Financial and Credit Blog

Protect Your Credit Repair Success

August 3rd, 2009 at 08:59pm Under Credit Repair

Credit Repair PaybackCredit repair, done right, will transform your credit report and lift your scores. The benefits of good credit are significant. You can expect to qualify for better financing options, and the quality of your life will profit accordingly. Intangible benefits like self confidence and inner peace are a wonderful bonus. Once you have achieved your goals you should make an effort to protect your credit repair success.Create a BudgetA budget is a perfect companion for your credit repair program and a virtual insurance policy against losing any of your hard won success. Take the time to map out all of your finances. Make sure that there is room in your budget for all of your expenses. If you discover that you are spending more than you can afford get creative; cut back where you can and make sure that you are living within your means. The more you know the better you will be able to manage your financial life. You will be able to make informed spending decisions, avert budgetary discomfort, and protect your credit repair success.Start a Saving PlanThere is nothing like a saving plan. Everything in your life will benefit. You will be able to meet unexpected expenses without falling behind on your monthly obligations. Savings will protect your credit repair results like nothing else. Get into the saving habit. Put a little bit aside for yourself each and every month and watch your account grow. You will love the comfort you will get from knowing that exigencies are covered. Over time your savings will grow and allow you to make important investments like the purchase of a home.Consider Auto PaymentsNothing will put a dent in your credit repair results like a new late payment. Make sure that all of your payments are made right on time. Most creditors offer a couple of payment options that can help you remain timely including direct-debit from an account of your choice and online bill management. Examine your options. Whatever method you choose make very sure that nothing slips through the cracks.Avoid Consumer DebtProtect your credit scores by managing your debt properly. Once your credit scores improve you will receive credit offers on a regular basis. Some of these offers may be a benefit to your credit repair project, but others should be avoided at all costs. You should be able to enjoy the flexibility that good credit offers, but make careful choices. The FICO credit scoring model has a built in bias against consumer debt, like store cards and furniture store loans. These will harm your credit repair results. Beware of temptation and consider other financing options.Manage Your Revolving CreditThe FICO scoring model places major stress on your credit card usage. Keep your balances low and your credit scores will soar. Let your balances sneak up to the limit and your scores will plummet. Timely payments, as essential as they are, will not protect you from the credit repair devastation that will occur if you run up your card balances. If, for some reason, you do max out a credit card, don’t panic. As soon as you pay down the balance your scores will rebound. Remain aware.Monitor Your CreditAll three credit bureaus, and many resellers, offer excellent credit monitoring services. These monitoring services are a terrific post credit repair tool. Once you join a monitoring service you will be alerted to all changes on your credit report, including the appearance of any derogatory items. These alerts will give you the opportunity to respond to any event in a timely manner and mitigate the potential damage.Copyright © 2009 Ian Webber. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Alternative Credit Repair Solutions

August 3rd, 2009 at 09:00am Under Credit Repair

When you get your own credit card, you create a credit report that becomes the basis for future financial transactions to banks, institutions and other credit cards. Everyone has a credit report.

Your credit report contains information about your liquidity and credit standing. It shows how prompt you are in paying monthly dues, if you have the ability to pay your credit card bills and if you are deep in debt or not.

However, sometimes we can experience a financial crisis and our credit standing may be damaged. In comes a credit repair system. You see a lot of businesses offering a “guaranteed” credit repair but be warned. Some of these are misleading. They may say it’s credit repair but it could mean bankruptcy.

Filing for bankruptcy is indeed one way to resolve credit repair. But the impact on your credit standing could be hard. Any person who files for bankruptcy will need to wait ten years before clearing his bad record with financial institutions. During this time, your applications for loans, getting a job or new credit cards could be denied.

There are credit repair systems that advertise consolidation of your accounts. In essence, that could mean using the law and filing for bankruptcy. Other credit repair systems will guarantee that you will not lose your property or do not even have to borrow from other to fix your credit. Watch out for these kinds of credit repair systems. They are only out to get money from you, since they do ask for a processing fee, and put you into more trouble with bankruptcy.

