Credit Reports

The free services you talk about are ‘Free Trials’.

They take your credit card details as they know that a certain percentage of people won’t cancel the trial service – this means they’ll then end up paying for a subscription ‘credit monitoring’ service.

In the UK, there are 2 such free trial services – one with Equifax, the other is with Experian.

http://www.thecreditagency.co.uk/equifax/equifax-free-credit-report.html

http://www.thecreditagency.co.uk/experian/

You have to give your credit card details with the free trial services listed above.

The other UK credit reference agency (Callcredit) does not offer free trials. However, there is a company that provides CallCredit Reports for free and you don’t need to provide any card details. That company is called http://www.annualcreditreport.co.uk/

annualcreditreport.co.uk make their money by enabling customers to email you, or text message you with credit related products….. be careful with that service though! I signed up to it and ended up getting text messages at 3am in the morning to do with credit repair and loan products.

If you don’t mind waiting up to 7 working days for your credit report, then you can obtain a copy of your statutory credit report for £2. Details on how to order your statutory credit report can be found here:

http://www.thecreditagency.co.uk/credit-report/check-my/statutory-credit-report.html

What really happens when you use freecreditreport.com?

This was for a contest to either cover one of the songs from the commercials or write your own jingle. Being that this isn’t very flattering to the website, I bet I won’t win.

Here are the lyrics, by request:

I thought that I should check my score at freecreditreport.com
after seeing that guy explain to me all the things that could go wrong
but I didn’t read the fine print and when a bunch of time went by
I saw that every month they’d charged my card about $14.95

so now I’m back in debt, that’s what I get for thinking it was free
and even now my pet turtle just can’t stand the site of me

I can’t afford expensive drinks so cheap ones will suffice

but now I’m all hung over after drinking Natty Ice
online everyone’s un-friended me, even that guy Tom
all because most of my money went to freecreditreport.com

so now I’m back in debt, that’s what I get for thinking it was free
I didn’t know it’s legal to intentionally mislead

my lights have been shut off and my sink has now run dry
and all that’s left to do is sit alone in the dark and cry
I had a house and family, but now everything is gone
so my life’s completely ruined by freecreditreport.com

Duration : 0:1:31

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Technorati Tags: bad, burning, bushes, com, Commercial, Credit, dan, Free, freecreditreport.com, louisell, Parody, Report, spoof

http://www.CreditRepairPublishing.com

info from the Credit Secrets Bible

CREDIT REPAIR FACTS and FALLACIES: 6 Ways to Separate Fact From Fiction!

Credit bureaus like experian, equifax and trans union are not government agencies. They are privately held for profit companies….

So many consumers freak out about their credit report and the credit bureaus. It’s the like the credit boogeyman is chasing them in a bad credit dream (or credit nightmare).

So much information is conflicting it’s easy to get confused. Most banks and credit bureaus like trans union, equifax and experian would love you to believe that the only thing that can repair your credit report is time.

Laughs….

How about all the errors and inaccurate information? Can that only improve or heal over time as well?

let’s face it. You’re worth more to the credit bureaus and banks with bad credit then good. You’re worth more with a low credit score than a high credit score. So, is it any surprise the system is slanted and almost all the errors are in the favor of the banks and credit bureaus like experian, equifax and trans union?

Hmmmm….

Can 100% accurate information be removed from your Credit Reports? Actually, contrary to popular belief, it can. Nothing prohibits a credit furnisher of information (FOI) from removing accurate information from a credit report.
Even if it is negative or derogatory. Remember, credit bureaus are really in the business of selling information.

It just happens to be that negative information is more profitable than positive (wait a minute. That sounds like the news). Anyway…

Even if you’re a “good citizen” you have to understand that each bureau has it’s own sources and methods for calculating your credit score. It does not all come down to a company called Fair Isaac, FICO or www.myfico.com in Minneapolis Minnesota.

