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All You need to know about credit
"What are Credit
reports"
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Credit Reports 101 - The FDIC put together this extensive
collection of brief articles on the most crucial elements of
credit reports: keeping your score high, protecting yourself
from identity theft and other scams, realizing the effect of bad
checks on your scores, and other juicy information. |
Credit Reports: What They Contain, What They Mean - This
fact sheet from the nonprofit Privacy Rights Clearinghouse gives
you not only a concise description of credit report contents and
uses, but also information about getting your name off of
mailing lists, correcting credit report errors, and addressing
credit-related privacy violations. |
Credit Report Basics - This portion of a larger FTC
publication describes how credit report bureaus put together
credit histories. |
Do You Speak "Credit Report?" - A brief article from the
always-helpful Bankrate.com gives a thumbnail sketch of a credit
report and explains what you're looking at, looking for, and
hoping not to find. |
13 Myths about Credit Reports - This eye-opening report gets
straight to the point in dispelling some common credit report
misconceptions. |
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"What is Credit
history"
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What Is a Credit History? - Your credit history is spelled
out in a credit report and is often boiled down to a mere credit
score. The FDIC explains it all in this article. |
Steps to Build a Credit History - This article contains
solid, basic information on establishing a credit history if you
don't already have one. |
Credit History 101 for New Grads - Although these tips are
published by a Texas state agency, they are useful for new high
school graduates everywhere. |
Quiz Yourself on Credit History Basics - In only 8
questions, this quiz nails some of the finer and most
misunderstood points of the credit game. Beware: Getting your
results does lead to an ad for a credit watch service. |
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"What is Credit
score"
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Fair Isaac Corporation's FICO FAQ - Here's some solid info
from the Fair Isaac Corporation, creators of the mathematical
formula used to develop that crucial figure: your credit score.
Also known as a FICO score, the result of the Fair Isaac
calculation gives lenders a number to help predict a borrower's
creditworthiness. |
The FTC on Credit Scoring - The Federal Trade Commission
publishes a wide variety of essential information for consumers
on a wide variety of topics. This link brings you straight to
the FTC's online brochure about credit scoring. |
Finding Out Your FICO Score - You'll see a lot of pop-up ads
promising free access to your FICO score, but more likely you'll
have to pay a small fee to buy that information from a credit
reporting bureau or service. This page on FasterCredit.com's
site provides links to several sources. |
Free Self-Test for Credit Rating - This quick quiz won't
give you the all-important FICO score but it will give you a
good idea of how creditors might percieve your credit track
record. |
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"What is Credit
repair"
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The Straight Scoop from the FTC - The Federal Trade
Commission hears about all kinds of credit repair scams from
complaining consumers. This link takes you straight to the
federal agency's main publication on credit repair schemes. |
Most Common Credit Repair Scams - Bankrate.com's section on
credit repair scams provides a great deal of information in this
one meaty article. |
If You Really Want to Know... - This exhaustive list of
topics generally leads to mercifully brief answers and generally
good advice. |
New ID a Bad Idea - Considering changing your identity to
fake a clean slate? First consider these facts from the FTC on
that credit repair scam. |
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"What are Credit
reporting bureaus: the big three "
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Equifax's Credit Education section - Of the three big credit
reporting bureaus, Equifax has the skimpiest consumer education
section. However, you never know where you'll learn something
new. |
Experian's Credit Education section - Another of the big
three credit report bureaus, Experian offers its own consumer
education material. From this page you can link to credit
profile basics in the "All about credit" section or pose a
question to an online consumer credit advice column, "Ask Max." |
Transunion's Credit Education section - Transunion offers
perhaps the most substantial consumer credit education section
of all three major credit bureaus. |
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