Credit Reports Galore

LoVeSSSiTTT asked:


Here’s the deal. I’m applying for the apartment. I was ready to move in Saturday morning.. and then I get a call from the landlord and he tells me that my SSN comes up with a bunch of different names.

He gave me a copy of the documents he had. It’s a report showing, what looks like, just one person. His name is Juan… and he’s lived a bunch of different places.

I called the social security office and they said nothing but my name comes up. All employment history is mine… and anything else.. confirms as me.

However, on the report he copied for me…says the guy who has my SSN has worked numerous places!!!

I went to the police station.. and they, too, say there should be no problem.

I got my free credit report online… and they all come up as my name.. EXCEPT.. Experian has my name under my sister’s name.

So, everyone I was supposed to report this to …say I have no problems. To everyone that matters… there’s definitely a problem.

What would I do??? How can I fix this… and fast?? I’m trying to moooooooove!! Thanks, much appreciated!
I believe it’s experian.. (the service they went through). But there is no mistake on their part. I showed the landlord a letter from SS.. and he still needed to print out his report.

KIRK

Allison May asked:


The answer to the above question is yes. You definitely should obtain a copy of your credit report. If you’re asking why, let’s talk about some important points about your credit report.

What is in your credit report?

Your credit report contains significant information about your accounts and finances. In your credit report, you can find your employment history, your salary history, your past and present credit with all your creditors and other legal information.

Also included in your credit report is your complete name, Social Security Number, date of birth, driver’s license number, your past and current home address, telephone number and other personal details. All transactions that you have with lending companies, credit card companies, insurance companies and other financial institutions are all reflected on your credit report.

How much you owe a certain creditor is listed in detail. Also, whether you’re paying your bills on time or not can be traced by looking at your credit report. All these information are included on your credit report.

Who Checks On Your Credit Report?

You may now have an idea why it is important for you to obtain a copy of your own personal credit report. Landlord, potential employers, insurance companies, government agencies, lending companies, credit card companies – all these organizations check on your credit report to know your background and reputation.

A single false information or an incorrect transaction on your credit report can damage your credit worthiness. You can get denied by potential employers just because your credit report seems bad. Creditors can refuse your applications on account that you have bad account on your credit report. Thus, it is your responsibility to check and ensure that there isn’t any false information or derogatory records that can affect your reputation.

Check Your Credit Report

You have the right to know if all the information contained on your credit report is true and accurate. As a consumer, you have the right to dispute information which you think are false, erroneous or fraudulent.

The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act protects consumers from such inaccuracy or possible fraudulent accounts contained in their credit report. In fact, if a credit reporting agency or a credit bureau refuses to give you the appropriate service you need, you may also report it to The Federal Trade Commission.

Every year, all consumers are allowed to obtain a copy of their report from the three major credit bureaus for free. Thus, after making a careful examination on your credit report, you can inform the credit bureaus if you find any disputable records on your credit report. Below are the contact numbers of the three major credit bureaus.

Equifax Options P.O. Box 740123 Atlanta, GA 30374-0123 www.equifax.com

Experian Consumer Opt Out P.O. Box 919 Allen, TX 75013 www.experian.com

Trans Union Name Removal Option P.O. Box 97328 Jackson, MS 39288-7328 www.transunion.com

For a more in-depth discussion on credit report and your rights as a consumer, you may visit the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov.



WILBUR

Allison May asked:


span lang=”EN-US”>

We often hear that a person’s credit report is very important because lenders, employers and even landowners check this document to measure one’s credibility and financial capability. But what really is inside your credit report? Do you really understand how it works? Let’s take a closer look on what your credit report is made of:

Inside Your Credit Report

Credit reporting agencies collect information from your creditors, debt collection agencies or from the court and compile all these information in one report. Everything listed here are considered to be accurate unless the owner of the credit report files a dispute about certain details in his report. However, if the information is correct –whether positive or derogatory - it will stay on your credit report for up to seven years.

Information that is contained in a credit report include a person’s full name, Social Security Number, date of birth, past and present home addresses, phone numbers, Driver’s license number, employment history and other personal details. If you do find any error, you must notify the credit reporting bureaus immediately and request that these details be corrected.

Liens, wages, foreclosures, bankruptcies and other public records are included in a credit report. It also contains a comprehensive summary of a person’s accounts from all his creditors or lenders regardless of what type of debt it is. It presents charges, penalties, date of payments, amount of debt, credit limit and everything that has to do with a person’s credit.

Credit Report and Inquiries

Each time a creditor or a company makes an inquiry about your report is also included. This is why consumers are warned against submitting too many applications from various lenders and banks all at the same time. Too many inquiries in your credit report can damage your score especially if you have been rejected by a lender.

However, personal inquiries are not regarded as negative and will not affect your credit score. In fact, it is recommended to inquire about your personal credit report at least twice a year so that you can be updated with the status of your credit history and score.

The three major credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each of these agency works independently in reporting a person’s credit history. Thus, if you have any dispute about your credit report, see to it that you advise all three of these credit bureaus so that corrections can be made in your report accordingly.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act protects all consumers from fraud and ID theft by ordering all credit bureaus to do the necessary corrections immediately if a person claims a dispute in his credit report.

If you own a business, you can also apply for a separate credit history for your company from two major business credit trackers in the US- Dun and Bradstreet and Experian. The credit score for a business account is known as Paydex and this is the one used by lenders and financial providers in approving business loans.



MARK