Articles & News About Your Credit

Debunking The Top Myths About Your Credit Report

Considering how valuable your credit report and your resulting credit score are to you, it never ceases to amaze me how many people believe in and rely on misconceptions, myths, and downright bunk about how credit reporting really works. To adequately function in today's society, one's credit score needs to be at least at the "ok" level, and people with bad credit or poor credit are only accelerating their downward spiral by not doing something about it.

The sad part is that there ARE things you can do to improve your credit score. While those things take effort, they do not necessarily require money and these are all things you can do at home.

Most people do not realize that they have three entirely separate and distinct credit reports, one from each of the three credit reporting bureaus. Since these bureaus do not share information, they each report what they think they know, which in reality means that not one of them has a true and complete picture of your credit. To add insult to injury, chances are extremely high that your credit report with at least one (if not all) of the credit bureaus contains errors, and the only way the errors will get fixed and removed is if YOU dispute them. I have heard of people whose credit score jumped more than 100 points in less than a month after they got various inaccurate pieces of information removed from their credit profile.

But let's spend some time here talking about some very common myths about credit, credit scores, and credit reporting, and find out what the real deal is on this misconceptions.

Myth #1: Paying off a negative account on your credit report will get it removed from your report.

This is not true at all. That account will remain on your credit report for years, plainly showing for all to see that it went past due, it went delinquent, and then you paid it off. But since it is part and parcel of your credit history, it stays on your credit history for years. Remember, your credit history is exactly that ? a HISTORY of your dealings with credit, and just because an account is closed or paid off does not dismiss the fact that it is still part of your credit history.

Myth #2: Paying off an account will cause your credit score to increase significantly.

Again not true. There are a huge number of factors that come into play when the credit bureaus calculate your credit score. Chief amongst those factors are have you been paying your financial obligations on time with at least the minimum payment due. Paying off an account entirely can actually do more damage than good. Having credit in good standing, but keeping your balance less than about 32% of your credit limit is a great place to be, and you gain no additional points by paying off that account.

Myth #3: Checking your credit reports will lower your credit score.

Yet again not true. The financially savvy consumer will check his credit report at least once a year, sometimes more often. Every time someone requests a copy of your credit report, that fact is flagged, but it is also flagged as to WHO requested your credit report. If it was you, then it does nothing to your credit score, as opposed to having your credit report requested by 12 different loan companies, which is almost sure to raise a red flag and lower your score.

Myth #4: Cosigning for a loan does not mean you are responsible for the account.

Not at all true. The reason you were requested to co-sign on a loan or an account for someone is because they themselves have insufficient credit history or have bad credit history. The act of you co-signing on it is you telling the financial institution "hey, if they default on this, I'll take care of it", so you DO have responsibility for the loan. But it gets worse ? if the person who took out the loan starts to default on it, then it is also YOUR credit score that suffers, since again, you co-signed on it, giving you some responsibility for making sure they repay it on time.

Understand how the credit game is played. You cannot win any game if you don't know the rules, and since credit affects a lot of different aspects of your life, it is well worth your time to understand the factors and the myths about how your credit score is derived.

For more insights and additional information about How To Raise Your Credit Score and to get free copies of your credit report from the top credit bureaus, please visit our web site at http://www.credit-help-center.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Loans for Bad Credit  Acquire loans in spite of poor credit score!
Introduction:

County Court Judgements And Bad Credit Mortgages
A County Court Judgement is an order by the courts for one party to pay an amount owing to another party County Court Judgements, or CCJs, affect people?s credit files and will normally require the applicant to abandon the prospect of applying for traditions mortgage products and instead apply for bad credit mortgages

Repaying Bad Credit Student Loans
Well, it was nice while it lasted. You got the money for your tuition, finished that last semester, and now you have graduated, diploma in hand. However, in the not so distant future, the glow will wear off, and you'll be facing the repayment of all those loans. While you have managed to allow your payment and credit history to suffer while you've been focused on your studies, those bad credit repayment demands on those loans won't go away. First year college students usually acquire student loans without too much trouble. It's the third and fourth year students who are often plagued by bad credit, and then must resort to finding bad credit student loans.

How To Increase Credit Score
If you are suffering from a low credit score then it?s very important that you learn how to increase your credit score. This very important task can be completed all on your own rather then hiring someone for around $600. It?s easy and I will tell you just how to do this because there are many different things that you can do to increase a credit score.

A Renter in Debt? Take Out a Bad Credit Personal Loan
On average, homeowner households earn 95% more than renting households per year. With 26% of a rental households disposable income being spent on renting, in comparison to 15% of homeowners on their houses (not including maintenance), it is unsurprising that people who rent find it harder to manage and turn to bad credit personal loans for help.

Is it possible to get a Student Loan without Credit Checks?
Believe it or not, there are ways to finance college with no need to ckeck one's credit history.

Credit Repair - 5 Reasons Why You Should NOT Use A Credit-Repair Service!
Every day, consumers pay huge sums of money to credit-repair service companies that promise a quick credit fix in an effort to handle disputes, improve their ratings and get a good FICO score. And almost all of the time, they find that their money is completely wasted.

Refinance Your Mortgage to Rebuild Credit
Refinancing your mortgage is one way to rebuild your credit, particularly if you have recently declared bankruptcy. With a poor credit history, you can find refinancing through a sub prime lender.

An Easy To-Do Credit Repair All By Oneself
Credit repair is a task to improve the credit status of the company. It analyses the credit report for the same and deduces the plan of action that an individual needs to follow.

Bad Credit - How to Fix Legally Fix Your Credit History
Probably one of the most insane situations a person can get into is when all his finances are out of control and there is nothing but complete mayhem. When your credit history is at its all time low and even the most strict methods of monetary discipline seem to fail, then there is nowhere else to run to but your your lawyer; yes, because he's the only one that can legally fix your credit history.

What If I Lose My Credit Card?
Report the loss immediately. Those four words are probably the most important words you can remember should you lose your credit card. Let's look at this a bit more closely.

Credit Repair Companies and Credit Counseling
Let's be crystal clear, right up front. Paying someone to "fix" your credit is a waste of your time and money, since the negative issues that are temporarily removed from your file will only reappear again in a couple of months.

Earn While You Spend With Cash Back Credit Cards
An excellent way in which to earn money while you are out shopping for those things that you and your family need is through the use of cash back credit cards. You will be glad that you have done this because these cards will greatly reward you with cash back on every purchase that you have just made. Plus you will also be able to get even more savings that you may have never before thought were possible.

5 Crucial Tips When Shopping For Low Interest Rate Credit Cards
In today?s market low interest rate credit cards are easily found online, in the mail and at your local bank. There really isn?t a difference where you decide to shop for your new credit card most places offer the same deals from the same card issuers. However, there are definitely some features you need to be aware of and avoid if possible. I have listed the most crucial points to be aware of when shopping for low interest rate credit cards, they are as follows: