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Credit Reporting Agencies

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Often in financial advice, you will see the three main consumer reporting agencies mentioned. However, you may not know who all three are or how to contact them. In the United States, there are three national consumer reporting agencies who determine most of your credit reports and scores. Each one is slightly different and contains different information, but all of it should be 100 percent accurate. The following are these three agencies and all their contact information. Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc. http://www.equifax.com/home/ PO Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 303374-0241 Place a fraud alert call 1-888-766-0008 Order a credit report call … Continue reading →

The Effects of Debt on Credit

It is always good to pay down your debt. It makes your credit report and score better, but the effect may not happen as quickly as you like. Debt problems, like late payments and unpaid bills, will stay on your report for seven years — even if you take care of them. The longer back in your history they are though, the less impact they have on your credit score. Bankruptcy is the most serious flag on a credit report and should only be used as a last resort. Bankruptcies stay on your report for ten years and have a … Continue reading →

How to Cancel a Credit Card

If you read my blog entry yesterday, you may be deciding which credit cards you would like to cancel. I thought it might help to offer up a few tips on how to cancel a credit card. First, there is no wrong way to cancel a credit card account. Still, there are some important steps to follow in the process. 1. Make sure you have paid off every cent on your account before you attempt to cancel. Even if you have a small balance, if you try to cancel the card it can wreck havoc with the credit card company. … Continue reading →

The Credit Reporting System

Ever wonder how the credit report system works? Well, it is a big enterprise for sure, run by voluntary transactions that affect you both negatively and positively. There are three major credit agencies. The information they gather is reported to them voluntarily by businesses. Any business that holds consumer accounts can report information on you both positive and negative. The agencies simply gather the information and place it on individual credit reports. This information is then used to create your actual credit score. Since there are three major agencies, each one of them collects different information, which is why you … Continue reading →

Top 5 Reasons to Never Buy Credit Protection Insurance.

It’s hard to miss all the news about identity theft and the damage caused to some people’s credit reports. With so much reporting about identity theft con-artists have set up elaborate scams to scare consumers into buying worthless credit protection insurance. The question is, Should anyone buy credit protection insurance, or a payment protection plan, or identity theft insurance? The answer is NO: 1. Under Federal law, there is a limit of $50 liability for unauthorized use of your credit card. Check your statements monthly or on the Internet and make sure you authorized each charge. If you notice a … Continue reading →

Paying For Identity Theft Protection

As stories of identity theft rise so does our concern over how to protect ourselves. Many people purchase identity theft protection services, but are they worth it? Not really when you think of what they don’t cover. For up to $189 per year you will not be protected against: *someone fraudulently filing tax returns in your name *account takeovers *misuse of credit or debit cards *prior instances of identity theft *the establishment of personal identity in your name That leaves a lot of things unprotected but even worse than that, most of the “services” they provide consumers can get for … Continue reading →

Watch the Application

One factor that can hurt your credit score is too many credit history reviews. A credit report “review” is when a business checks your credit history. There are really two types of inquiries into your credit history. One is more of an overview, like when a credit company wants to pre-approve you. The other is a more significant inquiry; when a creditor is determining whether they will approve your actual application for a loan. Too many inquiries can erode your score. The worst kind of review is the “harder” one performed when you fill out an application. If you want … Continue reading →

Probe Continues Into Heath Ledger’s Death

We know Heath Ledger died (an all too early death), but federal agents say they still don’t know how the actor obtained the powerful painkillers Oxycontin and Vicodin that contributed to his passing. According to new reports released by federal drug agents, no bottles for those drugs were found in Ledger’s apartment. However, the report does say that bottles were located in various parts of the actor’s home for other prescriptions such as sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs, which medical examiners found in his system at the time of his death. Drug Enforcement Administration agents reveal that they recently interviewed … Continue reading →

Workers Compensation The Basics

It is often a confusing situation for the employee suffering from a work related injury or condition. Many workers have company provided health insurance benefits offered at reduced or in some cases no premiums. Often and injured worker believes this health insurance will cover every medical problem they might face only to go to the doctor and be asked the leading question, “Is this related to work or an automobile accident?” The worker who suggests this might have something to do with something that happened on the job may in some states be told the doctor doesn’t accept workers compensation … Continue reading →

Hybrid Homeschooling

I guess you could call us Hybrid Homeschoolers. While we have nothing to do with traditional schools, my children still attend a ‘school’ program. While Masters Academy is technically called a tutoring program, this coming year, the children will take History, Art, Music, and Drama on Mondays and History and Literature, Grammar, Math, and Science on Thursdays. On the days they have off they will complete their assignments at home. I am still responsible for attendance reporting, and can choose the level to which the kids complete assignment. In other words, I can opt to have the children complete a … Continue reading →