Sarah Dinkins asked:




Though such procedure may be a good suggestion, you may wonder whether it’s the optimal procedure in your particular case and whether it is worth the money it cost. Let’s analyze its benefits and drawbacks and what other alternatives you may have.

Credit monitoring is the key to avoiding identity theft; yet, it is not the only measure you can take in order to impede unscrupulous people from obtaining your credit details and social security number to use them for their advantage. There are other things you can do to reduce the risk of being a victim of identity theft and you can even monitor your credit yourself without hiring third party services.

Credit Monitoring Services Explained

A credit monitoring service provides you with updated information as regards to any access to your credit report. Whenever your credit report is pulled, you’ll receive an alert stating why and by whom was it pulled. Thus, you’ll be able to know immediately if your credit report was pulled with or without your authorization and how does that affect your credit score and history.

Any new account or credit line opened will immediately pop up and you’ll be notified. Thus, you’ll know right away if someone is using your name for illegal activities. This is very important because not only your credit can be affected by these practices, you may also have legal problems due to it which can turn out too costly and you can easily avoid them by using such services.

Finally, all other information included in your credit report is monitored, which implies that if any detail is changed for whatever purpose, you’ll be immediately notified so you can analyze whether it is a result of your actions or if there is someone else acting in your name. This lets you act immediately and take the necessary measures to avoid damage to your credit and assets.

Protecting Your Credit And Monitoring It Yourself

In order to protect your credit and identity, you need to be specially careful as to where you use your personal information like your full name, social security number, etc. This information should only be used and known by you unless needed otherwise due to justified reasons. If you need to use this information online, make sure the site is secure and if you doubt, ask for references before submitting such information.

The same goes to other critical details like credit card numbers, bank account numbers and codes, etc. Should you be asked by representatives for that information, make sure that they are entitled to it due to a request made by you and ask for confirmation that your information will be kept safe. There are online companies that can provide confirmation of the reliability and trustworthiness of online companies. Consult them whenever you think it’s necessary.

Though monitoring services provide continued updates on any access to your accounts and credit report, remember that you are entitled to requesting (free of charge) a copy of your credit report stating recent accesses to your credit history from each credit bureau, at least once a year.

Richard

madeline4477 asked:


I owe something. they report it on my credit every week I know this because I have a credit monitoring service. can they just keep re reporting it on my credit every week?

no answers about just pay it..I know that.. I will ignore those answers and that wasnt my question
I dont want to know how long it will be on there! I wish people would read the questions.. I am asking how many times can they re report it. they are reporting it once a week its on there once with re reports every week

Jeffery

Francine Denson asked:




In recent years credit monitoring services have become more and more popular as they provide instant alerts to individuals regarding changes to their credit reports. It’s a great way to monitor your individual credit history and recognize potential issues. Why not try to pinpoint issues with your credit history before they become huge problems? Read on to learn more about credit score monitoring and the many uses of these services.

Generally, according to the FTC, it takes about one year before an individual realizes that they have become one of the many victims of identity theft. Nowadays scores of Americans fall prey to this type of crime everyday, it seems paying for credit monitoring services would be a small thing when compared to the potential loss from identity theft. On the average, these services charge under $20 per month with the cost depending on the specific company and type of service you request.

The services and information provided by each credit monitoring service will vary, so it’s important to compare what type of information they are offering versus what you feel you need. Some companies may provide access to all 3 of the credit scores while others may only provide the FICO score. It’s important to know that he FICO score is one that is utilized the most by financial institutions and lending officials as the basis for credit decisions. For a handy comparison of top credit monitoring services, be sure to visit the link at the bottom of this article.

Theres another big benefit to becoming a member of a credit score monitoring service. If you fall prey to identity theft while utilizing a service that offers identity theft protection, you are not liable for any costs as a result of the theft. Most companies offer identity theft reimbursement coverage with a range of limits, again the amount is dependent on the specific company and service you have.

In some cases, credit monitoring companies have online tools and calculators to assist you in determining the impact of financial decisions on your credit score. For example, if you pay off your auto loan, what impact does that have on your credit score? If you pay off your mortgage, what impact does that have on your credit score? When you are trying to improve your credit score these tools can really come in handy in determining your next financial decision, you can predict which decision will result in the largest increase to your credit score.

Depending on the specific agency and service you choose, some companies only report on one of the big three credit reporting agencies, while others may provide access to all three reports. Also, some companies may update your credit information daily while others may have a less frequent update schedule. It’s important to evaluate the company and service offerings to be sure you get the best value to meet your needs. The great news is you will be notified as soon as any questionable activity occurs on your credit report, before the situation gets out of hand.

Ida

undecided asked:


If you dispute something from a report pulled online from a credit monitoring service is it considered a paid for credit report? The credit report agencies have 30 days to respond, right?

Roy

C o n f u c i a n asked:


….Or does the score vary on which company retrieves the score? For example, on 11/10 I found out my 3 scores through a Transunion service. Experian score was 668.

Then on 12/10 I signed up for a credit monitoring service (free trial) with Bank of America and my Experian score dropped to 645.

Then today I signed up for credit score analyzer with Discover for $8 a month. I am going to stick with this service. They only use Experian but they are the most difficult. And my score today was 659.

Is this type of fluctuation normal? Look at how my score dropped with Transunion from 713 on 11/10 to 672 on 12/10…seems odd.