Different credit bureaus generate different consumer credit scores. Sorry. We don’t make the rules. We just help you learn how to play the game better.

And no matter what anyone says, credit repair is not INSTANT and guaranteed (even if Johnny Cochrane comes back from the dead and becomes your personal credit attorney).

The credit system is really unpredictable and part of the process is a random roll of the dice. In the end, it is persistence and experience that makes the difference.

A good credit restoration company will do a better job that you ever could on your own but it will not happen for $49 a month. To do it right it will cost much more.

Credit restoration can be done on your own and every situation is different. Whether you choose to do it on your own or hire a company that fact is that it is better to do something than nothing.

Unfortunately, most people are doing nothing (at least right now anyway). Don’t make this mistake. The time to invest in your credit is NOT when you need it, but 1 to 2 years BEFORE you need it.

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Duration : 0:9:59

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Technorati Tags: Credit, facts, fallacies, FICO, improve, myfico, repair, score, truth

http://www.creditexpert.co.uk
Check your credit score with the Credit Expert.

Lenders use credit scoring to decide who to lend to and how much to charge.

If you’re want to know what your credit score is, use my personal website, http://www.creditexpert.co.uk. It gives personalised advice on improving your score. Enjoy it for 30days absolutely free. Please, I insist.

I’ve always kept an eye on my credit score by using the site. And you can also check your credit report for free whenever you like – I look at mine every day, no matter what I’ve been up to.

Why not try it yourself?

Duration : 0:0:30

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Technorati Tags: credit expert, credit expert advert Experian, credit score, credit score tips, credit score uk, credit scores

Here ya go. Oh yeah, sorry about how the video flashes occasionally, I tried my best but I just couldn’t fix it. Deal with it.

Lyrics:
New Job/Pirate Restaurant Commercial:
They say a man should always dress
For the job he wants, so
Why’m I dressed up like a pirate
In this restaurant?
It’s all because some hacker
Stole my identity
Now I’m in here every evening
Serving chowder and iced tea

Shoulda gone to:
Free credit report dot com

Yee-haa!

I coulda seen this coming at me like an atom bomb
They monitor your credit and send you email alerts
So you don’t end up selling fish to tourists in T-shirts
Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Dream Girl:
Well I married my dream girl
I married my dream girl
But she didn’t tell me her credit was bad
So now instead of living in a pleasant suburb
We’re living in the basement at her mom and dad’s.

No we can’t get a loan
For a respectable home
Just because my girl defaulted on an old credit card
If we’d gone to free credit report dot com
I’d be a happy bachelor with a dog and a yard.
Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

New Car:
Well I was shopping for a new car, which one’s me
A cool convertible or an SUV?
Too bad I didn’t know my credit was whack
‘Cause now I’m driving off the lot in a used sub-compact.

F-R-E-E, that spells free-
Credit report dot com, baby
Saw their ads on my TV
Thought about going but was too lazy
Now instead of looking fly and rollin’ phat
My legs are sticking to the vinyl and my posse’s getting
Laughed at
F-R-E-E, that spells free-
Credit report dot com, baby
Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Bicycles:
Check it out, gas prices blowing up sky high
Ditched my used subcompact for a two-wheeled ride
Now I’m rolling eco-friendly but I still look bad
When the bike store saw my credit they said this was all they had

F to the R to the E to the E to the
C to the R to the E D I T
RE to P O R T to the DOT to the COM
Come on everybody grab your bike and sing along, it’s easy
Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Rock Star:
When you’re a rock star
You get to party hard
Champagne and caviar
Tricked-out exotic cars

It’s just how I thought it’d be
‘cept the party’s not for me
‘Cause some punk opened a credit card with my ID