If you find yourself needing credit repair, try to fix it yourself first. There are ways to handle a financial crisis like this. One is to talk to your creditors. They may be willing to settle for a compromise through an easier monthly payment scheme.

Two, you can ask for credit repair counseling service. There are institutions that provide those in need of credit repair advice with options on how to earn more money, how to budget and use a debt repayment plan. They often act as middlemen with the creditors, you pay them and they will pay the creditors.

Lastly, you can take out a loan to resolve your credit repair. However, this means that you have to take your house, car, yacht or whatever huge asset you have as collateral. The pressure for credit repair will be passed on to the property but at least you will have a better credit standing which can help you acquire more loans in the future.

Most credit repair systems fail because they only consider the fastest and easiest way to avoid harassment from creditors, foreclosures and repossessions. As the person needing credit repair, you have to realize that fastest may not always mean the best option. The credit repair alternatives mentioned above can help you avoid being going to court for estafa.

If all else fails, filing for bankruptcy is the only credit repair solution left. But do this as a last resort. The effects on your financial standing to the outside word will greatly suffer.

Credit repair can be a hard on anyone. So as much as possible, remember to keep your expenses in check. Try not to take more of what you need. Pay your monthly credit card bills, even if it is only the minimum amount. These simple gestures can insure you won’t have to go through a credit repair scenario in your days.

Can I Get A Free Credit Repair Kit?

August 3rd, 2009 at 02:59am Under Credit Repair

The above question, in the eyes of most financial analysts, will bring up a plethora of feelings almost all of which would be negative. Most people believe that the credit repair kit notion is something to be avoided and that any marketing that offers a free kit to help you with repairing your sensitive credit is certainly not offering something that is a functional and realistic part of repairing credit and the like. It is certainly not the opinion of the majority of credit organisations and agencies that items like a free credit repair kit actually serve to repair your credit in the way that it should be repaired. The more conventional methods of financial repair are almost always preferred.

With that in mind, taking a look at the companies that offer a such a very useful kit for your credit often leaves a strange taste in the mouth. It is hard to comprehend that anyone would offer, free of charge mind you, a package of information or supplies that will help with determining the repair and completing the repair of a person’s credit. This is something that often takes years, and yet someone is offering this type of help for free. It seems a little too hard to believe and, in most cases, it is. There are rare exceptions in which someone has actually used free credit assistance to get their credit in order, but one wonders about the validity of those so-called results as well. There is simply no way to know for sure.

What Is A Kit To Help You With Repair?

A free credit repair kit is a kit that promises to help with getting your financial record straight. Credit repair is a term that is used to refer to a systematic process that can rehabilitate a person’s credit and make them worthy of credit once again. This process is generally started by getting copies of a person’s credit reports and checking them over for errors. The credit repair process also includes checking over the credit reports for possible omissions and misleading pieces of information. From this point, the corrections necessary are suggested and a formal dispute process is begun. This process, of course, assumes that there are errors in your credit report to begin with.

Now, most of the free credit repair kit samples merely demonstrate how to do this process. The kits themselves contain templates for documents such as letters to your credit company to obtain your credit report, letters to your credit company to request the deletion of incorrect or erroneous charges and problems, and letters to your credit company to request the addition of positive credit. Again, the free credit repair kit assumes that there are errors on your credit report. The whole foundation of this kit is based on that possibility, but if there are no errors than you are back where you began.

3 Compelling Reasons Why you Shouldn’t Use a Credit Repair Agency to Fix your Credit Report

August 2nd, 2009 at 02:58pm Under Credit Repair

Having negative entries in your credit report? Looking for a credit repair agency to wipe out the blemishes. Stop! You could be heading for trouble. The three reasons listed in this article will open your eyes to the credit repair fraud. Read on to know how the credit repair companies are ripping you apart.