11/10: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m254/nathan_211/Credit/creditscoresnov102009.png

12/10: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m254/nathan_211/Credit/663avgcreditscoreswithBAC.png

I did just get a foreclosed home and was low on cash so I opened a Home Depot store card in November with a $5,000 limit and I used up over 50% of my limit ($2800/$5000). This was urgent so I had to do it!! I will be making a $2,000 payment next month…I suppose this could have brought my score from 713 to 672 but that seems like a big drop in a couple weeks!

Tamara

Sergeant Vince Carter, USMC asked:


Damn it, I call this morning to cancel a credit monitoring service because I switched to another. The rep on the other line speaks choppy english, I can barely understand her, she’s going on and on, finally I just stop her and say “I just called to cancel, am I canceled”? She says yes, so I hang up.

Jesus H Christ, when someone calls to cancel, let them cancel.

Corey

Mike Clover asked:




Identity theft is at an all time high as a result of the digital age of paperless transactions and online databases. Why would anyone want to steal someone’s identity? Some people think it is just for the purpose of starting fresh or getting away from their previous life, but the vast majority of identity thieves do it for money. If they have your personal identity information they can also retrieve your banking information, credit card numbers, and more. Those who are using other identities are usually using many identities for the purpose of stealing money from all of them, perhaps by withdrawing funds from their bank or setting up a credit card in their name. The scary thing about identity theft is that the violators have little care that they may be taking everything another individual owns as well as destroying their credit for a number of years. If a victim is unable to detect identity theft for over six months, it can do severe financial damage. You can of course investigate your own credit reports and accounts regularly, or you can pay for a credit monitoring service to investigate for you.

One of the greatest advantages to using a credit monitoring program is the convenience. Instead of living life, constantly paranoid of identity theft, credit monitors can do the worrying for you. Odds are, a monitoring program will also investigate more thoroughly than the average citizen. Monitoring services commonly monitor new account activity, address changes, collection accounts, changes to account information, credit limit increases, credit inquiries, changes in public records, changes in current accounts, and recently closed or flagged accounts. Yes, all of these things can be equally investigated by an eager individual, but routinely checking all of these cues for identity theft can be tedious and unpleasant. Regardless, it is important to check all or more of these areas to keep a close watch on the possibility of identity theft. Early detection is the key to monitoring your credit before the financial loss has become too great, and with an online identity theft monitoring service, you can just go on living life without the burden of becoming a part time investigator.

When considering a monitoring service, you should first consider where that provider receives information. It is most desirable for an identity theft service to obtain information from the three major credit agencies. How often the service monitors your information is also relevant. The frequency of your credit monitoring will increase your chances of early detection. Various services and programs also vary in how often they release reports and give updates, and some provide actual identity theft insurance in the event that they make a mistake and overlook a thief.

There are a host of things to take into account when deciding how to keep a close eye on your credit information. Identity theft is a very real problem that no one believes will really happen, but the reality is that it happens every day. If you choose not to use an online identity theft service or other credit monitoring program get organized so that you can closely monitor the activities associated with your identity. It will save you so many problems in the future.

Cheryl

Bobby asked:


ok all,ive recently joined a credit monitoring service to check my score,well i found that i have a few delinquent accounts,so ive been paying on them,well it says my score is roughly 565 or so.I went to the bank the other day to get a personal loan,(which i got)for 2000.00 and i had to use collateral but the banker said i had no score.Whats up with the score it shows on the monitoring service,im lost and need help here.Do i have one or Not?

Clinton

Quagmire asked:


I have a few questions about raising my credit score. My score had been at 680 until recently, when I accepted a new job and relocated to a new city. In that process, I have applied for a mortgage, and have had a credit report run by about six different services ranging from DirecTV, T-mobile, the background check company for my new employer, etc. In this time I have seen my score go from a 680 to a 637. Ouch!!! Also, my credit monitoring service says that one reason for my low score is that I do not have a major credit card, as well as a few late payments in my past. So here are my questions:

1. How long can I expect those recent inquiries to pull down my credit rating? I would think that after a few months I could anticipate seeing it climb back up into that 680 range. Am I right?

2. With the 637 that I have now, is there some kind of credit card that I could get? I don’t really want a credit card, but just for the sake of having it to pull up my score I guess I could get one. What card should I apply for, and will this actually help?

3. My score is also not perfect because of a few late payments about 2 – 3 years ago, and two different disputes over very small amounts of money that the phone company decided I owed after having closed accounts (and moved, thus never having received any notifications until I started monitoring my credit). For how long can I expect those things to plague me?

Thanks! A good response to each of my 3 questions will earn 10 points

Raymond

George Burk asked:




2005 marks the year that consumers will be able to get a free credit report each year. The roll out of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act signed into law by President Bush actually began last December 1. If you didn’t know about it, don’t worry. You haven’t missed the boat. Not everyone is eligible to get their credit report. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is allowing the credit bureau’s to implement the program piecemeal so as not to overload the new credit report system. Millions of consumers are expected to take advantage of the free reports.

Last December, consumers from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming were able to take advantage of the free credit report. Next March, the Midwest will have access to free credit reports. The South has to wait till June, and the East must wait until September 2005.

After your eligible, you can request you free credit report from a web site, by calling a toll free number, or by requesting it in writing. The web site address is AnnualCreditReport.com. This website was created by the credit bureaus. The toll free number is (877)-322-8228, which is also (877)-FTC-HELP if that’s easier to remember. The address to write to is Annual Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA., 30348-5281. You will not be asked to sign up for a trial subscription for a credit monitoring service after requesting your credit report.

Your not limited to one free credit report a year. You can request three – one from each of the credit bureaus: Exper