Free What? (free credit!) report dot com (I said it!)
That’s the site I’m gonna hit when I go home
They know how credit works
They send email alerts
Now I’m finding out how bad reality hurts
Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Renaissance Fair:
I was getting depressed ’cause of all the stress I was feeling at home
Had a poor credit score and the number would haunt me wherever I’d go
Thought I’d move to a place where my credit could stink and nobody would care
I just wish that somebody had told me that place was a Renaissance Fair!
Free Credit Report dot com!
Tell your friends, tell your dad, tell you mom!
Never mind, they’ve been singing our songs
Since we first showed up with our pirate hats on!
If you’re not into fake sword fights
Pointy slippers and green wool tights
Take a trip from a knight who knows
Free Credit Report dot com, let’s go!
Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Roller Coaster:
Buckle up everybody cause were taking a ride
It can strain your relationships and hurt your pride
It’s the credit roller coaster and as you can see it kinda bites so sing the lyrics with me:

When your debt goes up, your score goes down,
When you pay a little off it goes the other way around
It’s just the same for everybody every boy and girl,
The credit roller coaster makes you wanna hurl.

So throw your hands in the air, and wave ‘em around
Like a wannabe frat boy trying to get down
Then bring em right back to where your laptops at.
Log on to freecreditreport.com, stat
Free credit score and report with enrollment in Triple Advantage

Cell Phone:
Wanted to get myself a new cell phone
So I could hear myself as a ringtone
Who knew the store would go
And check my credit score?
Now all they let me have is this dinosaur!

Hello hello hello, can anybody hear me?
I know I know I know, I should have gone to
FreeCreditReport.coooom!
That’s where I shoulda gone,
Could have got my knowledge on.
Free credit score and report with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Reno:
We were stuck in a basement apartment
Tiny rooms where the sun never blessed
So when we needed space for a family,
Set our sights on the wide, open, west.

Well I thought we’d see sierra vistas
And breathe air pure as new-fallen snow
But my poor credit score was a sinker (or stinker?),
Now we rent by the week in Reno.
Free credit score and report with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Duration : 0:4:41

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i have a 580 credit score with a recently clean credit report,any government loan programs out there?

Is this for a house?
FHA typically will want you to bring that score up to 620 before they will deal with you.

Is it possible without revealing credit/debit card details and an email address

You can’t. It costs £2 to view your report. Get the address and send a postal order or cheque…

The FREE Background check has been one of the most frequently advertised and often misleading products on the Internet since the beginning of World Wide Web time. A safe rule of thumb is…If someone is paying to advertise it, then it’s not free. You will have to give up a credit card number to see the results of the “search” which may or may not be relevant.

The good news is, YES YOU CAN conduct a free background check online if you know where to look and you don’t mind doing a little leg work. Please note: If you’re a corporation conducting background checks for employment screening purposes you should always use a professional background screening company that is well versed in federal and state F.C.R.A (Fair Credit Reporting Act) compliance and has references to prove their track record. The Securities Exchange Commission and Department of Labor have steep financial penalties for companies that do not follow the rules when conducting background checks. Not to mention civil liability from the applicant. End of Friendly Warning

Now…onto the occasional background check you want to conduct on the guy/girl you met at the coffee shop, the neighbor that’s been eyeing your new lawn mower, or the accountant that was referred by a friend of a friend. How can you check them out without hiring a professional or using a service that you don’t know a lot about?

Step 1: Get a Date of Birth (if possible)
To do an accurate criminal background check on anyone, especially if they have a common name, you need to know their date of birth. The exception to this requirement is Sex Offender Records which you can search NATIONALLY with just a first and last name as well as Federal Inmate Records. We’ll get to these parts shortly.

One easy way to find date of birth information online is a free search such as http://www.birthdatabase.com/. Keep in mind that although this free database is very accurate, not all persons’ date of births will be found in it. If you have no luck there, try one of the following to get your subjects date of birth…

·Social Networking Sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Bebo etc. often display a date of birth in the user’s “profile” page. Go to each one and search for the person by name within your state.

· If the person is a licensed professional, search State Licensing Agencies as their date of birth is often public record. You can typically search by occupation and name.

