My Free Credit Report

Global credit quality continued its negative trajectory as the upgrade-downgrade ratio fell to 0.24 in the third quarter, says Moody’s Investors Service.

Treasury Mulls Guaranteeing Bank Debt: Report (TheStreet.com)
The step is being discussed as part of the government’s effort to unblock credit markets, according to a report.

Credit Suisse sees Sensex at 9,000 by 2009 (rediff.com)
The 30-scrip BSE Sensex is expected to fall to the 9,000 level by mid-2009, according to Indian Market Strategy, a report by Credit Suisse released on Friday.

Credit bureau to get student-loan delinquent list (The Japan Times)
A student loan provider under the wing of the education ministry plans to report delinquent borrowers to a bureau that logs consumer credit histories, a move that may make it difficult for them to access bank loans or use credit cards, sources said Friday. To stem the growing number of overdue payments, the Japan Student Services Organization plans by year’s end to join the bureau, which counts …

X5 Has Record Gain on Report About Lending by Banks (Update1) (Bloomberg)
Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) — X5 Retail Group NV , Russia’s largest supermarket company, rose the most since going public in 2005 on a report that two local banks offered loans to nine retailers as part of a government effort to revive the credit market.

A.I.G. Knew of Potential Problems In Valuing Swaps, Report Says (New York Times)
Top executives at American International Group knew of potential problems in valuing derivatives contracts, known as credit default swaps, long before questions about the risky transactions caused its stock to plummet, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing documents released by congressional investigators.

Credit crisis hitting auto dealerships hard (The Muskegon Chronicle)
By Chad D. Lerch and Brian McVicar | In the face of bank bailouts, lending rules are changing. Gone are the days — possibly for good — that customers with poor credit can get loans. Likewise, zero down-payment loans will be harder to find. Car dealers in Muskegon and Ottawa counties say the changes don’t necessarily mean doom-and-gloom for their industry. But most dealerships are reporting …

Your credit scores are the single most important piece of information on your credit report and you want them to be as high as possible. In this article I will show you what goes into your credit score so that you have the knowledge to raise it and get approved for car, home or the credit you deserve.

Clean Up Credit Report – Avoiding Scams
Newspapers, television, and the Internet are swamped by advertisements of credit repair service providers. These individuals or companies help people with bad credit histories to clean up credit report. Most of these are illegitimate can deliver on their promises, but there are a number also that are scammers or fraudsters.

How Do You Remove Charge Offs From a Credit Report?
Credit repair will not just come to you one day. If you do not seek to repair your own credit charge offs will stay on your credit report by law for 7 years. If you pay a charge off it will still remain on your credit report. However, once a charge off has been paid it is much easier to have it removed from your credit than an unpaid charge off. The easiest way to have a paid charge off removed is to dispute it.

Fix Bad Credit Report – If it is Bad, Fix It!
A credit report is very similar to a report card, but instead of performance ratings or grades, it reports a person’s creditworthiness as it outlines credit information and payment history. To get the best deal, it is a must to fix bad credit report since even your landlord, prospective employer or insurance provider may check your credit report.

Free Credit Reports – Are They a Scam?
Free credit reports are readily available on line. If you have email that you read regularly, you have probably seen one or two (hundred) offers come across your screen from time to time. Like I said, they are readily available, but are they worth it?

Credit Restoration – Tips on Repairing My Credit
It is possible to repair your credit and there are many different approaches you can take. The first step is to review your credit file and find out the exact negative items that you have on your report. Most of the common ones include charge-offs, late payments, collection accounts and bankruptcies.

Credit Repair – A Do it Yourself Approach is the Best Option
Is your credit report what it should be? No, then please read the following. Good credit can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in your life time.

Understand Your Credit Score to Improve Your Financial Life
Everything you do with any kind of loan, or any type of credit or credit card, goes into your credit report and gets factored into your credit rating. The big three agencies of Trans Union, Experian and Equifax then provide this information to any company that is looking into lending you any amount of money, from the bank with a mortgage to the car dealership down the street.

The Truth Behind Common Myths About Your Credit Report

It is truly amazing to note the number of “facts” that many people think they know about credit reports and how various factors affect your credit score that are just simply untrue. For as much importance that is placed on having as good of a credit report and credit score as possible these days, it is critical for the consumer to understand the truth behind how your credit score is affected by various things.

This is especially important in today’s world, as car insurance companies and even many employers are now checking a consumer’s credit report before making a decision about their insurance premiums or making a job offer.

Myth #1: When my fiance and I get married, we will have a joint credit report and the negatives from our individual reports will go away.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Even after you are married, you will still have separate credit reports. Any new credit items added to your report will be the result of opening joint accounts or having your name added to their existing account. Any negative information that was there before will still be there.

Myth #2: As long as my credit cards are not over their credit limit, they will give me a good credit score.

Not completely true. The two worst things you can do to get a bad credit score are to consistently miss or be late with payments, and to go over your credit limit. If you make your payments on time and stay under your credit limit, you will get an “ok” rating on that credit card. But to maximize the number of points you get on your credit card towards your credit score, it is best to keep your outstanding balance at about 20-30% of your credit limit.

