Where do I get my annual credit report?
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the only source authorized to provide free credit reports is annualcreditreport.com. You will need to provide information such as your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth.
Other websites that claim to offer "free" credit reports are not part of the legally mandated free credit report program (no matter how catchy their jingles may be). Many services that claim to be free will ask for your banking information and will begin charging you after a trial period. Never provide a credit reporting service with your banking information.
Why do I need a copy of my credit report?
Your credit is like your shadow. It follows you throughout your life and plays a role in life events like renting an apartment, finding a new job, and making a major purchase.
How can I monitor ongoing changes to my credit?
To keep tabs on updates to your credit and to maintain your credit score throughout the year, you can use a free service like Credit Karma. While it will not give you your comprehensive credit report like annualcreditreport.com, it will alert you to updates and provide you with your current credit score. If you use a service like this, be sure it is truly free. If you are asked for your credit card information, you will probably be charged a fee.
What do I do if I notice errors or fraud on my credit report?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides details on what you can do if you discover you are a victim of fraud or identity theft.
What is the Fair Reporting Act (FCRA)?
"The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to credit reporting companies.
A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or have filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide credit reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home."
Source: Federal Trade Commision. (2013). "Free Credit Reports."
Credit Repair : Make a Plan, Improve Your Credit, Avoid Scams by
Bad credit can get better A bad credit report can prevent you from getting a mortgage, car loan, credit card, apartment or even a job. The sensible strategies in Credit Repair help you take control of your finances, clean up your credit report and rebuild your credit. Learn how to: prioritize debts and create a budget reduce debts and cut expenses negotiate with creditors correct credit report errors and remove old information add positive information to your credit report adopt strategies to rebuild your credit, and avoid identity theft and credit repair scams. Updates to the 13th edition of Credit Repair include the latest student loan repayment programs, new credit-building strategies, changes to the credit scoring of tax liens, medical debt, and civil judgments, identity theft reporting developments, and more.
Credit Repair Kit for Dummies by
Manage and repair your credit Credit card debt is the third largest source of household indebtedness. Credit Repair Kit For Dummies gives you the tools you need to repair your credit. This new edition covers: major changes with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau′s (CFPB) inquiry into overdraft practices and their effect on consumers; dealing with the effect of tightened credit markets on those with good, marginal, or bad credit; best ways to recover from mortgage related score hits or minimize damage after walking away from a home; updated Vantage Score information; updated coverage on reporting programs like FICO Score watch, etc.; what makes a good FICO score today; a new section on significant others (boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse) and credit/debt sharing; Debt Relief Act in a mortgage meltdown situation; the latest tips and advice on dealing with identity theft and annoying collection calls; and more. Online you′ll find sample credit reports, forms, templates, and other helpful tools to help whip your credit into shape. Updated credit score examples with new ranges New information about IRS exceptions to the Mortgage Forgiveness Advice and tips about adding information to a credit report, and beefing-up thin credit Useful, downloadable, forms and tools on Dummies.com If you have mediocre credit and want or need to better manage it in order to get a job, reduce insurance costs, qualify for banking products, and more, Credit Repair Kit For Dummies has it covered.
Credit Repair by
A bad credit report can prevent you from getting a mortgage, car loan, credit card, apartment or even a job. The sensible strategies in Credit Repair help you take control of your finances, clean up your credit report and rebuild your credit. Learn how to: prioritize debts and create a budget reduce debts and cut expenses negotiate with creditors correct credit report errors and remove old information add positive information to your credit report adopt strategies to rebuild your credit, and avoid identity theft and credit repair scams. Updates to the 13th edition of Credit Repair include the latest student loan repayment programs, new credit-building strategies, changes to the credit scoring of tax liens, medical debt, and civil judgments, identity theft reporting developments, and more.