· As a last resort, just ask em! What the heck, tell them you want to buy them a birthday present or put their D.O.B. on your Outlook calendar. You can even be sneaky and say you want to see how good their driver’s license picture looks. Be creative.

Step 2: Search Sex Offender Registries
Okay, so you have their name and date of birth, what next? A good first step for any background check would be the National Sex Offender Registry. Here (as we mentioned above) you can search with just the first and last name and then narrow it down by state, city, etc. All sex offender records have pictures in the detail so if you do come across a record on the person you’ll know if it’s them and likely get their date of birth as well if you don’t already have it. Of course you also might be ending your search at that point and changing your phone number.

Note: Make sure you search by any known version of their name such as Bob, Robert, Bobbie, Rob or Dick, Richard, etc. Alias names will show up if they’re known by the arresting authority but better safe than sorry.

Step 3: Search FEDERAL Inmate Records
Use the Federal Bureau of Prison’s Inmate Search to search for people that have served time in a federal prison between 1982 and present. This search requires only a first name and last name to search but you can enter an age to limit your results. I don’t recommend limiting your search with an age or middle initial unless you get too many results to sift through. It’s always better to make your search as broad as possible, then narrow it once you see the results. Federal crimes can include many financial or white collar crimes, internet related crimes, and other crimes that fall into multiple jurisdictions.

Step 4: Search STATE Department of Corrections Records
Move on to individual state Department of Correction’s records. On Virtualgumshoe.com we list and link to all the searchable Department of Correction’s sites. Be sure to search the Department of Corrections for every state you know the subject has lived, has immediate family in, as well as neighboring states if they lived near the border of other states. Of course the more states you search the better, but we’re putting this in terms of a reasonable expectation of time. Note: You may find that some states will only show information for current inmates, but most will have past inmate records as well.

Step 5: Search Available County and State Court Databases
Common Question: Wouldn’t County convictions result in time served in a state prison?
Answer: Not always. Many convictions result in probation or supervision. Even if a defendant is sentenced to up to a year in jail, that sentence may be served at a county jail as opposed to a state facility.

Use the County and State criminal record search links found here on Virtualgumshoe. We only link to the ones that are free and searchable. Even if your search lies in a state that has free statewide criminal record search online, use the county level search as well if available. Free state databases (there’s only a few) such as Wisconsin and Missouri are great but they still rely on updates from the individual counties which are more current. If you know the cities but not the corresponding counties, you can use the “Investigator’s Tools” section of Virtualgumshoe to locate the county by entering the city. Note: Make sure you follow the instructions and proper search format on each county site such as (last name, first name). Once again, be sure to search any available county or state database that is available for every location the subject has lived. The more jurisdictions you cover the better. Professional background screeners determine this information by tracing the social security number, but that is not publicly accessible information.

Now, is every county or state going to have a free and searchable database for the general public to use online? No, they’re not. Although criminal records are “public information”, that doesn’t mean the state or county can’t charge a fee or make you subscribe to a service to get that information electronically. The ones listed on Virtualgumshoe are indeed free and online. Those listed on Virtualgumshoe and most other counties not listed will let you walk into the actual courthouse and search a public computer terminal for criminal records. It’s just not realistic for most people to take the time to go to the courthouse, learn how to use the computer terminal correctly and do the search on site. Especially if you have multiple jurisdictions to search.

Step 6 Optional (Moving Beyond the Criminal Record)
If you have the time and the patience to do a little more detective work, and depending on the situation, there’s a few options. Above, I mentioned the State Licensing Agencies. If the person is a “professional” such as an Accountant, Doctor, Lawyer, Investigator, Nurse, etc. You can find registered complaints against the person or their office. If the person is with a financial institution, check out the “Got Money, Then Protect it” post on the Virtualgumshoe Blog for instructions on how to conduct due diligence on brokers, financial advisors and banks.

