Posts Tagged ‘Credit Report’
While foreclosures in the Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine area are trending down, people in Wisconsin are still very interested in ways to help them manage their mortgages. One bright spot in these difficult economis times has been the low mortgage rates, check them out here.
If you need advice on how to save your home and you are living in Wisconsin, call Miller and Miller today. With offices in Milwaukee, Germantown, and Kenosha we have an office near you.
All too often, clients come into our office, review their credit report, and are shocked to see what is listed. Sometimes this is because there are old items that have been forgotten, but another culprit is identity theft.
As the web has evolved, so have criminals and their tactics. With websites that look similar to name brand sites, con artists can pluck information as consumers enter what they believe is a legitimate site. Once someone has stolen your identity and injured your credit score, it can be challenging to repair the damage.
“Everything is done online these days,” says Identity Theft Resource Center Social Media Coordinator Nicki Junker. “Most of the time the victims of cyber-savvy criminals won’t be able to trace where the identity theft — a crime that has seen double-digit increases in the last five years — happened.”
Identity theft often goes unnoticed until it’s too late and the damage has already been done. In 2010, around 8.6 million households had at least one person who was a victim of identity theft, up from 6.4 million households in 2005, according to a recent study by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Identity theft cost U.S. households about $13.3 billion in 2010, with the average loss being about $2,200.
Consumers can, however, take precautions to safeguard themselves and their identities while shopping online. Junker offers five ways to protect yourself online:
1. Confirm the site is legit: Before giving any personal information, check the URL to make sure that you’re still on the same site where you plan to make your purchases and that you haven’t been moved over to a fake one. Junker said sometimes consumers are switched over to a “cyber squatter’s” site that looks similar to a retailer’s site. It’s easy to be tricked into giving up credit card and other personal information.
2. Shop securely: When you start to check out and get ready to pay for your purchases, the URL should start with “https,” which means the site is secure. A secure site uses security technology to encrypt the information you send to the site, meaning computer hackers are stopped from collecting the data as it crosses the Web. You can also look for a closed yellow padlock at the bottom of the screen. If you see an open lock, you can assume that the site is not secure.
3. Use credit cards: Federal credit laws limit the amount a con artist can take on a credit card. Debit cards don’t have the same protections. “If they have a debit card, they can clear you out,” Junker explains. “You’re much better protected using a credit card than a debit card.”
4. Google the retailer: Before buying from a website, type in the retailer’s name and the word “scam” or “complaint” into a search engine. It’s a way to check out a retailer to see if the business is legit or not.
5. Explore the site: Can you find where the company’s office is located? Does the site clearly state a refund policy? Does it promise too much? “If it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t,” Junker warns. Take your time and make sure nothing seems out of whack or iffy.
Shopping online is a convenient way to avoid store crowds and traffic. By following these web-savvy tips, your shopping experience can be safe and convenient. If you are living in Milwaukee-Waukesha-Racine area, the attorneys at Miller and Miller can help you to repair and rebuild your credit if you think there are errors. Call us at 414-277-7742 today!
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting this morning that the number of new foreclosure cases in Milwaukee dropped 8% in June compared to foreclosure filings in June 2010. The article went on to say that monthly totals remain at elevated levels for the area, as high unemployment and a week housing market continue to take a toll.
In a response to these foreclosure filings the bankruptcy court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has initiated a mortgage mediation program. This program helps people overcome large arrearages on mortgages so that they are able to stay in their homes. Call me anytime at 414-277-7742 for further information on this opportunity to save your home.
http://www.millermillerlaw.com
At some point, every person considering a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy asks us how long a bankruptcy will be reported on their credit report. This is an important question. Your bankruptcy can be reported on your credit report for 10 years from filing. Also, if you file a bankruptcy and voluntarily dismiss it before the discharge, both the filing and the dismissal will be reported. It is worth noting that if you have an income you will likely be more credit worthy after the bankruptcy than you were before, because your future earnings will no longer have to be spent paying off your old debts. Negative history on your credit report does not permanently prevent you from getting credit. There are a number of ways to build better credit, most importantly saving and using credit carefully. Check back soon for tips on building your credit and improving your credit score.
Your credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Consumer 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. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s consumer reporting companies.
You need to review your credit report annually:
- Because the information it contains affects whether you can get a loan — and how much you will have to pay to borrow money.
- To make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job.
- To help guard against identity theft. That’s when someone uses your personal information — like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number — to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job.
Getting Your Credit Report
An amendment to the FCRA requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.
For details, see Your Access to Free Credit Reports at ftc.gov/credit.
How to Order Your Free Report
The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up one website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can use the form in this brochure, or you can print it from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.