ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
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. At last count, there were more than two hundred registered domain names with names that were similar to the official annualcreditreport.com or which contained the phrase "annual credit report." Since it is quite easy to misspell a domain name, particularly a long one, many consumers have found themselves at sites other than the one they intended to visit. Most of these other Websites exist for the purpose of selling a credit report, rather than providing them for free, but others are designed to fool the consumer into providing personal information that the site owners may be able to exploit for personal gain. Other sites with similar names merely offer advertising or redirect visitors to porn sites. What's to be done? Not much, it would appear. Several of the sites that were created to fool consumers into providing personal information have been taken offline, but others will undoubtedly follow. Any sites that are established outside of the United States are immune to U.S. law, so it may be difficult for authorities to take any action. Consumers who are not overly familiar with the workings of the Internet would be better off contacting the credit bureaus directly by mail or phone. Anyone who uses the Internet to obtain a copy of their credit report should make sure that they are typing the name of the Website accurately. Failure to do so may lead to involuntarily providing vital personal information to people who shouldn't have it. ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to personal bankruptcy, debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity loans.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Top 5 Reasons To Check Your Credit Report Regularly #1 Make sure mistakes aren't hurting your credit. Ten Steps To Building A Good Credit History Are you thinking of buying a house? Do you want to buy a new car to replace that old wreck? Trying to get insurance on you home, auto, or life? In each of these situations, what's on your credit report will determine if you can get a loan or insurance and what rates you'll have to pay. Read and Understand Your Credit Card Statement Have you ever looked at your credit card statement and ended up just scratching your head in frustration? Well join the club! But don't take any comfort in the fact that you have plenty of company, because lack of knowledge can cost you?.right on your credit report, and once there can stay with you a while. How Credit Scoring Works The all important credit score! It determines the amount of loan you can get, it determines the interest rate at which you are charged for a loan, etc. Your credit score plays an important figure in your financial life. So what goes into making that all important score of yours? How does it increase, how does it decrease and what are the factors that go into its calculation? Trying to Land a Job? Poor Credit Scores May Hurt Your Chances Many employers are now looking at an applicant's credit report for hiring purposes. During an interview process a potential employer may request your written consent to access your credit report. A credit report is essentially your credit history created by CRAs (also known as credit bureaus). Debtors that grant (or deny) you credit make regular reports about your account status to CRAs. This information is then aggregated on a credit report and calculated into your "credit score". What is Credit Card and Debit Card Blocking? Have you ever been told you were over your credit card limit, or had your debit card declined, even though you knew you had available credit or money in your bank account? If this happened shortly after you stayed in a hotel or rented a car, the problem could have been card "blocking." Defeating Credit Card Debt With Self Control Credit card debt is a major social problem in some Western countries. To rid yourself of credit card debt, it is best to recognize the problem as both a social and individual problem. Free Credit Reports: From The 3 Major Credit Bureaus! Get your credit report online for FREE. Many financial advisors suggest that you periodically review your credit report for inaccuracies or omissions. How To Establish Great Credit Building a good credit history is important. If you have no reported credit history, it may take time to establish your first credit account. This problem affects young people just beginning careers as well as older people who have never used credit. It also affects divorced or widowed women who shared credit accounts that were reported only in the husband's name. Credit Cards - Why Prepay? With prepaid credit cards, you get the practicality of plastic while choosing exactly how much debt to charge. By taking charge of your personal financing, you determine your own limits, to the penny, and change them any time you need to. Fixing A Credit Report Fixing a credit report starts with seeing what's on it. You may get access for free online. Try a search for "free credit report." Alternately, when you are denied credit based on a report issued by a local credit reporting agency, you can request a free credit report from that agency within 30 days. Teaching Students To Keep Out Of Credit Card Debt - The Parents Role Parents have the full responsibility for their children and their education. It is up to parents to teach their children what's right and what's wrong, how to conduct themselves as good citizens, how to cross the road safely and generally protect themselves from harm. In fact, up until the time that child is an adult, the parents have responsibilities in every part of that child's life, right up until the time they are a college student. Building Business Credit Most businesses want to be able to borrow money when they need it, without the owners having to guarantee the loans personally. This means less risk to the owners. But wanting to get credit for your business and actually getting it can be two different things. Myths and Truth about Credit Scoring Credit score is the key factor determining approval of almost any type of credit. It is based on the information contained in your credit report files. The widely used FICO score was developed by Fair Isaac Corporation, and it is a formula which assesses your potential credit risk. Secured Credit Cards- Consumer Tips Whether you have no credit or damaged credit, secured credit cards are a good tool for building a good credit history. Repair Your Credit - The Right Way! How to Repair a Bad Credit Rating?The Right Way! Types of Credit Cards There are a whole variety of different types of credit cards available which can make choosing the right one a very confusing experience. In order to help you decide, listed below is a useful breakdown of the various types of credit cards available. How To Eliminate Credit Card Debt There is almost nothing more troublesome than having too much debt to pay each month. Consumers incur debt for many different reasons. Sometimes illness, accidents, or just bad luck can make it seem impossible to get finances under control. Other times it is simply because we spend more money than we earn. The first step toward taking control of your financial situation is to learn how to eliminate your credit card debt. The Ghost of Expected Surprises Here, Cratchet, what do you think you're doing? Bad Checks, Bounced Checks, & NSF Checks Negotiable instruments like checks and drafts have become an indispensable part of any business transaction today. As a result, it has become increasingly important to safeguard a business against financial losses arising from the receipt of fraudulent or bad checks.
|
|
|
|
|