Earlier we mentioned the use of Social Networking Sites to locate a possible date of birth. We’ll if you haven’t already, you can also use those sites to gain a lot of character information as well. Many people carelessly post pictures and comments that reveal far more than they might wish to outside their immediate circle of friends. Of course take it with a grain of salt; everyone is entitled to being a little crazy when they don’t think the world is looking.

Another much overlooked method to checking on someone’s online activity and character is simply using Google. Searching their name is a good start, but also search any known email addresses they use and change or break them up a little bit. For example, if the person’s known email address is “vixen123456@gmail.com”, search for the whole email address on Google but also search for “vixen123456″ by itself. You might find the person set up a secondary account under hotmail, yahoo, or other service for posting in more discreet chat rooms. Trust me, it happens.
Overall, the key to a successful background check is to use the above suggestions as an outline more than an instruction manual. The best resources to use will change depending on the subject of your search and the information you seek. Use keyword searches on Virtualgumshoe to find additional free sources of information in other areas. Remember, the resources we link to on Virtualgumshoe are all free. Free is great, but it takes a little work, so weigh your options accordingly. If you’re considering a paid search to save time, read the following. Otherwise, good luck with your searching!

Are the Paid Criminal Record Searches any different from what I can do for Free?
They are quite different. For example, the “Guardian Report” or any true “Nationwide Criminal Record Search” you see advertised online is a database compilation search that combines any criminal record information we could gather electronically and update fairly frequently. So there are hundreds of government sources feeding into our “Guardian Report” search totaling over 500 million criminal records. These sources include most all of the county, state, department of corrections, and sex offender registries mentioned above plus many others that do not make their information available online. We have to contract with these jurisdictions and pay fees to access their data. You can see the exact coverage and update frequency of our National Database on the Guardian Report Coverage Database.

Which is better for me. Free or Paid Criminal Record Searches?

To most people, free is always better, but the do it yourself method has its limits as does the pay search. If the states and counties your subject has lived in have online access, stick to free. You can then search as many variations on the name as you like and check back as frequently as you’d like. However, if you have time constraints or the places the subject lived are not accessible online, than check the coverage page of the Guardian Reprot or other online database and see if the areas you require are listed and updated frequently. Just be careful when selecting a pay service for an “instant” background check. They are not all created equal and some are rarely updated. Note: NO CRIMINAL RECORD SEARCH YOU’LL FIND ONLINE CONTAINS ALL CRIMINAL RECORDS FROM EVERY JURISDICTION. Any advertisement that makes this claim is likely a scam. Make sure that the online service you use does the following.

· They list their full criminal record coverage detail online for every jurisdiction.

· They list an active phone number and physical address in their contact information.

· They have sample reports to view online.

· They have a terms and conditions statement availably for printing.

Tip: Watch out for phony “Top 10 Site Reviews” or “Consumer Reviews” of the best criminal record databases. Unless the reviews are through a well known source these are usually advertisements for fake databases or subscription services.

Just remember, the Internet is becoming more and more of an amazing resource for information. We can all conduct research in minutes that would have taken months, or years just a decade ago. With its growing accessibility and popularity, scam artists naturally follow. When conducting your own research, be skeptical of any site that offers to find out “everything” about “anybody” for a small fee. Always call and ask questions. For more in-depth research or legal matters, always use a licensed private investigator or professional background screening company.

It may all be “public information” but professionals will always have greater access to in-depth information than is available online to the general public.

Brad Jones
http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/how-can-i-conduct-a-truly-free-background-check-online-706764.html

Have you looked at your retirement account now and feel that you just can’t retire? Are you closing in on retirement age and feel that you won’t be able to retire and live on the money you thought you had put away?

Many people have been put into a tough decision about retirement because of the economic fallout. Decisions like this can cause so much stress that you may have health issues. If you are almost at retirement age and you have been paying on your home, you may be eligible for a reverse mortgage.

Reverse Mortgages can help you find ways to make ends meet if you are eligible. By doing a reverse mortgage you can be paid and stay in your home. This often can help you even with the loss you suffered due to the economic problems.  Don’t be afraid to investigate any options available to you. Often you will find that your options will help you retire and make that adjustment much more comfortable.

