Sunday, August 9th, 2009

Easily Raise Your Credit Score 100 Points

By Vincent Dail

Your credit report contains information about where you work, live and how you pay your bills (On time or not). It also may show whether you’ve been sued, arrested or have filed for bankruptcy with in the last 10 years. Companies called consumer reporting agencies (cra) or credit bureaus compile and sell your credit report to businesses all over the world.

Many financial advisors suggest that you periodically review your credit report for inaccuracies or omissions. This could be especially important if you’re considering making a major purchase, such as buying a home. Checking in advance on the accuracy of information in your credit file could speed the credit-granting process, clean credit is a must.

Because businesses use this information to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, and other purposes allowed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), it’s important that the information in your report is complete and accurate.

Whenever you apply for any type of credit or financing, a credit report is pulled from at least one of the three major credit bureaus. You want a clean credit report to be pulled. While there are hundreds of smaller credit bureaus around the country, virtually every credit bureau is affiliated with either Experian, Trans Union, or Equifax.

Getting Your Clean Credit Report

If you’ve been denied credit, insurance, or employment because of information supplied by a credit reporting agency, the FCRA says the company you applied to must give you the agency`s name, address, and telephone number. If you contact the agency for a copy of your report within 60 days of receiving a denial notice, the report is free. In addition, you’re entitled to one free copy of your report a year.

If you simply want a copy of your report, call each credit bureau listed since more than one agency may have a file on you, some with different information.

The three major national credit bureaus are:

Equifax, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241; (80….

Experian (formerly TRW), P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013; (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742).

Trans Union, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022; (800….

Correcting Errors For Clean Credit.

To protect all your rights under the law and to keep your credit clean contact both the CRA and the information provider.

First to get clean credit reports, tell the credit reporting agency in writing what information you believe is inaccurate. Include copies (please keep your originals) of documents that support your position. 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 deletion or correction. Always keep copies of your dispute letter.

They must reinvestigate the items in question, usually within 30 days, unless they consider your dispute frivolous. They also must forward all relevant data you provide about the dispute to the information provider. After the information provider receives notice of a dispute from the CRA, it must investigate, review all relevant information provided by the CRA, and report the results to the CRA. If the information provider finds the disputed information to be inaccurate, it must notify all nationwide CRAs so they can correct this information in your file. Disputed information that cannot be verified must be deleted from your file, then you will recieve a clean credit report, with that item removed.

If your report contains erroneous information, the CRA must correct it(clean credit).

If an item is incomplete, the CRA must complete it. For example, if your file showed that you were late making payments ( 30 days or more), but failed to show that you were no longer delinquent, the CRA must show that you’re current.

If your file shows an account that belongs only to another person, the CRA must delete it.

When the reinvestigation is complete, they must give you the written results and a free copy of your clean credit report, if the dispute results in a change. If an item is changed or removed, they cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies its accuracy and completeness.

Also, if you request, they must send notices of clean credit report corrections to anyone who received your report in the past six months. Job applicants can have a corrected copy of their clean credit report sent to anyone who received a copy during the past two years for employment purposes. If a reinvestigation does not resolve your dispute, ask the CRA to include your statement of the dispute in your file and in future reports.

Second, in addition to writing to the credit agency, tell the creditor or other information provider in writing that you dispute an item. Again, include copies (please not originals) of documents that support your position. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider then reports the item to any credit reporting angency, it must include a notice of your dispute. In addition, if you are correct that is, if the disputed information is not accurate the information provider may not use it again, thus you will have a clean credit report.

When negative information in your report is accurate, only the passage of time can assure its removal. Accurate negative information can generally stay on your report for 7 years.

Clean Credit: There are certain exceptions:

Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10 years.

Information about criminal convictions may be reported without any time limitation.

Credit information reported in response to an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limit.

Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. Criminal convictions can be reported without any time limit.

Credit information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limit.

