Search Results for: blog reviewing your credit report

Free Credit Reports

I love the old commercials for freecreditreport.com. I love the “band” singing and I love the songs they sing. I don’t enjoy the new “band” or the new songs. Before I get into the point of the blog, I’ll let you in on a little tidbit. While the adorable Eric Violette fronts the band, he’s lip syncing to the lyrics, voice, and vision of adman Dave Mulhefeld. Mulhefeld is also responsible for cursing our televisions with the Geico gecko and cavemen. While the site is called freecreditreport.com the reports are not entirely free. There are two options available on the … Continue reading →

Credit Freeze

What is a credit freeze? No, it is not a Dairy Queen shake or a snowman in the shape of your credit card. It is a newer system enacted by all three credit bureaus to help those who are no longer using credit to preserve their reports and scores. The best candidates for a credit freeze are retirees or those who have so much income they will no longer need to borrow for any purchase. Having a credit freeze does not limit your ability to use credit cards or current loans; it simply restricts the creation of new accounts. This … Continue reading →

Delinquencies and Credit Issues

As you learn more about credit scores, you may want to understand the details even deeper. Having good credit can make a huge impact on your ability to save and make money. Not only do lenders use your credit report to determine if you qualify for a loan, your credit score will also influence the interest rates you pay, whether a new employer wants to hire you, your insurance premiums, and housing opportunities. Given all that, arm yourself with the most information possible in your battle for great credit. Let’s start with the most important first; the primary impact to … Continue reading →

Holding off the Creditor and Collection Calls

In debt and over your head? Make sure you open communication with all your creditors. Call them, write them and inform them that you will be paying them off, but that ou need extra time. The key is to initiate the phone call, don’t wait until they have to start calling you. One of the worst mistakes people in debt make is to stop answering the phone calls and ignore the warning collection letters. They start too late to work with the debt collectors. If creditors are calling you, arrange a time when you can talk – away from work … Continue reading →

Your Credit Score and How It Relates to Insurance (Part 5)

There is nothing in this world that is perfect and mistakes happen all the time. And, in the area of consumer credit reporting mistakes and errors are a common problem. Most people have heard it more then once, check your credit report and correct any errors. It is best to check at least once a year and considering that Insurance companies are permitted to look at consumer credit without your permission checking often is an even more important thing to do. You may be paying more on your auto or homeowner insurance because of an error on your credit report … Continue reading →

Home Study Interview Part 3

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During your individual interview you will be asked about your spouse. If you had previously been married they will ask questions about your previous marriage, why it did not work and how your current marriage is different. You should prepare for your interviews make sure you are both on the same pages when it comes to all the important issues. Discuss with your spouse your plans for discipline, your family dynamics, and your own individual reasons for wanting to adopt. Your Social Worker will ask you many of the questions from the couple’s interview will be asked again during your … Continue reading →

Paid Off… Now What?

So, you have worked hard to pay off all that debt… congratulations! Unfortunately, it is still going to take some time to repair your history. The first step is certainly getting your debt in check. This will open all sorts of doors to financial flexibility in your budget. Not having that huge debt payment each month is almost like winning the lottery! Still, if you were having serious problems with debt before… it will take some time to rebuild your credit. The first step is to get some sort of installment loan or credit card, depending on your needs. A … Continue reading →

Check that Bill

Are you checking that bill and checking it twice? Whether it is your phone bill or credit card statement, it is critical you spend a little time verifying each debit and credit. Understanding how you are billed and what exactly is on your statements cannot only help you find errors; it can help you prevent scams and identity theft as well. It surprises some to think that scams can even occur on everyday expenses such as your home phone bill. Unfortunately they do happen and many consumers pay these expenses completely unknowingly. Really, before you ever pay any bill or … Continue reading →

Collection Activities

Along with our discussion of your credit report, another critical problem involves collection activities. These are quite different than our previous article on delinquencies; these actions are ones you should be well aware of. Lenders are required to notify you in writing involving any collection related situation or charge-off. Going into collection triggers a collection activity report. Basically a lender has turned your account over to a collections department or agency. A charge-off is a slightly worse situation. With a charge-off the lender has given up completely on your debts and is writing the amount off. While this may sound … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Help For Hybrid Owners and Travelers Who Dine At Hotels

Hybrid owners are getting help from an unlikely source–actor Rob Lowe. The former teen heartthrob (who currently plays a member of Congress on ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters”) appeared before real life lawmakers yesterday to promote tax credits for people who add a plug-in feature to hybrid cars and trucks. Lowe testified before a special House panel in charge of examining energy and global warming issues to plug the plug-in hybrid. He then appeared at a demonstration about three blocks from the Capitol featuring a plug-in version of the Toyota Prius and encouraged his fans to switch to “greener” forms of … Continue reading →