A 2012 survey by the Society of Human Resources Management indicates that as many as 47% of employers check credit before making hiring decisions. The premise is that individuals with poor credit are probably having financial difficulties and so might be more likely to embezzle funds or sell company secrets for a profit.
That has no bearing on your ability to perform a myriad of jobs to an employer’s satisfaction, but it still might have a bearing on whether you’re chosen for the job.
You can deny them the right.
Before a potential employer can check your credit, you must sign giving your permission. You can refuse, but then what are your chances of being hired? Refusal could be (to them) a clear indication that they’ll see something damaging on that report. They may not be able to turn you down based on the refusal, but it’s easy enough to find some other reason to choose a different candidate.
What can potential employers see?
They can’t see your credit scores, but they can see all of your identifying information such as address, date of birth and previous employment information. They can also see your trade lines and credit accounts and take note of the number and nature of inquiries into your report. Finally, they can see things of public record, such as information on collections, foreclosures, bankruptcies, etc.
They’ll also see any mistakes that appear on your credit report:
Credit bureaus are quick to admit that up to 70% of all credit reports contain some kind of error. It may be something simple, like a misspelling of your name, or it may be something serious. For instance, a missed keystroke could put someone else’s collection on your report just because your social security numbers are one digit apart.
“70% of all credit reports contain some kind of error”
That’s one of the reasons why it’s important for every citizen to access their credit reports with regularity, and to read them carefully. When you spot a mistake and report it quickly, it has less time to do damage.
“Thieves can open new accounts completely without your knowledge”
The second reason is identity theft. No one is immune from the threat, and one of the fastest ways to discover it and stop it is by keeping a close watch on your credit accounts and your credit report. Thieves can open new accounts completely without your knowledge. All they have to do is use a bogus address.
So be careful. Get your credit report and read it carefully. If there’s an error or an account you don’t recognize, report it immediately.
Your life during a foreclosure might seem never ending. A foreclosure does affect your credit score report, but the good news is there is life afterwards. If you have fell victim to the Sub-Prim meltdown which caused you to loose your home, I will explain to you how you can recover from this fairly quick. Obviously anytime you have a negative mark on your credit report it will stay on there for 7 years. The positive side is you can implement some good credit management steps to recover.
It will be a minimum of 3 years after foreclosure date before you can buy a house again. FHA and Conventionalloans have a 3 year seasoning requirement before they will allow you to get financed. By implementing what I am about to teach you, you can still get your credit in the right direction.
Step 1: Late Payments Make sure you don’t have anymore late payments on any of your other obligations. Late payments will destroy your credit.
Step 2: Credit
Make sure you have at least 3 lines of credit reporting on your credit report. This could be a couple of credit cards, secured credit cards, car loans, and installment loans.
Step 3: Rental
Make sure you have excellent rental history. Don’t be late on your payments to your landlord. When you get ready go buy a new home in 3 years, this is a must, and make sure the rental payment is fairly close to what you new mortgage payment would be. The reason is if you are ready to buy a home and your rental was $400 to $500 less than your new mortgage payment, the bank will consider that payment shock. So watch this closely.
Step 4: Savings
Save your money, you should have at least 6 months worth of mortgage payments in your savings. The banks like to see that you have the ability to save.
Step 5: Learn from your mistakes After you have experienced a foreclosure, make sure you don’t have the something happen again. Fair Isaac the creator of the FICO score will forgive credit mistakes, but the new FICO 08 does not forgive repeat offenders too well. So don’t make the same mistakes twice.
Stuff comes up during our little journey here on earth, but we can make matters a lot better with good credit management. If you are not rich, there will come a time where you need to borrow money. It can be a little frustrating when you need a loan and you cannot get one because of bad credit. Once you implement what I have mentioned you will be well on your way to good credit health.
A great SNL skit featuring Steve Martin that really simplifies the truth of the matter with people who are in debt and don’t know how to get out. Not only is it funny but it is true! I thought this was a great video, due to the current times out there.