Adding clean credit accounts to your file:

Your credit file may not reflect all your clean credit accounts. Although most national department stores and all-purpose bank credit card accounts will be included in your file, not all creditors supply information: Some travel, entertainment, gasoline card companies, local retailers, and credit unions are among those creditors that don’t report clean credit.

If you’ve been told you were denied clean credit because of an insufficient credit file or no credit file and you have accounts with creditors that don’t appear in your credit file, ask the CRA to add this information to future reports. This will help get you on the road to a clean credit report. Although they are not required to do so, many CRAs will add verifiable accounts for a fee. You should, however, understand that if these creditors do not report to the CRA on a regular basis, these added items will not be updated in your file.

For More Information Visit: Credit Repair Specialist For The Very Latest, Articles And Tips On Credit Repair!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Question about Tax Returns. Can I use my Student Loans for a Tax Credit. How does that work?

tax credit
Agent 47 asked:


In my Student Loan accounts it says that I will be able to use a reportable tax interest form 1098E. Does that mean I can use my loan repayments as a tax credit or deductible? By the way, My loans are currently on Forbearance.

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

What is this 8k tax credit as a first time home buyer ?

tax credit
John P asked:


Can someone explain in lay man terms as what exactly is this 8k tax credit for first time home buyer.

If I am a first time buyer , salaried with 60K/year,planning to buy 190K home for the first time in my life

Does it mean that government is giving me 8K from there end to buy home which I don’t have to repay ? Is that 8K like a gift to me from govt which I don’t have to repay ?

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

How does the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit work for someone who didn’t owe anything on taxes?

tax credit
Sarah P asked:


I am in the process of buying my first home, and I am wondering how the $8000 tax credit will help me if at all. I have never owed anything on my taxes, I have always got a refund. Someone told me that if you didn’t owe anything on your taxes that you would actually get a check for $8000 but I am very skeptical. Has anyone out there been in this situation?

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Which tax form should I use to receive the recently passed tax credit?

tax credit
Tommmmmy asked:


I do not file taxes as I receive less than required to do so. Which form do I need to use in order to qualify for the recently passed tax credit offered as part of the economic stimulus plan?

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

How does the tax credit work if we sell before 3 years?

tax credit
Casey asked:


My husband and I just bought a house 2 hours away from our home town and now that we’re here we really aren’t liking it. We qualified for the first time home buyers tax credit, but still haven’t filed the paper work. We were told that we had to live in our house for 3 years, but if we don’t file for the credit is there still a penalty? And if we filed for the credit, but still moved before the 3 years, would we have to pay back the credit all at once?

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Do you count the additional child tax credit when figuring your payment from the stimulus plan?

tax credit
trying4_baby asked:


I did the 1040. Line 57–0; line 52—630(childa tax credit); line 68—370(additional child tax credit). Thanks for helping me. We made 42600 and have 1 child. We are married filing jointly.

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

How to file amdended tax return for two individuals filing for first time home buyers tax credit?

tax credit
Krista asked:


My boyfriend and I just closed on a home together. We want to file an amended tax return for the first time home buyers tax credit. How would we go about both filing an amended tax return. I know we need a certain form to amend and a certain form for the first time home buyers tax credit, but do we need to mail them in together, or just separately? Thanks in advance.

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

What exactly is the tax credit for employers who hire new workers and when do employers get the tax credit?

tax credit
Nate B asked:


I heard they passed this new tax credit for employers to boost employment in america. I have a small business and was trying to get more info on it like how much the tax credit is and when can the employers claim the tax credit.

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Tax credit?

tax credit
pinkdayzie86 asked:


I’m only 21…does this mean i do not qualify for earned income credit? i looked at the site below and i meet all qualification, but i dont quite understand the age qualifications.

http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/the_earned_income_credit/article

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Tax Credit?

tax credit
BeAuTiFuLlYbRoKeN asked:


Ok I didn’t work in 07 due to my husband’s passing in October of 06, just took time off to spend with my kids while they are still small. My only income for 07, was mine and my childrens Survivor Benefits (SSI). Will I qualify for the Tax Credit? I’ve heard a few different stories and I wanna get it straight. Thanks!