Credit Information

Dont Fall for Credit Repair Scams





We've all seen the ads on television or in magazines, shouting, "Erase bad debt!" or "Remove negative entries from your credit report!" If you're a person suffering from a less-than-stellar credit rating, those headlines may seem like the answer to a prayer.

The only problems is, those programs don't work, and to add insult to injury, you'll find yourself paying hefty fees to those companies, only to end up right where you started, or worse. Sometimes, what is couched as a credit repair program may actually be an attempt to steal your identity by gaining information about your social security number, bank accounts, and credit cards.

Here's how the credit repair scam generally works:

First, the company will contact the various credit bureaus and tell them that the negative information contained in your files is false. Since they want to accurately reflect your credit information, the credit bureaus will temporarily remove the negative information while they investigate the claims. Meanwhile, the scammer sends you a copy of your credit file, showing that the negative information has been removed, claiming that your credit history has now been repaired.

It will seem like a miracle, until you learn that as soon as the credit bureaus have completed their investigation, any accurate negative information will be returned to your credit report, and you'll be back where you started, minus the fees that you paid to the scammer.

The key concept to remember when it comes to your credit report is that accurate entries will stay on that report for seven years from the time they're reported to the credit agencies. Bankruptcies stay on a report for fourteen years.

There are many honest companies that can help you with debt problems. But how can you know if a company is legitimate? First, scammers will ask for their money up front, while legitimate credit repair companies can't require payment from their clients until they've performed the services they've promised. In many states, they must also give you a detailed written contract, clearly explaining your legal rights and giving you the option to cancel within three days.

The bottom line: know who you're dealing with when it comes to trying to repair your credit. Mistakes can cost you dearly, doing even more damage to your credit, creating even more debt problems, and sometimes costing large amounts of money.

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher - All Rights Reserved.

Forget what you've been told about credit. "Credit Help!" author Professor Jeanette Fisher was forced into becoming a credit expert. She loves helping people buy houses. Get the credit you need to buy one house or twenty. Visit Real Estate Credit Help Center: http://www.recredithelp.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Bloomberg

U.S. Consumer Credit Climbed by $19.3B in Dec.
Bloomberg
Enlarge image Consumer Credit in US Climbed by $19.3 Billion in December Consumer Credit in US Climbed by $19.3 Billion in December Daniel Acker/Bloomberg College graduation in New York. Play Video Enlarge image Consumer Credit in US Climbed by $19.3 ...
Consumer Credit in US Climbed by $19.3 Billion in DecemberBusinessWeek
Credit-Card Borrowing Surged Over Holiday PeriodWall Street Journal (blog)
Consumer credit surges in DecemberMarketWatch
Huffington Post -Reuters
all 238 news articles »


Business Recorder

CREDIT MARKETS: Treasurys Auction Dim; Ford ABS Doubled
Wall Street Journal
The new senior secured notes are being sold in a private placement scheduled to wrap up Wednesday via lead banks JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
Against Risk Parity, ReduxSeeking Alpha
Corporate Bonds Continue Their March HigherMorningstar.com

all 219 news articles »


AFP

China Credit Cards, Danish Loans, Mortgage Deal: Compliance
BusinessWeek
7 (Bloomberg) -- China's decision to allow Citigroup Inc. to issue credit cards in its own name may signal a step toward the government in Beijing opening its banking industry. New York-based Citigroup is the second foreign bank, and the first Western ...
Citigroup Gets Approval for China Credit CardsWall Street Journal
China c.bank says to ensure credit for first-home buyersReuters
China Nod for Citibank Credit Cards May Show Market OpeningSan Francisco Chronicle
AFP -Minyanville.com
all 207 news articles »


THL Credit Schedules Fourth Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call
MarketWatch (press release)
BOSTON, Feb 7, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- THL Credit, Inc. /quotes/zigman/117928/quotes/nls/tcrd TCRD 0.00% ("THL Credit"), a middle market capital specialist, today announced that it will report its financial results for its fiscal fourth ...

and more »


Wink News

LA Mayor Villaraigosa Launches 2012 Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Program ...
California Newswire
/California Newswire/ — LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and community partners today launched the Greater Los Angeles Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Campaign Partnership, an annual effort to help qualified low and moderate-income families claim the tax ...
Barry Dolowich: Earned income tax creditMonterey County Herald
Don't overlook a federal tax creditDelmarva Now
2011 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Benefits Working Families With Up to ...MarketWatch (press release)
Los Angeles Daily News
all 281 news articles »


CBS Local

Tax credit expiration could slow wind's rise in Ill., but still plenty to export
McDonough Voice
By Anthony Brino The federal tax credit that has supported wind energy for almost 20 years is set to expire at the end of 2012. With this expiration looming, the future of the industry in Illinois — one of the top producers of wind energy in the ...
Colorado congressional delegation pushes for wind energy tax creditDenver Post
Production Tax Credit Impact on Wind Farm AftercareRenewableEnergyWorld.com
Colo. lawmakers urge extension of wind-energy creditNorthern Colorado Business Report
CBS Local -Quincy Journal
all 155 news articles »


Tax credit to speed Senator Theatre renovations, owner says
Baltimore Sun (blog)
Martin O'Malley Tuesday announced they would receive $300000 in a 2012 Sustainable Communities Tax Credit — administered by the Maryland Historical Trust and known previously as the Historic Tax Credit — to rehabilitate the movie house that has been ...

and more »


Telegraph.co.uk

Why Credit Card Rates Remain So High
Smartmoney.com (blog)
But new data shows borrowers still pay double-digit rates on one consumer staple — credit cards. The average interest rate credit card holders paid during the fourth quarter 2011 was 12.78%, according to Federal Reserve data released today.
DailyMarkets.com Announces Winners of Best Credit Cards 2012 GuideSan Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Give your card some creditTelegraph.co.uk
8 Tips for Picking the Right Rewards CardCredit Card Guide News
Forbes -Globe and Mail -TCU 360
all 27 news articles »


Missouri Credit Union Association Adopts Viewpointe's Pointe2Pointe with ...
MarketWatch (press release)
NEW YORK, Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Viewpointe(R) today announced that iVia Exchange Services, a division of the Missouri Credit Union Association (MCUA) has become the latest Pointe2Pointe(R) with Internet connectivity customer.

and more »


CoVantage Credit Union Deploys Tyfone Mobile Wallet Services to Its Members
MarketWatch (press release)
ANTIGO, Wisc., Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- CoVantage Credit Union (CVCU), serving 17 counties in Wisconsin and Michigan, today announced the availability of Tyfone mobile wallet services to its members. CVCU teamed with Tyfone to bring mobile ...

and more »

Google News

Home | Site Map |
© 2007