If you have collections on your credit report, you can count on most of them staying on there for minimum of 7 years from the original collection date. Sometimes you will have the collections sold to different collection companies. This could be a challenge trying to get the original collection date, but the creditor currently reporting the collection must report this information correctly. Typically the creditor reports the wrong original collection date, so you have to dispute it. They must comply with this request under the (FCRA) Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Here is how long items stay on your credit report from original collection date:
1. Medical collections – 7yrs
2. Charge Offs – 7yrs
3. Late payments – 7 yrs
4. Judgments – 7 yrs
5. Tax Liens – until you pay off
6. Repossessions – 7yrs
7. Chapter 7 Bankruptcies – 10 yrs
8. Chapter 13 Bankruptcies – 7yrs
9. Collections – 7 yrs
10. Inquiries – 2 yrs
11. Foreclosure – 7 yrs
I am sure you have heard you can get obligations that you owe removed from your credit report. I will tell you and so will the FTC that you cannot get obligations removed from your credit report even though you owe the debt. The only items you can get removed are items that are not correct, for instance.
Debt that is not yours
Maybe you and your father have the same name, and report is skewed
Duplicate items
Items over expiration date
Inaccurate reporting, like slow pays.
Maybe you don’t know what is being reported on your credit report. Its time you find out, so if there is inaccurate information you will know. Current statistics show that 1 out of 4 credit reports have incorrect information on it that would cause a denial of some type of loan.
I am sure we have all heard that you can get your credit report repaired if you hire a credit restoration company. They can repair it usually as long as you pay them around $1000.00 bucks to do so. According to the FTC, a credit repair company is not supposed to collect money from you until services are rendered. Hmmmmmmm. Good luck finding someone that will do that. Ok, here are the SCAMS.
1. I will increase your Credit Score 150 points in 30 days.
2. I will remove late payments on your credit report, even though you were actually late.
3. Don’t pay collections it hurts your credit
4. We can remove collections even though you owe the debt
5. We can remove Bankruptcies even though it’s still within 7 years.
6. We can remove a foreclosure, even though it’s still within 7 years.
7. We can remove judgments, even though you owe it.
8. We can remove tax liens even though you owe it.
9. If the balanced reporting is incorrect we can get collection removed
10. If the Bureaus do not respond to a dispute within 30days, they have to remove item in question.
I am sorry folks, but if you have debt you owe, it will be on there for 7 years from original collection date. No one can delete a debt you owe. I promise. Here is a good link for FTC facts on credit report repair SCAMS. Don’t get me wrong, there are credit restoration companies out there that provide disputes for inaccurate information, and are not SCAMS. Typically credit repair companies prey on the desperate, and take advantage of them. So be careful. I would also recommend pulling a current copy of your credit report, and make sure everything on there is accurate. You can actually do everything credit repair companies do for a fee for free yourself. You can go here for quick guide on how to dispute your credit report.
The FTC claims that credit reportRepair may be better for you if you do it yourself. You have seen advertisements on TV, local newspapers, internet. All of these credit report repair companies claim the following:
• “Credit Problem? No Problem!”
• “ We can get rid of bad credit problems – 100% guaranteed”
• “We can remove bankruptcies, judgments, bad loans and tax liens from your credit file forever
The FTC says “Don’t believe these statements. The only thing that will fix your credit is time, conscious effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report.
This article will explain how you can improve your creditworthiness and gives legitimate resources for low or no cost help.
The Scam
All over the US companies appeal to families and individuals that have bad credit problems. They promise for a fee, to clean up your credit report so you can get a car loan, a home mortgage, a job or even a insurance. The fact is, they cannot deliver. After you pay them hundred of dollars or even thousands of dollars in fees, these companies do absolutely nothing to improve your credit report. They typically vanish with your money says the FTC.
Warning Signs
If you feel credit repair with one of these companies is your choice, look out for the following.
• Companies that want you to pay before services are rendered
• Companies that don’t tell you your legal rights and what you cannot do yourself for free
• Companies that recommend that you don’t contact the credit reporting companies
• Companies that recommend you create a new identity by way of Identification Number.
• Companies that advise you to dispute all information in your credit report
Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies cannot require you to pay until they have completed services they claim they can provide. The FTC says to get what they claim they can do in written, and once it is done then pay them.
