Credit Scores Free

Summary: Underwriters have tapped credit score as basis in deciding whether to accept or reject an insurance application. Is it unfair or not?

The recent wake of credit data computerization and the expansion of the internet made it possible for financial businesses to achieve more speed, efficiency and accuracy in their function. In the insurance business arena, underwriters have tapped into this credit resource to provide themselves basis to decide whether to accept or reject an application for insurance. And amidst all the wake of developments, critics and casualty alike are opposing these new reforms that are taking over so fast.

In essence, insurance credit score is an adaptation of a credit score report. Though the details considered on insurance credit scores are those that are directly helpful for underwriters to judge a certain application. In researches that have been made, the studies showed that a majority those who do poorly in credit scores are the ones that most likely to file an insurance claim. So how an applicant manages his or her financial affairs can be a good indicator for a commendable client.

What does credit scores have something to do with how insurance and premiums be awarded? National Association of Independent Insurers Donald Hanson statement to the CBS is the explanation:

Research indicates that people who manage their personal finances responsibly tend to manage other important aspects of their life with that same level of responsibility and that would include being responsible behind the wheel of their car or being responsible in maintaining their home.

There are several disputes of these though. Using insurance credit score have been cited by some critics as unfair. Low financial opportunities may make an average earning households miss a couple of payments which can hurt their score. The last thing these household needs is a mounting insurance bill. While those that can maintain a healthy credit score would have no problems with insurance credit score these people type are strictly restricted to the upper classes. The majority is the middle-class households; the hardest hit class who are even struggling to maintain an average credit.

Corrupt and opportunistic insurance companies maneuvered this new insurance policy deftly to meet their selfish needs. In fact, there have been already countless of accounts wherein insurance companies played this part to the extent of gratifying their coffers on someone elses expense.

The truth about insurance credit score is that it has given them more leverage than they already have, as credit scores have given banking companies. There had been accounts over the past that certain individuals did manipulate insurance to an extent but the policy they exacted today is a tad bit unfair to the majority of honest clients. Still the question remain: Is insurance credit score unfair or not?

Summary: Millions of Americans have relentlessly toiled, sacrificing simple pleasures for the sake of higher credit rating?

I used to play a lot of Shadowrun when I was a kid. Shadowrun was a computer game set in a world where mega-corporations rule the cities and law are provided by them. Money was the essence of life in that story, and the Mega-corporations provide them.

Dreaming of Shadowrun is ok as a fantasy game, but living it for real is entirely a different matter. If that dark world where money was the sole object for living was to become real, the first fledgling signs may be the credit score report. No other such contrivance could be as cold, as heartless as a credit score report.

Millions of Americans have relentlessly toiled, sacrificing simple pleasures for the sake of higher credit rating. Because low credit score report means disaster. True enough, virtually every business sector had taken up the credit score report craze to substantiate a customers worthiness. That would include apartments, hotels, insurance, and utility services. Not to mention that employers now evaluate an applicants credit score report to check if someones fit for hiring.

Credit score reports could be a lesser burden if those scores were not that easy to go under. But they are really fickle, and a good number of reasons that can raise credit scores are clearly for the benefit of the bankers. One such example is the need to get a number of credit cards, not just one but several, just to raise your score. For most people, 1 or 2 cards would suffice 3 or more is being extravagant if not cost-effective. And whats the business of getting a poor credit score report if you dislike using too much credit. I myself always prefer paying cash, so I seldom go for credit cards. And I do save, so that lessens my liability to use credit card. But that doesnt spell wise spending to the banks. They see it as credit risk therefore Im awarded a low credit score report.

So the piggy-bank method of saving our grandmothers often teach us is lost in this generation of credit cards. All savings must be spent in order to optimize the use of credit cards. Only then will you see a shining credit score report when you see your 4 credit accounts having transactions in them.

I advise you not to close these accounts sir, for closing it will affect your credit score report.

