention the next time you receive a new card offer in the mail. When you're trying to build a positive credit history for yourself, using the right credit card makes sense. Making small purchases and then making your payments on time each month is a simple, reliable way to build an outstanding credit report.

Identity Theft ? Additional Protection for Soldiers on Active Duty

Congress passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act several years ago in an attempt to smooth out some problems in the credit reporting industry. The best known provision of this Act is one that permits Americans to receive a free copy of their credit reports from each of the three main credit bureaus once per year. So far, this provision of the Act has been a success. A lesser-known provision of the legislation is one that is intended to protect active duty military personnel from being victimized by identity theft while they are out of the country.

Choosing The Best Credit Card To Apply For

Always shop around to get the best deal when choosing which credit card to apply for. If you don't do your due diligence you could end up with a card that has too high of an interest rate, that has an unnecessarily high annual membership fee, etc. Here are some things to look for when checking out the different credit card offers you may receive in the mail.

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