I would assume that a company has a legal obligation to notify a consumer of outstanding charges on his or her account in a timely manner – namely, before sending that account to collections. Is this so? Can you direct me to the specific Federal or local (Massachusetts) statutes that establish this obligation?
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posted by donmateo
on Apr 24, 2013 -
6 answers
I am currently unemployed, but am receiving unemployment and some temp jobs here and there and have a very good balance of budgeting vs. spending. I have a checking and saving account, 2 credit cards, plus 2 retail credit cards that I pay off the balance of each month.
1. What can I do to quickly increase my 654, 666, 670 scores to the 700's?
2. Does being unemployed affect my credit score?
3. Will acquiring a car loan now affect my credit score?
posted by i_wear_boots
on Mar 13, 2013 -
2 answers
Due to a family thing, I have received a one-time windfall, and I would like to pay off my credit cards, improve my credit, and buy a new car (getting a loan for most of it). I just want to know if it's good to keep a small balance or pay them off completely.
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posted by marble
on Feb 21, 2013 -
20 answers
Was negotiating with the lender (credit card) and was prepared and arranged to pay the full amount this spring. Today I received a 1099-C IRS form notifying me that the debt has been cancelled.
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posted by snsranch
on Feb 1, 2013 -
2 answers
About a year and a half ago, my wife and I put a security freeze on our credit reports. We have PINs for two of the bureaus...
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posted by malaprohibita
on Dec 10, 2012 -
2 answers
I was turned down for a new credit card. The issuer said I can clean up my credit report and re-apply, but I don't know exactly what the problem is.
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posted by Boxenmacher
on Oct 22, 2012 -
8 answers
How to get incorrect credit cards off my credit report? I've tried just about everything. (Involves companion cards on a family member's credit card.)
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 10, 2012 -
6 answers
Best and cheapest place to get credit scores from all three credit bureaus without getting on some crazy subscription that makes it difficult to cancel?
It's been less than a year since I got my free report, but I need to get an updated one now.
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posted by [insert clever name here]
on May 15, 2012 -
16 answers
I might have foolishly entered sensitive info in a place I shouldn't. What can I do to minimize possible damage?
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posted by 7life
on Mar 2, 2012 -
6 answers
The other day my 13 year old received an application for a Discover Card in the mail. At the time, I dismissed it as junk mail. Trans Union mentions that receiving applications may be a sign of a problem, and even has a site related to the issue
here. While diving into a fraud investigation request for one application seems overkill, how common is this, and at what point does one start monitoring all this?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 8, 2012 -
10 answers
I accidentally removed an item from my credit report, and I want it back. Is this possible?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 19, 2011 -
3 answers
How do credit reporting agencies know so much about me? I applied for a credit history (not report) with Equifax, and along with the actual credit history, they know (almost) all of my recent employers and all of my mailing addresses. I must have signed away my privacy rights to them at some point, so how do I make sure they don't get their grubby hands on all of this very PRIVATE data in the future?
I live in Canada which I believe makes a difference as far as privacy rights go (we supposedly have some privacy rights...)
posted by Yowser
on Aug 9, 2011 -
14 answers
I have been asked to cosign for a rather substantial loan by a family member. I am willing to help out but need to know how cosigning might affect my ability to get a mortgage in the near future. Would the amount of the cosigned loan subtract from the amount of my potential mortgage eligibility? Would it even show up on a credit check?
posted by txmon
on Aug 6, 2011 -
27 answers
Credit Report Confusion: I recently pulled my free credit reports (I do it every year about this time), and there were no surprises. However, I have a couple questions about how closed and collection accounts are usually reported. (Long-ish question).
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 28, 2011 -
3 answers
Help me pay off debts I incurred in the US 10 years ago. I've been living abroad ever since.
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 17, 2010 -
11 answers
I need references for laws in Quebec regarding debt collection and credit reporting.
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posted by splice
on Sep 14, 2010 -
2 answers
Credit Report shows a negative collection on a checking account I had closed 5 years ago. I called the collection agency and they agreed to dismiss the account. Is this cleared up? Am I missing something? More details inside.
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posted by anonymous
on May 12, 2010 -
4 answers
Through no fault of my own (in brief: I was unconscious, but may have been unwarrantedly credulous later), a collection agency's action has become visible on my credit reports. How can I remove these?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 15, 2009 -
7 answers
Now that I am able, I would like to pay the debts I have accrued over the past few years. When confronted with debt collectors, what is the best way to deal with them so that this positively impacts my credit report?