I couldnt believe when I heard that. Closing old accounts is wise credit management and Im not to be dissuaded by mere credit score reasons. Those of you that have multiple accounts should consolidate all your debts into one account. Dont mind the credit score report, having a lesser interest rate is far more beneficial in the long run than having multiple credit balances with each one having its own interest rate. Low credit score report? Who cares? Me, Ill just continue living my life without credit report score uncertainties. If the next credit shark rejects my loan proposal for having a low credit score report, no problem. Ill set my sights on Home Equity then.

Summary: If not for the influence of credit scores to everyday life most consumers would leave credit rating scores to rot.

In the story The Island, persons are known by technical names such as Lincoln Six-Echo or Jordan Two-Delta. Those names are not just random scientific mush, they represent something more. What if this sci-fi scenario happens in reality? What names shall we be referred with? If you know what the banking jargon is now, youll know what Im talking about.

When credit rating score erupted to the masses in the 80s, it was received in an equal state of delight and distress. While credit rating score has its share of boons, it is also accompanied with substantial bane. The upper class greatly benefit with readily accessible loans, but the credit rating score hit hard on folks in the middle to lower class levels. How?

One answer is probably the mechanics needed to keep a credit rating score healthy. One such is the 35% credit line maintenance. Though theres no ill if you were to spend your credit to its limit, an over 35% credit account balance is considered unwise credit handling, therefore lowers your credit rating score significantly. This is where most people fail, because limiting the credit spending to a nil 35% is like using only a portion of your wardrobe for your belongings. The other 65% you leave empty. For tight budgeted households, 35% is just plain impossible.

Perhaps the biggest hit for credit rating score is how it contradicts debt consolidation. As we all know, merging your debts in to one account is always constructive since you can have also a consolidated interest thus a smaller interest to pay (also tax deductible for equity loans). That is as long you consolidate your debt without exceeding the 35% limit, youre fine. But what about those multiple bills that would surely exceed the 35%. Would you forgo on a smaller interest plan? Whose hatchet would it be?

How about closing a number of open accounts? Or consolidating debts into one account? No, no says the bank, especially if your account is reaching the 35% mark. Simply put dont you ever close those running credit accounts because they have a negative impact on credit rating scores. This policy has no repercussions whatsoever unless you use your accounts again. But then again, if you have standing balances on every account, you would want to consolidate them into one account which would take us back to the 35% credit maintenance.

If not for the influence of credit scores to everyday life most consumers would leave credit rating scores to rot. But no, credit scores are used virtually everywhere. Seeking for an apartment or condo? Be sure to procure a copy of your credit rating scores, because the landlord will be checking on that. So will the cable provider, and the electrician for that matter. Even employers tap on credit rating score to evaluate potential employee for worthiness, never mind education and experience.

Many articles have been written about the importance of having healthy credit. And nowhere is the state of your credit more important than when you apply for a home loan. For most people, a house is the most expensive thing they will ever buy and the overall health of your credit determines whether or not a lender will offer you an affordable home loan. Since the most common measure of financial health is a credit score, most potential buyers are urged by well-meaning sources to “check your credit score before you apply.” Many would-be homebuyers head to the Internet to do just that, and seeing that their score is sufficient, they head off, score in hand, to meet with a lender to discuss potential loans.

And then the lender drops the bomb – “Sorry, but your credit score is too low. You don’t qualify for the best interest rate.”

What happened? How can the credit score you buy be higher than the one the lender receives? The answer is a simple one – there is more than one kind of credit score. Each of the three main credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, uses a different method of determining credit scores. While the scale and criteria they use are roughly the same, the formula is slightly different at each bureau, so checking with all three bureaus could provide you with three different scores. Or even four – the three bureaus are now also making use of a unified scoring system. But which one is the “correct” score?

Mortgage lenders almost universally check the FICO score, created by Fair, Isaac, and Co. The FICO score is similar to many others, but it’s the one that lenders are checking. That means that if you want to know exactly where you stand ahead of time, you need to check your FICO score yourself. And you need to make sure that the number you receive is, in fact, your FICO figure and not some other arbitrary score.

How can you do that? There are many places on the Internet where you can obtain a credit score, but not all of them will offer the FICO figure. Make sure that the site you visit offers the FICO score before you agree to pay. Equifax makes the FICO figure available on their site, as does MyFICO.com. If you aren’t sure, you might check with one of those two Websites. Making sure you have an accurate representation of your financial health prior to applying for a home loan is a great idea. Just make sure that you are looking at the same measure of financial health that your lender will use – your FICO score.

It is hard to watch television these days without hearing about credit scores. If you are not looking to get a loan or credit card, you may be wandering whether or not they are important. Your credit score is important, regardless of whether or not you plan on applying for a credit card or loan. In this article I will explain what a credit score is and why it is important.

What Is A Credit Score?

Your credit score will determine whether or not you’ll be approved for a mortgage loan, and how high your interest rate will be. Your credit score will also determine the cost of your car insurance. Even certain jobs, which you apply for, will require you to have good credit. Having a low score will make things much more expensive, and you may find that some companies won’t hire you. The easiest way to get a good score is to make sure you’re responsible with making your payments on time. It is also important to understand what is used to calculate the score.

Calculating Your Total

The type of different loans you have makes up about 10% of the score. If you don’t have an established credit history, the number of different accounts you have will be considered. Your payment history makes up 35% of your credit score. The number of different accounts you make payments on is considered, as well as number of late or missed payments you have. Any liens, bankruptcies, or judgments will be reviewed, and this information will be used to factor in your score. Services such as furniture rentals and car loans are included as well as credit cards.

The total amount owed makes up about 30% of your credit score. The number of accounts you have and the amounts you owe on all of them are reviewed. The closer you are to maximizing out your loans, the more likely it is that your credit score will be lower. How much you have paid back on your loans is also taken into consideration. The age of your credit history makes up about 15% of your credit score. If you have a long credit history your score will be higher if you don’t have any negative marks in the past. The last factor that makes up your credit score is called new credit.

New Agreements

New credit refers to the number of new loans you have opened recently, and makes up about 10% of your credit score. The number of request you’ve made for credit cards or loans is also computed. Now that you know all of the things that are used to calculate your score, what can you do to improve it?

What You Can Do To Improve

One of the things you can do is make sure all of your bills are paid on time. If you are too busy to make sure your bills are paid on time, set up automatic payments so that the money is debited from your account on the day it is due. You also want to make sure you don’t open too many accounts within a short period of time. It is also important to keep your balance low in proportion to the total amount of credit available on the loan. You should owe 25% less than the total available credit on your loan or credit card.

It is also better to pay off your credit card instead of moving over the balance to a card that has a lower interest rate. Constantly moving around your balances can cause your score to become lower, because the total amount you owe could fluctuate if you close certain accounts.

Whenever you approach a commercial lender for loan, he performs a credit check on you. The loan you have applied for can be home loan, business loan or loan for your dream vacation trip. It is your credit score that will decide whether your application will be accepted or not, if accepted what amount of interest you will be charged. Your credit score will also be checked even when you apply for an insurance cover or you want to rent a house and even when you apply for a job.

What is a credit score? A credit score is a number that signifies your credit information. This score is used by all financial institutions or individual lenders to assess the risk involved in giving you credit.

The credit score is calculated on the base of the following.

Address.
Salary.
Credit Dept.
Bankruptcies.

Using the above factors an algorithm is decided and using this algorithm a credit score is generated. People with low credit scores are referred as high risk borrowers and people with high credit scores are referred as low risk borrowers. Banks and other lender set different interest rates for high and low risk borrowers.

In general, a good credit score is somewhere in the range of 700-850, while an average score would be around 550-700 and anything below 500 is considered as a poor credit score. Remember, it becomes difficult to borrow loan if you have a low credit score and if you do manage to get loan, the interest rate charged will be quite high. So improve your credit score.

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A credit score is primarily based on credit report information, typically from one of the three major credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Since lenders or banks lend only against your creditworthiness, it does makes sense for you to know what factors determine your credit score.