The financial diet : a total beginner's guide to getting good with money by
*A Refinery29 Best Book of 2018* *One ofReal Simple's Most Inspiring Books for Graduates* How to get good with money, even if you have no idea where to start. The Financial Diet is the personal finance book for people who don't care about personal finance. Whether you're in need of an overspending detox, buried under student debt, or just trying to figure out how to live on an entry-level salary,The Financial Diet gives you tools to make a budget, understand investments, and deal with your credit. Chelsea Fagan has tapped a range of experts to help you make the best choices for you, but she also knows that being smarter with money isn't just about what you put in the bank. It's about everything--from the clothes you put in your closet, to your financial relationship habits, to the food you put in your kitchen (instead of ordering in again). SoThe Financial Diet gives you the tools to negotiate a raiseand the perfect cocktail recipe to celebrate your new salary. The Financial Diet will teach you: * how to get good with money in a year. * the ingredients everyone needs to have a budget-friendly kitchen. * how to talk about awkward money stuff with your friends. * the best way to make (and stick to!) a budget. * how to take care of your house like a grown-up. * what the hell it means to invest (and how you can do it).
The infographic guide to personal finance : a visual reference for everything you need to know by
This illustrated beginner's guide to personal finance distills essential information into small, easy-to-follow steps to help you get your finances in order. Get your finances in shape! In The Infographic Guide to Personal Finance, you will learn all the skills you need to make good financial decisions and grow your personal wealth. Full of colorful descriptions organized in an easy-to-read format, this book contains infographics such as: -Choosing your bank -Building an emergency fund -Choosing a financial planner -Where your money is going -What not to buy -Health insurance -Property insurance -What federal taxes pay for With the help of this guide, you'll learn how to make good investments, save for big things like a house or college tuition, budget, and more!
You need a budget : the proven system for breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, getting out of debt, and living the life you want by
Wall Street Journal Bestseller Experience a life free of financial stress and transform your relationship to money with this indispensable guide--the first book based on You Need A Budget's proven method that has helped hundreds of thousands of people break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and live the life they want to live. No one should tell you what to do with your money--only you know what's most important to you. Always guiding you back to your true priorities, Jesse Mecham will fundamentally change the way you think about your money and what it can do for you. His proven method--four, simple rules--will transform money management from a paralyzing burden to a powerful tool, putting you in total control of your life: Give Every Dollar A Job. Be intentional about what you want your money to do before you spend it. Embrace Your True Expenses. Break up larger, less frequent expenses into smaller, more manageable amounts. By saving monthly for insurance premiums, holidays, or car repairs, when the time comes, your money is ready and waiting to do its job. Roll With The Punches. When life changes, so must your budget. Make adjustments and move along. Flexible budgets succeed because they're guilt-free, realistic, and sustainable. Age Your Money. As you repeat the first three rules, you'll increase the time between the moment you earn a dollar and the moment you need to spend it. When your money is at least a month old, you'll have finally broken the paycheck to paycheck cycle for good. This tried-and-true system has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by teaching them how to take charge, adjust money habits, eliminate stress, and build the life they want to live. Don't waste another month counting down the minutes until payday....
Dollars and sense : how we misthink money and how to spend smarter by
Why is paying for things painful? Why are we comfortable overpaying for something in the present just because we've overpaid for it in the past? Why is it easy to pay $4 for a soda on vacation, when we wouldn't spend more than $1 on that same soda at our local grocery store? We think of money as numbers, values, and amounts, but when it comes down to it, when we actually use our money, we engage our hearts more than our heads. Emotions play a powerful role in shaping our financial behavior, often making us our own worst enemies as we try to save, access value, and spend responsibly. In Dollars and Sense, bestselling author and behavioral economist Dan Ariely teams up with financial comedian and writer Jeff Kreisler to challenge many of our most basic assumptions about the precarious relationship between our brains and our money. In doing so, they undermine many of personal finance's most sacred beliefs and explain how we can override some of our own instincts to make better financial choices. Exploring a wide range of everyday topics--from the lure of pain-free spending with credit cards to the pitfalls of household budgeting to the seductive power of holiday sales--Ariely and Kreisler demonstrate how our misplaced confidence in our spending habits frequently leads us astray, costing us more than we realize, whether it's the real value of the time we spend driving forty-five minutes to save $10 or our inability to properly assess what the things we buy are actually worth. Together Ariely and Kreisler reveal the emotional forces working against us and how we can counteract them. Mixing case studies and anecdotes with concrete advice and lessons, they cut through the unconscious fears and desires driving our worst financial instincts and teach us how to improve our money habits. The result not only reveals the rationale behind our most head-scratching financial choices but also offers clear guidance for navigating the treacherous financial landscape of the brain. Fascinating, engaging, funny, and essential, Dollars and Sense provides the practical tools we need to understand and improve our financial choices, save and spend smarter, and ultimately live better.