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posted by Loto
on Oct 15, 2009 -
12 answers
Credit report question. Is it possible to add positive information to my report? My lender tried but was told a 3rd party can't do it. Does that mean that I can't? And is there anything I can do to raise my score quickly?
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posted by grablife365
on Sep 9, 2009 -
14 answers
Botched online credit card applications: can I have them removed from my credit history since they were due to an unresponsive website, and does it really matter anyway?
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posted by ocha-no-mizu
on Aug 13, 2009 -
5 answers
Should I disclose this stuff on my rental application? How far back do they check these things, anyway?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 30, 2009 -
7 answers
What personal info does my future landlord need from me to make sure I'm legit? How do I make sure he's legit?
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posted by Asymptote
on Jan 15, 2009 -
8 answers
A creditor and I disagree on the amount I owe. Not paying what they say I owe will negatively affect my credit. Do I have any options?
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posted by b_thinky
on Dec 9, 2008 -
6 answers
URGENT: How do I dispute my credit report? Difficulty: no (current) American address or phone number, and not currently in the USA.
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posted by chrisinseoul
on Dec 7, 2008 -
6 answers
Should I dispute the adverse item on my credit report or just pay it off? Also, will a balance transfer help or hurt me?
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posted by desjardins
on Aug 25, 2008 -
13 answers
where do i get a credit report? wikipedia says annualcreditreport.com is the way to go, is this correct? do i have other options?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 22, 2008 -
14 answers
Someone opened a credit account in my name a few years back; it is now overdue. What do I do?
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posted by Phyltre
on Jan 10, 2008 -
12 answers
The financial problems of someone who shared my name and former address are showing up on my credit report! How do I even begin to go about disputing this, should the credit agency's investigation not go in my favor?
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posted by almostmanda
on Dec 2, 2007 -
7 answers
Help me design the Best Possible Plan For My Credit in 2008. Ten years ago I had no cash, and terrible credit. Today I have some cash, and no credit. I want to make some good choices next year, based on a well-considered strategy.
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posted by cockwaffle
on Nov 26, 2007 -
5 answers
Succumbing to Extortion Filter: How should I pay back a debt I don't really owe, to a collection agency that's been hounding me for years, to make sure it doesn't appear on my record? More inside.
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posted by prophetsearcher
on Oct 1, 2007 -
9 answers
What does it indicate about my formerly-bad credit that I could be accepted today for a regular contract by a cell phone company? How can I tell when it's the right time to apply for a credit card again?
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 26, 2007 -
14 answers
Repaying Stafford college loans that disappeared from my credit report (due to age), but still collect all tax refunds - what kind of hit might I expect on my credit, reactivating the account by a full-payoff?
More importantly, what kind of deal can I propose to avoid all the interest? Anyone have experience with this?
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posted by ValveAnnex
on May 17, 2007 -
4 answers
My father, grandfather, and I all have the first and last names, with only different middle names to distinguish us, no suffixes. How do I go about untangling our credit reports?
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posted by aristan
on May 10, 2007 -
12 answers
Help us save our credit! We're not sure why, but our mortgage company started returning our automatic bank payments a few months ago.
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 3, 2007 -
6 answers
I just moved to San Francisco from Guadalajara, and have no credit history or bank account. How can I get a place to rent? A cell phone?
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posted by Dataphage
on Dec 28, 2005 -
7 answers
Since my wallet was stolen, I've been trying to get a particular inaccuracy on my credit report corrected with no luck. I have written to the company that owns my report using their own online dispute form and via snail mail. It's been 6 months and I don't know what else to do to get them to respond.
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posted by melissa may
on Apr 22, 2005 -
10 answers
Background checks: I have a job interview coming up, and wonder if they'll do a credit check. If they do, I'm in trouble. I need this job very badly...thus the bad credit. Besides credit, employers may check education and criminal backgrounds (mine are clean), but do they have to let you know? How do you ask a potential employer about this without raising flags? While we're on it, is there a secret shit-list out there that employers may go to to see if you're a loser? Especially in software/web development in the northwest...
posted by anonymous
on Jan 10, 2005 -
42 answers
I'm in college in the U.S., and have a few state student loans. They were under a forebearance that I once requested, which ended four months ago. I didn't realize this, and ignored the mail that was sent about it because I thought it was the usual mail they send me about how I have a loan and ads for consolidation. I just recently got this fixed and the forebearance backdated so it will have another year from when it ended. But I now have two 60-day late marks on my otherwise good credit report. Anything I can do to get rid of them?
posted by anonymous
on Jan 8, 2005 -
5 answers