1. Credit repair companies take advantage fears of credit card holders with negative credit reports, and use it to fill up their coffers. To do this they aggressively market themselves as if they can get every single negative entry on your credit report removed. This is simply not the case. Naturally plenty of people see this as a great opportunity, aggressively marketing their credit repair companies to those in trouble.

2. They will charge hefty fees, upfront. Whether they succeed or not it doesn’t matter, and they won’t listen to you when they are unable to accomplish anything squarely blaming things on you. Some credit repair firms are outright scams. However, hard they might try to convince but the fact remains that credit repair companies do not have any special relation with the credit reporting companies. No insider contacts, no influential hands, no special powers. Don’t get fooled by their claims. Credit reporting agencies do not endorse any credit repair firms.

3. Despite what the ads might lead you to believe, credit repair companies don’t have any special relationship with the credit bureaus to make credit repair easier. They can’t magically get negative entries on your credit history erased. Some credit repair agencies suggest you fraudulent means to get a new credit history. This could involve changing your identity and starting afresh. Can you imagine how dangerous that can be?

Generally a credit repair company will only do things that you can do yourself.

One popular strategy is to get a copy of your credit history and challenge every negative entry. While this may seem like the credit repair company is taking action, in fact it’s quite likely that this will achieve nothing unless there’s genuinely been a mistake. And in the end, you can get the report and challenge entries without any help.

All that a credit repair agency does is to get a copy of your credit report and challenge every negative entry in it. This is not a very complicated thing and can be done by a person very easily. Why pay huge sums to those credit repair agencies then?

A good strategy for credit repair would be to get your credit report regularly. Check every entry in that credit report. If you keep a record of every financial transaction you make it will be very easy to substantiate your claim with credit rating agencies. Staying within your credit limits and not over-borrowing will keep you at a distance from the negative entries in your credit report and help build your credit history.

Credit Repair – Right Here

August 1st, 2009 at 09:01pm Under Credit Repair

Credit repair seems like a very tedious process but actually it is not. Credit repair is a booming business now and, unfortunately, a lot of unscrupulous elements are thriving in the market. By law, credit repair organizations must give you a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you sign a contract. If you decide to respond to a credit repair offer, look for these tell-tale signs of a scam: companies that want you to pay for credit repair services before they provide any services.
Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies cannot require you to pay until they have completed the services they have promised. For example, a credit repair company cannot: make false claims about their services, charge you until they have completed the promised services, perform any services until they have your signature on a written contract, and have completed a three-day waiting period. Everything a credit repair clinic can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost.
Credit
Credit debt can greatly negatively impact your overall credit status. Credit card companies never let on about how to avoid getting into debt. Creditors set their own credit-granting standards and not all of them look at your credit history the same way. Creditors don’t have to report to all three credit bureaus, so they typically report to the credit bureau to which they also subscribe. Credit bureaus generate your report on information they receive from your creditors; they don’t verify it.
Only time, a conscious effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report. Everyday, companies nationwide appeal to consumers with poor credit histories. They promise, for a fee, to clean up your credit report so you can get a car loan, a home mortgage, insurance, or even a job. After you pay them hundreds or thousands of dollars in fees, these companies do nothing to improve your credit report; most simply vanish with your money. You could be charged and prosecuted for mail or wire fraud if you use the mail or telephone to apply for credit and provide false information. It’s a federal crime to lie on a loan or credit application, to misrepresent your Social Security number, and to obtain an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service under false pretenses.
Bad
Bad Credit will cost you thousands of dollars. You can have bad credit erased legally and quickly. Bad credit repair can improve your way of life greatly enabling you to get the mortgage or refinance loan at the best possible low rate. A bad credit report simply means that you have a bit of work ahead after disputing items to the Bureaus Equifax, Experian and Transunion.
Proper management with Bad credit repair software will save tremendous time and energy, rapidly boost fico ratings and boost fico scores. You can certainly fix and improve bad credit on your own, but it helps to have a vast knowledge of the law. You can clean up your reports so that bad debts and bad scores are not an issue. You must take the first steps to clean up bad debts from your credit reports and this must be done with Equifax credit bureau, Trans Union credit bureau and Experian credit bureau.
Information
Under the FCRA, both the consumer reporting company and the information provider (that is, the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a consumer reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. To take advantage of all your rights under this law, contact the consumer reporting company and the information provider. Tell the consumer reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate.
In addition to providing your complete name and address, your letter should clearly identify each item in your report you dispute, state the facts and explain why you dispute the information, and request that it be removed or corrected. They also must forward all the relevant data you provide about the inaccuracy to the organization that provided the information. After the information provider receives notice of a dispute from the consumer reporting company, it must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results back to the consumer reporting company.
If the information provider finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide consumer reporting companies so they can correct the information in your file. If an item is changed or deleted, the consumer reporting company cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies that it is accurate and complete. The consumer reportincompany also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider.
Tell the creditor or other information provider, in writing, that you dispute an item. And if you are correct – that is, if the information is found to be inaccurate – the information provider may not report it again. Even if you don’t have a poor credit history, some financial advisors and consumer advocates suggest you review your credit report periodically because the information it contains affects whether you can get a loan or insurance – and how much you will have to pay for it. Do make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job.
Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. That’s when someone uses your personal information – like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number – to commit fraud.
Everything a credit repair clinic can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost. Many states have laws regulating credit repair companies. If you’ve had a problem with a credit repair company, don’t be embarrassed to report it. But truly effective credit repair requires an in-depth understanding of the scoring model as well. Bad credit repair can improve your way of life greatly enabling you to get the mortgage or refinance loan at the best possible low rate. And the best thing with credit repair services is that most of these services come free.