What Is A Credit Score?
Based on the snapshots of your credit report, credit score is the number arrived to summarize your credit risk. It ranges from 300 to 850 and helps a lender to determine the risk level. Or we can put it like this, if I give this person a loan, how likely is it that I will get paid on time?

There are different methods of calculating credit scores. FICO is one of the most popular credit scores developed by Fair Isaac & Co. The higher is the FICO score the lower is the risk for lender.

What Affects Credit Score?
Your credit reports contains many pieces of information that reveals certain important aspects of your borrowing activities mainly focusing on:

Late payments
The amount of time credit has been established
The amount of credit used versus the amount of credit available
Length of time at present residence
Negative credit information such as bankruptcies, charge-offs, collections, etc.

Bad Credit Small Business Loans
Seeking loans with low or bad credit score can drive you up the wall. The mainline lenders may simply reject your loan application while the others from subprime market may charge you extortionate rate of interest on your bad credit small business loan.

In case you are an entrepreneur and need new business loan for growth or expansion, bad credit can put you in pickles. In such a scenario, its better to go for cash advance option that is provided irrespective of you credit history. Such cash advance is given against your future credit and debit card sales.

What Is Cash Advance Option?
Cash advance is a small business loan approved against the monthly amount you process through credit card sales. Cash advance lenders do not ask you for your credit rating and can pre-approve your loan within 24 hours. A mutually agreed upon percentage from your daily sales through credit card processing goes to the lender automatically as repayment of the loan.

How To Increase Your Credit Score?
Your credit score cannot be improved in short run but a few steps can help you improving your credit rating over a period of time. Here are a few tips:

Pay your bills on time. Late payments and collections can have a serious impact on your score.
Do not apply for credit frequently. Having a large number of inquiries on your credit report can worsen your score.
Reduce your credit-card balances. If you are “maxed” out on your credit cards, this will affect your credit score negatively.
If you have limited credit, obtain additional credit. Not having sufficient credit can negatively impact your score.

Company Overview
An innovative corporation that assists in determining policies that currently govern the automated distribution of appraisal information, TrueCredit allows you to have access your unlimited credit scores. It develops and markets both products and services in the financing arena.

They go beyond granting a look on the unlimited credit scores since they also have a special merchandise that is designed to facilitate its customers administer their debts as proficiently as it is with their investment portfolios.

Due to being known as giving admission to unlimited credit scores, TrueCredits one of a king fuse of business operations and consumer offerings have empower the company to influence millions of people in the United States to properly organize their accounts. At the same time, it has also been beneficial to institutions who allow loans to optimize their service to its clients.

Consumer Goods
TrueCredit has both appraisal and liability administration tools that will equip their customers to view its unlimited credit scores from the vantage point of a lender. It helps in supervising and enhancing their data and score as well as borrowing power and interest options.

3-in-1 Credit Report grants an entire picture of your appraisal history available. It also has partnership with the three major reporting agencies in the United States, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. It features finding out what personal data they have in your file, easy interpretation of the summary, detailed information on your accounts, contact from creditors and view of who is looking at your account.

Credit Monitoring provides alerts within 24 hours of crucial alterations and infinite admittance to your account with powerful tools and analysis. It also has up to $25, 000 ID theft insurance with no add- on payment. The visuals are friendly where it presents colorful charts and graphs on the changes in your debt, income, point and more. It has free interactive guide with descriptions that are easy to comprehend.

Credit Analysis gives its customers their current available points together with the factors that have been affecting it. Similar with 3-in-1 Credit Report, it is also based on the three major reporting agencies in the United States, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.

Debt Analysis is a special organization tool that grants its customers with detailed information and in- depth analysis on the existing debt and repayment capacity. It also gives a comparison between the monthly compensation you submitted and the monthly amount you spend.

Partnering Opportunities
TrueCredit also welcomes affiliates who are willing to join their pursuit of giving a wide range of credit reporting services to its customers. Their present partners are MyHomeEquity, The Motley Fool, MetroRent, MyVesta, AutoTrader, Citibank and many more. Joining TrueCredit will also give you entrance to a digital library of marketing materials, advertising creatives and financing contents.

