Free credit report, get it!

[Sculli]

Many of you may not know that you are indeed entitled to a 100% free annual credit report, no BS.

Check FTC Facts for Consumers: Your Access to Free Credit Reports and get your free credit report at: AnnualCreditReport.com.

Good credit, bad credit, either which way, it's good to be informed and check it for accuracy.

 

[Zaliska_]

No need to check mine. It's very very bad!

Plus, someone got a Lowe's credit card and racked up $300 in my name. I sure as hell don't shop at Lowe's!!!! Thanks or reminding me, Sculli! :banghead3:

 

[Rones]

Interesting site. Forgot I had a deparment store card open I don't use anymore. Need to close that.

 

[Bigboy]

I am truely outstandng it seems. I've never actually checked til now but I have 12 good marks on my record from various banks, and nothing negative. My money juggling must look really good to the credit card companies.

 

[Sculli]

The average credit score of Americans is 678 (as seen somewhere on CNN in recent days).

 

[Ronith]

I've got nothing lol, I'm only 18, and never had a debit/credit card D: ... dont wanna be tempted ;o

 

[Rones]

The average credit score of Americans is 678 (as seen somewhere on CNN in recent days).

First two sites wouldn't give me a number unless I paid extra. Was there a way to get that with the free credit report?

 

[Sculli]

First two sites wouldn't give me a number unless I paid extra. Was there a way to get that with the free credit report?

Probably not, it's the FICO score, I get it through one of my credit card accounts as value-added service.

The FICO score basics are somewhat like this:
- if you have too many inqueries, you get a low score
- if you have too few credit accounts you get a low score
- if you have too many, you get a low score
- if you carry too much balance, you get a low score
- if you don't carry balance, you get a low score
- if you only make minimum payments, you get a low score
- if you do anything out of the ordinary (pay late, don't pay for a month, etc etc), you get a low score

There's a bunch of stuff online about how people think that the FICO is being computed. Of course those who compute the FICO do not release just how exactly it is being calculated.

Popular belief seems to be that you get optimal credit score if you have 2 long term liabilities (student loan, mortgage, car loan, etc), 2 revolving accounts (major credit cards), and 2 merchant lines of credit (i.e. Dell credit, or Sam's Club, or one of those department cards, or a gas card or some such). If you pay more than the minimum, and if you carry about 25% of the credit limit as balance while never being late on payments.

Also, no savings account -> lower score.

But since no one knows for sure, this may all be BS and it could be the complete opposite.

 

[Sculli]

I've got nothing lol, I'm only 18, and never had a debit/credit card D: ... dont wanna be tempted ;o

It's never too early to establish a credit record, if you can do so responsibly. Not having a credit record can be worse than having a bad one in certain circumstances. I'd suggest to get a gas card, or a department store merchant credit card so that you can start building credit without being able to just go out on the town and blow all your credit on booze and women.

 

[CmdrFly]

Getting a 404... anyone else? Also, does it work for us northies?

 

[Zimzum]

so.. anyone know how to fix bad credit? I made some mistakes as a teen that are keeping me from getting anything but student loans. Which i have plenty of.

 

[Jague]

They have commercials on tv all the time for freecreditreport.com......

 

[Sculli]

so.. anyone know how to fix bad credit? I made some mistakes as a teen that are keeping me from getting anything but student loans. Which i have plenty of.

There is only one way to fix bad credit. Pay your exisiting credits on time and above the minimum. Contact those with whom you still have debt and pay it off in full or as agreed. That is it. Any of the "we will erase your bad credit" things are scams.