Bad Credit Repair-Ways To Repair Your Credit Legally

August 1st, 2009 at 02:59pm Under Credit Repair

In today’s world of credit score based lending, credit repair can make a world of difference. Credit repair is simply a legal way to clean up and improve your credit file also known as your credit report. A successful credit repair process has an end result of bringing an individual’s financial history back to life. As much as it helps, it takes time, and should never be viewed as a quick fix.
Although credit repair may seem like a very tedious process it is actually a small price to pay for the benefits gained. This process has become a necessary part of today’s life as more and more people fall victim to bad credit. This “repair” re-establishes the individual’s creditworthiness in the eyes of potential lenders and/or existing creditors. Credit repair is not an easy process and is not something that happens over night.
Taking the time and effort to repair your credit requires patience and, many times, the help of an outside organization. Many have been through similar situations as you and the good news is that it is possible clean up your credit file and remove all the inaccurate information. However, truly fixing your previous financial issues can only be achieved through financial discipline and hard work.
Repairing your credit profile is one of the most important financial decisions you can make. It isn’t just a series of techniques and steps to take, it is your legal right to have questionable negative items removed from our credit files that all of us have as consumers. Regardless of how bad your credit is credit repair is a possibility but it requires changes in spending, saving and bill payment habits. Repairing a bad credit score will require you to have patience, focus and also a little luck.
So how does it all work? A detailed review of your credit file is one big piece of the credit repair puzzle. After careful review, any inaccuracies or incomplete information on a credit report should be reported to the consumer reporting agency (CRA) and the bank, credit card company, or other entity that provided the information to the agency. There may be a substantial amount of inaccuracies currently in your own credit file. Reporting agencies rarely verify or cross check information unless they have a specific reason, like a request from you, to do so.
Although sometimes it seems to be a difficult, time consuming endeavor it needs to be a priority in your personal finance life. Bad credit should not be a source of shame or embarrassment. In addition, it can have more affect on your life then you may realize. Besides the psychological effects it can have on some, bad credit becomes an issue, when you need to make any major purchase such as a home, car, furniture or major appliances. Repairing your credit helps consumers who are being denied or do not qualify for the best interest rates, because of negative information on their reports.
Although not known as a priority for some, credit repair is not just helpful for those who have bad financial history. Credit repair can even be performed on individuals that have moderate to good credit scores, simply to improve their score even more. Whether to help those recover from a negative financial past or to make additional improvements for those with good credit, it is a worthwhile investment.
Credit repair is a booming business now and, unfortunately, a lot of unscrupulous elements are thriving in the market. Scams and shady companies are catching millions of people around the world, and are bleeding those people for millions of dollars a year. Some credit repair clinics do this by challenging every item in a credit file be it negative, positive, or neutral with the hope of overwhelming the credit bureau into removing information without verifying it. Other companies often claim they guarantee to get you a credit card, regardless of your financial history.
If you decide to work on improving your scores, it is absolutely in your best interest to enlist the help of a legal professional. Bad credit repair is possible and can all be done legally, by legal professionals. Due diligence on your part is required as many law firms can charge as high as $2500 for a consultation and some debt counseling offices can charge as much as $800 just to start the process to erase poor credit. Other law firms that specialize in credit score repair have similar techniques at their disposal, which are also completely legal, but offer legal credit repair at substantially lower fees.

The Truth About Creating An Alternate Credit File

August 1st, 2009 at 11:51am Under Credit Card Fraud

Well… you’re right. It is too good to be true but these types of ads are now surfacing again after the Federal Trade Commission launched “Operation New ID Bad Idea” over 8 years ago. This operation targeted (and took down) over 50 credit repair organizations and companies selling consumers both pamphlets and services giving them a brand new credit file under the pretense it was 100% legal and in some cases even claimed it to be a “government sponsored” program!
The con was simple. Companies would target consumers with bad credit and offer to create a brand new credit file for them by substituting an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for their Social Security Number (SSN) along with a new address. EIN’s were obtained from the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of the consumer. With the EIN and a new address the companies would either have the consumer apply for credit with the “new information” or the company would apply for them. When the creditor would run the application it would automatically create a new credit file because the computer would be unable to find the consumer in the database due to the new address and SSN.
While there is some dispute among privacy experts as to whether or not this is legal, the FTC’s actions at the time were not up for debate. Companies were advertising and luring in consumers in order to have them falsify credit applications by providing new information such as their address and SSN in order to obtain credit. This was a direct violation of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and worse yet, the companies were advertising to consumers that this was 100% legal and in some cases claiming it was a government sponsored program. As you’ll hear me say often “In reality, nothing could be further from the truth”.
Privacy experts will argue that using an EIN or 9 digit PIN (simply a made up number) in place of ones’ SSN is completely legal since creditors are on shaky ground asking for your SSN in the first place. In regards to the truth in lending act they will argue that one has to exhibit “an intent to defraud” a creditor. My question “Is concealing ones’ adverse credit history intent in itself?” While I am not an Attorney on the matter of credit law I can conclude that if a consumer was to create an alternate credit file using the EIN or PIN method they better be darn sure they never have a problem paying their bills. If they do, they most likely would find themselves in a courtroom with a case involving credit fraud. Which brings me to my next topic.
How To Create An Alternate Credit File Legally
Most consumers are unaware that in addition to consumer credit reports, both Experian and Equifax own and operate business credit reporting services. By creating a business credit profile a consumer can now create an alternate credit file legally. While some creditors such as residential utility companies will not allow you to use business credit in place of personal credit, we have had numerous clients who have successfully used business credit to obtain credit cards, automotive leases and loans. This technique (although controversial) can be very effective when done properly.
The basics of building business credit involve 1.) Setting up the proper structure for your business (i.e. Corporation, LLC, etc.). 2.) Obtaining an EIN as well as a DUNS number (Dunn and Bradstreet). 3.) Borrow and/or buy products and services from vendors who reports to business credit reporting agencies such as Experian, Equifax and Dunn & Bradstreet. While building business credit requires time just like personal credit, don’t get discouraged. Remember, when you set out to begin building your business credit you are starting with a clean slate. This is when it becomes imperative that one learn from the mistakes of their past. Remember, in the credit world those who do not learn from their past are (inevitably) doomed to repeat it.