If you are interested add to their growing number, you can visit their website at www.truecreditcorporate.com or send an e-mail at affiliate@truecredit.com.

Figuring out exactly how credit scores work is problematic. Like nuclear fission, learning Chinese and setting the clock on your DVD player, credit scoring is not something that most people can easily master.

In the complicated world of credit scores there is one fact that pretty much everyone assumes is true: late payments are bad for your credit scores. Not only are late payments bad, but they are also assumed to be one of the worst things you could do to your scores. The first sign of a late payment on your credit reports signals impending credit doom, right? It turns out that this isnt exactly the case after all.

There are thousands of slightly different credit scoring models used today, each with a different purpose and formula. The most common credit scoring systems are set up to predict only one thing: how likely you are to have a 90 day late payment or worse in the 24 months after your score is calculated.

Credit scores are used by financial institutions, insurance companies and utility companies as an efficient way to predict how risky a customer you will be. If your credit score is low, it indicates that you are more likely to make late payments or file costly insurance claims. In turn, this means that the creditor is more likely to lose their investment by lending you money. Once you understand that credit scores predict this specific behavior, its a lot easier to figure out the best way to manage your credit.

Because scoring systems are so focused on predicting whether or not youll go at least 90 days late, surprisingly, an old 30 or 60 day late payment is actually not that damaging to your credit scores as long as it is an isolated incident. Only when your accounts are currently being reported 30 or 60 days past due on your credit reports, will your credit scores plummet temporarily.

If your 30 or 60 day late payments are an infrequent occurrence, this kind of low level late payment will damage your credit score only while it is being reported as currently past due. They shouldnt cause lasting damage to your credit score after this period passes unless you make 30 or 60 day late payments on a regular basis. In this case, the fact that you are habitually late with your payments will cause long term damage to your credit scores.

Its a whole new ballgame once you have a 90 day late payment, however. If you have been over 90 days late (even just once), the credit scoring models consider you much more likely to do it again. One 90 day late payment will damage your credit for up to seven years. From a scoring perspective, a single 90 day late payment is as damaging to your credit scores as a bankruptcy filing, a tax lien, a collection, a judgment or repossession. Being 90 days late causes you to be viewed as a possible repeat offender and a higher risk to creditors. Heres a summary of how late payments impact your credit scores:

30 days late This record will damage your credit scores only when it is reported as currently 30 days late. The exception is if you are 30 days late often. Otherwise, a 30-day late payment will not cause lasting damage.

60 days late This record will also damage your credit scores when it is reported as currently 60 days late. Again, the exception is if you are 60 days late often. Otherwise, it will not cause long term damage.

90 days late This record will damage your credit scores significantly for up to 7 years. It doesnt make a difference whether or not your account is currently 90 days late. Remember, the goal of the scoring model is to predict whether or not you will pay 90 days late or later on any credit obligation. By showing that you have already done so means that you are more likely to do it again compared to someone who has never been 90 days late. As such, your credit scores will drop.

120+ days late Late payment reporting beyond the initial 90 day missed payment does not cause additional credit score damage directly. However, there is an indirect impact to your scores. At this point, your debt is usually charged off or sold to a 3rd party collection agency. Both of these occurrences are reported on your credit files and will lower your credit scores further.

If you continue to miss your payments beyond 90 or 120 days, the following records may also harm your credit score:

Collections Collections are the result of late payments. There are two types of collections; those that have been sold to a 3rd party collection agency or those that have been turned over to an internal collection department. Regardless of which one shows up on your credit reports, your scores will suffer.

Tax liens Tax liens are obviously not preceded with late payments on any sort of account. However, when tax liens are reported on your credit files they have the same negative impact to your scores as any other seriously delinquent account. And, just because you pay off the tax lien or have it released wont increase your scores.

Settlements Settlements are deals made between you and a creditor who is trying to collect a past due debt. Normally, you and the creditor would agree on an amount that is less than what you really owe them. Once you pay them, they consider the matter closed and paid off. However, they will report that you have made a settlement for less than your contractual obligation. This will hurt your scores as much as any other serious delinquency.

