| There are lots of reported cases concerning credit | | | | keep the real account holder from receiving bills or |
| card fraud and identity theft. This is the reason why | | | | mails from creditors. This way, the consumer will not |
| consumers are being advised by the FTC to become | | | | be alerted about their illegal transactions. |
| aware of the status of their credit reports. The first | | | | Strange activities in your old accounts. Do you notice |
| thing you should do is order a copy of your credit | | | | charges in your old accounts that you rarely use? If |
| report from the three (3) major credit report bureaus | | | | yes, someone else may be making those charges |
| (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). | | | | under your name. Call up the creditor involved right |
| In this post, let's discuss the key points on reading your | | | | away to ask about those unfamiliar transactions. |
| credit report and the steps that you can do to fix | | | | Strange remarks in your public records section. This |
| possible errors. | | | | should remain entry unless you've had tax liens, |
| What Your Credit Report Contains | | | | foreclosure, bankruptcy or any court judgments in the |
| The consumer credit report is categorized in four | | | | last seven years. If there is a remark that should not |
| segments- your personal identity, payment history, | | | | be there, you must notify the credit bureau that issued |
| public records and inquiries. When you receive a copy | | | | your report immediately. |
| of your credit file, carefully review the details of your | | | | Past due charges. Are there charges in your credit |
| information. Consider these warning signs that of a | | | | card account that is not at all familiar to you? If you've |
| possible fraud or identity theft. | | | | been paying your credit card bills on time, someone |
| Inquiries from creditors you did not apply to. Do you | | | | may be making those purchases illegally. Write a |
| see credit report inquiries from loan companies or | | | | dispute letter and send it both to the creditor involved |
| credit card issuers that you never send an application | | | | and the credit reporting bureau. Enclose copies of |
| to? If yes, someone else might be trying to open an | | | | documents that support your claim and wait for at |
| account using your identity. Call up each company to | | | | least 10 days to get a response from your creditor |
| clarify these inquiries. | | | | and the credit reporting agency. If 10 days have |
| Change of your home address or employment | | | | passed and you haven't received any reply, it is now |
| address. Sometimes, there may be a misspelled word | | | | time to send a follow-up dispute letter. |
| or missing digit in your residential or mailing address. | | | | As soon as the credit reporting agency have received |
| You should ask such typographical errors to be | | | | your letter, their next step is to conduct an investigation |
| corrected immediately. | | | | regarding your complaint. It can take up to 30 days for |
| Nevertheless, if your residential or mailing address has | | | | the investigation to complete. Afterwards, the credit |
| been changed without your knowledge, someone may | | | | agency must send you a letter informing the result of |
| have called up your bank or creditor and made the | | | | the investigation along with the updated copy of your |
| request using your identity. Identity thieves do this to | | | | free credit report. |