Find Out the Truth About Creating an Alternate Credit File

July 31st, 2009 at 11:50pm Under Credit Card Fraud

What if I told you there was a way you could solve all your bad credit problems overnight by creating a brand new credit file in 24hrs – would you be interested? And what if I told you this program was 100% legal and even backed by the federal government – would that sound too good to be true?

Well… you’re right. It is too good to be true but these types of ads are now surfacing again after the Federal Trade Commission launched “Operation New ID Bad Idea” over 8 years ago. This operation targeted (and took down) over 50 credit repair organizations and companies selling consumers both pamphlets and services giving them a brand new credit file under the pretense it was 100% legal and in some cases even claimed it to be a “government sponsored” program!

The con was simple. Companies would target consumers with bad credit and offer to create a brand new credit file for them by substituting an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for their Social Security Number (SSN) along with a new address. EIN’s were obtained from the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of the consumer. With the EIN and a new address the companies would either have the consumer apply for credit with the “new information” or the company would apply for them. When the creditor would run the application it would automatically create a new credit file because the computer would be unable to find the consumer in the database due to the new address and SSN.

While there is some dispute among privacy experts as to whether or not this is legal, the FTC’s actions at the time were not up for debate. Companies were advertising and luring in consumers in order to have them falsify credit applications by providing new information such as their address and SSN in order to obtain credit. This was a direct violation of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and worse yet, the companies were advertising to consumers that this was 100% legal and in some cases claiming it was a government sponsored program. As you’ll hear me say often “In reality, nothing could be further from the truth”.

Privacy experts will argue that using an EIN or 9 digit PIN (simply a made up number) in place of ones’ SSN is completely legal since creditors are on shaky ground asking for your SSN in the first place. In regards to the truth in lending act they will argue that one has to exhibit “an intent to defraud” a creditor. My question “Is concealing ones’ adverse credit history intent in itself?” While I am not an Attorney on the matter of credit law I can conclude that if a consumer was to create an alternate credit file using the EIN or PIN method they better be darn sure they never have a problem paying their bills. If they do, they most likely would find themselves in a courtroom with a case involving credit fraud. Which brings me to my next topic.How To Create An Alternate

Credit File Legally

Most consumers are unaware that in addition to consumer credit reports, both Experian and Equifax own and operate business credit reporting services. By creating a business credit profile a consumer can now create an alternate credit file legally. While some creditors such as residential utility companies will not allow you to use business credit in place of personal credit, we have had numerous clients who have successfully used business credit to obtain credit cards, automotive leases and loans. This technique (although controversial) can be very effective when done properly.

The basics of building business credit involve 1.) Setting up the proper structure for your business (i.e. Corporation, LLC, etc.). 2.) Obtaining an EIN as well as a DUNS number (Dunn and Bradstreet). 3.) Borrow and/or buy products and services from vendors who reports to business credit reporting agencies such as Experian, Equifax and Dunn & Bradstreet. While building business credit requires time just like personal credit, don’t get discouraged. Remember, when you set out to begin building your business credit you are starting with a clean slate. This is when it becomes imperative that one learn from the mistakes of their past. Remember, in the credit world those who do not learn from their past are (inevitably) doomed to repeat it.

Credit Repair Companies

July 31st, 2009 at 08:59pm Under Credit Repair

Unfortunately, credit repair companies have a pretty bad reputation in the credit repair industry. In fact, the credit repair industry itself has a bad reputation. Many people don’t even really know what credit repair is. Is credit repair even possible? Is credit repair legal? Yes and yes.

The first thing you should know about credit repair is that everything a credit repair company can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost. It should also be known that you can file bankruptcy yourself. You can also repair your own car, change your own oil, clean your own carpet and paint your own house. Are you starting to see my point?

While you can definitely do certain things in life by yourself, it is sometimes better to hire a professional to do it. There will always be people who prefer to do it themselves and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that IF they are able to get the job done efficiently and effectively.