The FACTS
No one can legally remove accurate information from you credit report. If you owe the debt, it will be on there for 7 years from original collection date. The law allows you the consumer to dispute inaccurate information on your report for FREE. There is no cost to you for doing this. Everything a credit repair company does for a fee, you can do it yourself for FREE. This is all in accordance to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
You are entitled to free credit report if you are denied for the following
1. Credit Application
2. Insurance
3. Employment
You are to ask for this report within 60 days of receiving this notification. You are also entitled to the free report if you are unemployed and are about to apply for job, if you are on welfare, or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud including identity theft.
All 3 Credit Bureaus – Equifax, Trans Union and Experian are required to provide you once a year with a Free Credit Report. In order to get this report you must go to annualcreditreport.com.
You are allowed to dispute items that are not yours for free. Under the FCRA any company that is reporting information about you that is inaccurate, this information must be updated correctly. If you owe the debt it will not be removed.
Step One
The consumer credit reporting company that is reporting information incorrectly about you must be informed in writing what information is inaccurate. You are to include a copy of documents backing your claim. You are to clearly identify in the claim the following
1. Your full name
2. Address
3. The item in the report that you are disputing
4. The request that it should be removed or corrected
5. Enclose a copy of the report and circle the item in question.
Your credit report dispute letter may look something like this:
Date
You’re Name
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip
Re: Disputing Inaccuracies on My Credit Report
Name of Credit Reporting Bureau
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing for two (2) reasons:
1. To dispute certain information in my credit file; and
2. To have you investigate/re-investigate and remove inaccurate information from
my Credit Report and prevent its re-insertion. The item(s) I dispute are encircled
on the attached copy of the credit report and further identified by (identify the
items by name of source, such as creditor or tax court, etc. and identify type of
item, such as credit account, judgment, etc.)This item is (inaccurate or
incomplete) because (describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why). I am
requesting that the item be deleted (or whatever specific change you are
requesting) to correct the information.(If you are enclosing documents such as
copies of cancelled checks, payment records, court documents, send copies
only, you should always retain the originals — and use the following sentence.)
Enclosed are copies of the following documents supporting my position:
1.
2.
3.
Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputed
items within the time frame required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and
inform me in writing of the outcome. Thank you for your time and consideration in
this matter.
Sincerely,
________________________
(Signature)
Your name
Once the investigation is complete, whether they removed the item or not, the creditor must give you something in writing. If the information was deemed incorrect, then they must remove it, and not put it back on your report.
Step Two
Advise the creditor or other information provider, in writing, that you dispute an item. Be sure to include copies only, not your original supporting your claim. The creditors usually provide an address for disputes. If the creditor reports the items to the 3 credit bureaus, they must include the dispute during the reporting time. If you are correct, the creditor must remove the item from the Bureaus it’s reporting too.
For information on “How to Dispute Credit Report Errors, go to ftc.gov/credit.
The reporting of correct information
When negative information is being reported about you, and it’s accurate the only way it will go away is with time. A consumer credit reporting company can report negative information about you for 7 years and bankruptcies for 10 years. Judgments can be reported for 7 years or until the statue of limitations run out.
Credit Repair Organization Act
By law credit repair companies must give you a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you sign any contract. They must also give you a written contract that specifies your rights and obligations. Read these documents carefully before you sign anything.
Example of what a credit report company cannot do:
• Charge you for anything until services have been completed
• Make false claims about there services
• Provide any services until they have your signature on a written contract and have completed a 3 day waiting period.
During this time you may cancel the contract without any fees occurred.
• Payment terms for services rendered, along with total cost
• Detailed description of services you are paying for
• How long it will take to achieve results
• Any guarantees they offer
• Company address and name
Check your Credit Report at least 4 to 5 times a year.
Even if you don’t have poor credit, you need to know what’s on your credit report. Here are some good reasons per the FTC.
• Because the information it contains may affect whether you get a loan and the payment terms for that loan
• Make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up to date before you apply for a mortgage, credit card, car, insurance or even a job.
• To help guard against identity theft
Hopefully this has shed some light on credit repair, and the importance of have a recent copy of your free credit report.
Your credit scorecould be affected by little mistakes made on your part. These mistakes are made all the time, and most don’t realize the impact on your credit reportand credit score. We have seen these common problems quite often, even though you are providing help for a family member or friend.