But before you start your investigation, take the time to update and correct your credit history report. Get a copy of your credit report and check each item on your report for accuracy. Anything on your report that is incorrect dispute it with that credit bureau. Those items that are inaccurate or misleading could be causing your credit score to be lower. By correcting those items your credit score could go up and make any options such as a reverse mortgage better for you.

You may even find that you have items being reported that simply do not belong to you. You might have even been a victim of Identity Theft. Be sure to dispute those items and report the identity theft to the Federal Government. You can go to the FTC.gov website and get more details on what you need to do to report Identity Theft. If you have quite a few items that need to be disputed you may want to look into hiring a professional to dispute for you.

There are legitimate Credit Repair Companies out there but you must be careful who you hire. They can dispute what you tell them is inaccurate or not yours in the best manner to get those items either removed or corrected. Good Credit Repair Companies have dealt with each of the three major credit bureaus and use that knowledge to keep the bureaus working on your disputes.

Mel Jensen
http://www.articlesbase.com/credit-articles/i-cant-retire-now-1313191.html

You don’t know how it happened. You pay off credit card debts as soon as you receive your bill. You plunk down rent money on time. You’ve been making out your check to your car dealer like clockwork. So, why are brokers and lenders only willing to give you home loans for women with bad credit?

Bad things happen to good people, and receiving negative score is one of them. It’s even possible you don’t deserve your negative rating. Your credit card company could have erroneously logged your payments as delinquent. This has happened to others countless of times before. Or, your car dealer could have mistaken you for another client whose checks bounced.

What Happens Now?
If you find yourself on the receiving end of home loans for women with bad credit, make inquiries. Do you truly deserve the negative rating? If you do, don’t despair. There are home loans for women with bad credit. If you don’t, do not take it sitting down. You shouldn’t accept home loans for women with bad credit when you know you’ve been paying off your debts promptly and correctly. Have your credit history reviewed and corrected.

Home Loans for Women with Bad Credit
Borrowing from a subprime market lender is the easiest way to obtain home loans for women with bad credit. Subprime lenders are so eager to kowtow to borrowers they actually provide you with plenty of elbow room for negotiations. The catch is that finding a reliable subprime lender is difficult. Most subprime operations are fly-by-night and predatory. Additionally, subprime loans come with higher interests. This is because your bad credit makes you a financial risk. From a lender’s viewpoint, higher interest rates will justify taking on the risk that you pose.

Another way to avail of home loans for women with bad credit is through the Federal Housing Administration. AN FHA loan is insured by the government. This makes lenders more complacent about giving loans to women who are lumped in the high-risk category.

Qualifying for an FHA Loan
To qualify for an FHA loan, you must have at least one year of acceptable credit history. The good thing about FHA loans is that you can make as low a downpayment as possible. In fact, your downpayment could even be partly or fully shouldered by a non-profit organization or another government agency.

Correcting Negative Credit Rating
If your negative credit rating is absolutely undeserved, have it corrected. The following are steps you would do well to follow in having the mistake corrected:

1. Request for a free copy of your credit report. Do this within 60 days after you were denied the loan. Most people do not know that annually, they are entitled to at least one free report from each of the three major credit bureaus.

2. If loan rejection is due to the information your credit bureau provided, request for the contact number of the said bureau.

3. Ascertain how, when, and where the mistake occurred. Then, have it corrected for free. All you have to do is submit your request for correction. You may use a dispute form or a separate sheet. Be sure to send it along with supporting documents, such as receipts or other proof of payment.

There are home loans for women with bad credit. Whether or not you deserve a negative rating, it’s still possible for you to own a house. At this point, it’s not your bad credit that matters. It’s what you do with it that does.

Rony Walker
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/buy-a-house-even-with-bad-credit-home-loans-for-women-with-bad-credit-140520.html