Credit repair is no different. If you know what you are doing, then you should absolutely do it yourself. If not, you have a few choices: Learn do it or hire a professional credit repair company to do it for you. If you chose the latter, be very careful to go with a reputable company. Do your research! Contact the Better Business Bureau to see if the company has any complaints about them.

Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies cannot require you to pay until they have completed the services they have promised. By law, credit repair organizations must give you a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you sign a contract. They also must give you a written contract that spells out your rights and obligations. These laws were written to protect you from shady companies. Read these documents before you sign anything.

If you prefer to repair your credit by yourself, check out the solid advice given in the Credit Secrets Bible – by far the best book I have read about credit repair.

The Truth About Creating an Alternate Credit Filethe Truth About Creating an Alternate Credit Filethe Truth About Creating an Alternate Credit File..

July 31st, 2009 at 11:49am Under Credit Card Fraud

What if I told you there was a way you could solve all your bad credit problems overnight by creating a brand new credit file in 24hrs – would you be interested? And what if I told you this program was 100% legal and even backed by the federal government – would that sound too good to be true? Well… you’re right. It is too good to be true but these types of ads are now surfacing again after the Federal Trade Commission launched “Operation New ID Bad Idea” over 8 years ago. This operation targeted (and took down) over 50 credit repair organizations and companies selling consumers both pamphlets and services giving them a brand new credit file under the pretense it was 100% legal and in some cases even claimed it to be a “government sponsored” program! The con was simple. Companies would target consumers with bad credit and offer to create a brand new credit file for them by substituting an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for their Social Security Number (SSN) along with a new address. EIN’s were obtained from the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of the consumer. With the EIN and a new address the companies would either have the consumer apply for credit with the “new information” or the company would apply for them. When the creditor would run the application it would automatically create a new credit file because the computer would be unable to find the consumer in the database due to the new address and SSN. While there is some dispute among privacy experts as to whether or not this is legal, the FTC’s actions at the time were not up for debate. Companies were advertising and luring in consumers in order to have them falsify credit applications by providing new information such as their address and SSN in order to obtain credit. This was a direct violation of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and worse yet, the companies were advertising to consumers that this was 100% legal and in some cases claiming it was a government sponsored program. As you’ll hear me say often “In reality, nothing could be further from the truth”.

Privacy experts will argue that using an EIN or 9 digit PIN (simply a made up number) in place of ones’ SSN is completely legal since creditors are on shaky ground asking for your SSN in the first place. In regards to the truth in lending act they will argue that one has to exhibit “an intent to defraud” a creditor. My question “Is concealing ones’ adverse credit history intent in itself?” While I am not an Attorney on the matter of credit law I can conclude that if a consumer was to create an alternate credit file using the EIN or PIN method they better be darn sure they never have a problem paying their bills. If they do, they most likely would find themselves in a courtroom with a case involving credit fraud. Which brings me to my next topic.

How To Create An Alternate Credit File Legally

Most consumers are unaware that in addition to consumer credit reports, both Experian and Equifax own and operate business credit reporting services. By creating a business credit profile a consumer can now create an alternate credit file legally. While some creditors such as residential utility companies will not allow you to use business credit in place of personal credit, we have had numerous clients who have successfully used business credit to obtain credit cards, automotive leases and loans. This technique (although controversial) can be very effective when done properly. The basics of building business credit involve 1.) Setting up the proper structure for your business (i.e. Corporation, LLC, etc.). 2.) Obtaining an EIN as well as a DUNS number (Dunn and Bradstreet). 3.) Borrow and/or buy products and services from vendors who reports to business credit reporting agencies such as Experian, Equifax and Dunn & Bradstreet. While building business credit requires time just like personal credit, don’t get is couraged. Remember, when you set out to begin building your business credit you are starting with a clean slate. This is when it becomes imperative that one learn from the mistakes of their past. Remember, in the credit world those who do not learn from their past are (inevitably) doomed to repeat it.

(END)

In a few days we’ll talk about:

“Five Things Every Married Person Should

Know BEFORE Signing Any Credit

Application!”