Co-signing for loans:
One of the most common credit mistake is co-signing on a loan for friends and family members that don’t pay there bills. Yes you thought you were helping someone out, but in return hurt your personal credit. Over the years we have seen more and more people helping out other people with loans, and there credit report is littered with late payments. The result is sorry we cannot help you with the loan you are applying for because your credit score is too low. Late payments will drop your credit score 100 points. So if you had a 700 FICO score, now you have a 600 FICO score. So don’t co-sign for someone else. They need to learn how to establish credit on there own.
Closing Credit Card Accounts:
Fair Isaac Corporation does not recommend closing out credit cards, especially if the card is in good standing. Once you close out a card that is a good revolving line of credit, you just dropped your scores. This credit was reporting in good standing with a credit limit, the credit limit is a part of your credit score. So if you close it, you score will drop due to good credit being removed.
No Credit Cards will hurt your Score:
If you thought it was ok to avoid having credit cards you are wrong. Fair Isaac recommends having credit cards, but use them responsibly.
High Credit Card Balances:
High credit card balances will lower your credit score as well. According to Fair Isaac your balance should not be more than 30% of credit limit. The lower your balance is the higher your credit score will be. This is the quickest way to increase your credit scores.
Don’t give up:
Maybe you have made some mistakes, and now you are on the road to recovery. Remember your credit is just a snapshot of your credit during a particular time. You can always improve your credit by paying down your balances, and being on-time with your payments to creditors.
Now that the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 is passed, it is a lot harder to wipe away your debt. At one time just about anyone could file Chapter 7 and wipe the slate clean. This new bill has a lot of debate. Some say it is prejudice against the consumer. Regardless of the merit of this passed bill in 2005, it makes it tougher these days to file Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. One of the major changes is if your income is greater than the state median income, your motion to file Chapter 7 will be dismissed and you will have to file Chapter 13 repayment plan for 5 years. With this new bill more people are being forced to file Chapter 13, as opposed to Chapter 7.
Differences between the two Bankruptcies:
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy- A chapter 7 bankruptcy basically dissolves all debts that legally qualify for this process. Typically most debts get discharged in this type of bankruptcy. Discharged in Bankruptcy terms mean all liabilities get erased. So in other words you are no longer legally required to pay back a unpaid debt included in the bankruptcy. On your credit report from file date for 10 yrs.
Chapter 13 – A chapter 13 is different than a Chapter 7 because the consumer must pay off debts over time. You pay these debts to a court appointed Trustee. This option is usually for individuals that have steady income. On your credit report from file date for 7 yrs.
Since Chapter 7 is no longer the easiest option for filing bankruptcy, you might consider letting your debts go to collection if you are in a pinch. You always can go back to the collection companies and negotiate a lesser balance agreement. The original creditor pretty much already wrote off the debt anyways. So these collections companies just bought the debt, and will settle for pennies on the dollar. This is just an option. It is better to let an obligation go to collection and settle on the debt once you are on your feet versus filing Chapter 7 or 13. We also know that there are situations where you need to file Bankruptcy.
So we believe that there will be less people filing Chapter 7 since it’s not available to everyone now. I am sure you can see how each bankruptcy could affect your credit differently. This new reform bill will force more people to be a little more responsible, and less likely to jump on the bankruptcy bandwagon. More people will also be forced to file Chapter 13 and pay back a portion of the debts. This option is less harsh on credit than Chapter 7. Regardless filing bankruptcy period will destroy your credit score and credit report for quite a while.
About the Author: Mike Clover is the owner of http://www.creditscorequick.com/. CreditScoreQuick.com is the one of the most unique on-line resources for free credit score report, Internet identity theft software, secure credit cards, and a BlOG with a wealth of personal credit information. The information within this website is written by professionals that know about credit, and what determines ones credit worthiness.
What does your credit score include? When you are establishing your credit, you may wonder what the credit agencies are actually looking for. Generally, they start out with your name, social security number, employers, current and past addresses, and your marital status. When someone gets your credit report, it includes things like when you make payments to your utility bills. Paying a bill late can stay on your credit history for years. Things that you might not imagine would affect your score can be heavily weighted when determining how high of a risk you are. They look at whether you own or rent, how long you have lived at the same address, what your occupation is and how many years you have you been at your current job.