Myth #3: When you negotiate a settlement amount with a lender, that account will show up as being fine on your credit report.

Wrong. If you have to negotiate something, that would indicate that you are working on a deal to pay them some amount less than what you actually owe. In that case, it will definitely have a negative effect on your credit score and show up as a negative item.

Myth #4: Closing old accounts will raise your credit score.

Totally inaccurate and in fact, can very potentially have the opposite effect and lower your credit score. Remember, your credit score is a picture of your credit history, and if you close old accounts, your credit history is reduced, thereby potentially lowering your overall score.

Myth #5: The best or only way to raise your credit score is to use one of the companies that specialize in that.

This is the biggest myth and also one of the biggest pieces of hogwash. Some of those companies that claim they can fix your credit can do so to varying degrees, and some cannot do a thing. But the real truth of the matter is that none of those companies can do anything that you cannot do yourself at no charge except for postage stamps. In fact, since you are the consumer who is disputing his or her own credit report, you actually have more clout in this way than those companies do.

Myth #6: Errors on your credit report are rare, and will correct themselves automatically when they occur.

Absolute baloney. The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of consumers have errors on their credit report. Compound that with the fact that those errors do NOT correct themselves, ever, unless you point out the error and dispute it.

Your credit score and credit history are used in a wide variety of places and the use of them is increasing every day. It is definitely worth your time and effort to get copies of your credit report and ensure that it is accurate, which is a huge step towards raising your credit score.

For more insights and additional information about your Credit Report Score as well as getting free copies of your personal credit reports, please visit our web site at http://www.credit-help-center.com

Are you an expert when it comes to your own credit score — and how you got it?

If you’re in the market to buy a new home, it’s important that you learn how to see yourself with the eyes of a mortgage lender. That’s because the more you know about your credit score, and how to boost it higher, the better off you’ll be. You see, a good credit score has its rewards: it can save you thousands of dollars by lowering the interest rates on your mortgage. And a high credit score can even help cut your insurance premiums, too.

First, lets go through the basics – what exactly is a credit score? And why can it work for or against a new homebuyer?

Your credit score is a three-digit number that can be as low as 501 or as high as 990. The “official” name for it is your FICO Score, which is short for Fair Isaac Corp – the creators of the scoring system. Lenders – like mortgage companies – use it to come up with your interest rate. The lower the score, the more you’ll pay in interest. Any score above 800 makes you look very creditworthy, which means you’ll get the lowest interest rate. Your FICO score opens or closes the door to other things, too: whether or not your credit application is approved, whether or not your credit limit is increased, or how you’re treated when you make a late payment.

It doesn’t matter what your age is. It doesn’t matter how much money you make. When it comes to your FICO score, the only thing that matters is your past use of credit.

Credit agencies like Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax keep track of your credit history. To find out what your credit report says about you, keep in mind that you can order one free copy per year from each agency. Call 1-877-322-8228, or go online to www.annualcreditreport.com. You could also write to Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta, Georgia, 30348-5281. When you get your credit reports, look them over carefully. Report any errors or mistakes immediately If there’s accurate-but negative-information on your report, you might want to try to call the creditors and ask if they’ll remove it. A creditor might be willing to do this if you have a single late payment in an otherwise perfect record.

If your credit report doesn’t make you look so good, don’t give up. You can start turning it around by doing the right-and smart-things.

Pay your bills on time. Payment history is the first thing that sends up a red flag to a lender. Any hill over due 30 days or more shows up on your credit report. If a lender sees a pattern of this, your interest rate may be raised.

Reduce your credit card balances.

Maxing out your credit card does not improve your credit score. In fact, the closer you are to your credit limit, the worse your score. Try to keep your balances below 30% of your available credit.

Limit your credit applications.

When you apply for credit, it flags a lender to check your credit report. And you should be aware that too many applications could lower your score.

What if you don’t have a credit history at all?

This can sometimes be the case for recent graduates. If this is your situation, it’s time to start building a track record. Get a single credit card or gasoline company card before applying for a car loan or mortgage. And try to pay off your balance in full each month.

The more consumers increase their awareness and understanding of the importance and impact of their credit scores, the better and easier buying a new home can be.

So make it a point to take a self-taught course in “Credit Scoring 101.” More information can be found on the websites of the three credit reporting agencies. Study it carefully and do everything to improve your own credit score. You won’t regret it-especially when you move into your new home and it’s time to make that monthly mortgage payment.

Find new homes for sale in the Rio Grande Valley & South Texas online at iNewHomeSearch.com by the area’s leading builders featured in the Rio Grande Valley New Homes Guide

If You Can Read and Write at The 5th Grade Level I Can Show You How to Raise Your Credit Score Up to 249 Points in 90 Days! Raise Your Credit Score Now is the place to visit. Check Out our Blog For More Informative Articles! Credit Repair Facts is a must.