Good credit gives lenders the idea that you are a low-risk person who manages their credit and finances wisely. When you establish a good credit history, you will enjoy lower interest rates, lower minimum payments, less paperwork and more lending options. Poor decisions can lead to years of paying higher minimums and higher interest, forcing you to hold your balances for longer and longer. You can be denied jobs, car loans, and pay auto insurance rates over 200% higher than someone with a high rating. Those who manage their credit well enjoy lower limits, more freedom of which instruments they choose and can pay off balances more quickly. In general, having good credit saves you money and can get you the kind of help that you need when you need it.
Lenders look at your financial situation as well when determining your credit worthiness. They will see how many credit cards and loans you have, if you have made any late payments and how many years have you had a credit history. Eight or more years of credit history is preferred, so get started as early in your life as possible. Don’t let your debt add up to over 15% of your income. It’s a good idea not to let your balance get up to 50% of your available credit on credit cards.
Keep the number of inquiries on your credit low. You should take a look at your own credit report once a year to make sure there are not any mistakes on it. One inquiry does not hurt you, but multiple inquiries can significantly impact your score. Even two inquiries can lower your score by around eight points.
Building good credit takes time, effort and maybe some sacrifices. Start early building your net worth. Having a checking and a savings account earns you a score four times higher in that scoring area than a checking account alone. Set up an automatic savings plan, no matter how small of an amount is being contributed. Take advantage and invest heavily in your employer’s retirement plan. All of these things show your responsibility.
Pay your credit cards before the due date and always pay more than the minimum. Pay your bills on-time, every time. If you realize that you are going to have to pay a bill late, don’t settle on paying a late fee and forgetting about it. That one late payment will be on your credit report for a long time. Take everything that has to do with your bank account and bills seriously.
If you need some help with your score, investing in secured credit cards can help establish a better credit score when you pay it off on-time for many consecutive months. The bottom line is to be responsible, and your score will reflect your efforts.
You may have bad credit due to some irresponsible moves or some unforeseen events in your life. Protecting your credit score could prove to be very important to your future. There are lots of ways to keep your credit good, but if it’s already looking pretty bad, consider some repair options. One way is to go through a credit repair organization.
If you think you should use a credit repair company to fix your credit problems, you should educate yourself first. Credit repair companies can make a lot of promises, but be careful who you give your information to. There is a lot of deception going on in this industry and there are a few signs that you should look out for.
First, if they ask you for any money up front, then it isn’t a legitimate or ethical company. The Credit Repair Organizations Act says that companies aren’t allowed to ask you for any money until everything that they have promised has been completed. So this should be something that you are mindful of.
Secondly, they should always inform you of your legal rights and the steps that you can take yourself to repair your credit. Crazy promises to remove all bad things from your credit should be ignored. No one can do this. You can investigate your credit files to dispute any inaccurate or incomplete information, but you can’t make negative information just vanish. If a credit repair organization tells you not to contact a credit reporting agency yourself, you should probably hang up the phone and do just that. Anything that a credit repair company can do for you, you can actually do for yourself, for free. Research a little online and find out what your rights are under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The Credit Repair Organizations Act is in place to protect you. If you decide to go with a credit repair company, then you should familiarize yourself with the basics of this act before you proceed. We’ve mentioned that they can’t charge you until they’ve completed everything that they’ve promised, but you should also know that they must provide you with payment terms for their services. They must inform you of all fees and a final total amount that will be due. They must give you a detailed description in writing of everything that they plan to do. They have to give you a time line in which the process will be completed. Any guarantees must be in writing and included in the contract. The company’s name and address must also be included on the contract.
Before you sign anything, they must provide you with a copy of the Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law. They can’t start working on your credit until they have a signed contract in hand and have completed a three day waiting period. Anytime during the waiting period you have the right to change your mind and cancel the contract, owing nothing. Keep your rights in mind throughout the process and educate yourself before you start. Remember, anything they can do for your credit score, you can do yourself for free.
Disclaimer: This information has been compiled and provided by CreditScoreQuick.com as an informational service to the public. While our goal is to provide information that will help consumers to manage their credit and debt, this information should not be considered legal advice. Such advice must be specific to the various circumstances of each person's situation, and the general information provided on these pages should not be used as a substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel.