Repossessions or foreclosures Having a home foreclosed upon or a car repossessed are both considered serious delinquencies and will lower your credit scores considerably for up to seven years. The assumption normally made by the consumer is hey, I gave the home or car back to the lender, why are they going to show me as delinquent? The answer youll get from lenders is that you signed a contract with them to buy a home or car and pay it in full over a period of time. You failed to do so therefore they consider you to be in default of your agreement with them and will report this on your credit reports.

Remember, the goal of most credit scoring models is to predict whether or not you will go 90 days past due or worse on any obligation. Whats missing? The scoring models are not designed to predict whether you will default for any specific pound amount. As such, having a 90 day past due of only 100 is as bad as having a 90 day past due of 10,000. The same goes for low pound collections, judgments or liens. The pound amount doesnt matter. The fact that you paid late is whats most important in the eyes of a credit scoring model.

Now that our late payment secrets have been revealed, lets look at what it means to you. You should still avoid making late payments whenever possible. But we now know that one 30 or 60 day late payment isnt the end of the world. Since 90 day late payments are the real credit score busters, you should avoid a 90 day late payment at all costs.

If you already have a 90 day late payment record on your credit history then your scores are already suffering. Be certain that the information is being accurately reported. If it isnt then you have the right to dispute it with not only the credit reporting agencies but also with the lenders who reported it. Your goal is to have the item corrected or removed, especially if it is in error. Once removed or corrected your credit scores will immediately recover.

Credit scores are enormously important to both borrowers and mortgage lenders. In the same way that doing better in work, sports or at school produces real benefits, the same is true with credit scores.

With good credit you can borrow more and pay less. With a mortgage, a borrower with solid credit might pay the best available rate while someone with poor credit might pay an additional 1.5 percent. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but on a 300,000 mortgage you’re looking at an additional annual cost of as much as 4,500.

There are a lot of questions concerning good credit and how to get it. Here are 10 basics that come up with great frequency.

1. I finished college a few years ago and did not pay a lot of bills. Now I want to buy a house. How can I improve my credit?

Negative items remain on credit reports for seven years (bankruptcies stay on for 10 years). However, mortgage lenders are particularly interested in your recent credit behavior, what you’ve done in the past two years or so.

To change your credit profile you need to make a point of paying every bill in full and on time. No exceptions. Your credit score will quickly improve.

2. Is it true you need a big income to get a good credit score?

No. Credit scores and credit reports do not show your income at all. This is why loan applications separately ask about income and assets. The issue with credit is not how much you earn, but whether you honor repayment obligations. It’s perfectly possible for someone making 45,000 a year to have a vastly better credit rating than someone who makes 200,000.

3. Can I use a federal employer number instead of a social security number to get a better credit rating?

No. Using an employer ID instead of a social security number to get credit may be illegal, a crime called “credit substitution.” It’s also foolish. No lender is going to accept an employer ID number. If someone suggests using an employer ID to get a mortgage, go elsewhere for advice.

4. If I have a strong payment history should I borrow a lot?

No. You should borrow both no more than you need and as little as possible. Credit scores consider the amount you owe as well as the credit available to you. Hitting credit card limits is a black mark and will reduce credit scores.

5. Is it better to have lots of credit cards or just one or two?

If you reduce the number of cards you have by combining accounts and debts, you might actually get a lower score. There are two issues to consider:

First, you have to watch credit limits. The general ideas is that the more of your available credit that you use the lower your score. For instance, imagine that you have five credit cards with different limits and in each case you have used 50 percent of the amount available to you. You then combine all cards into one card with a big balance but now you’re using a far-higher percent of your available credit line, say 90 percent. A better approach is to keep balances low and pay off credit cards as you can.

Second, while it makes sense to pay down credit card debts, it may not make sense to close accounts. The reason has to do with credit card history. The general rule is that the longer your history, the higher your score. The result is that you may actually want to keep older accounts open even if they’re not used.

6. I’m good about paying off credit cards but not some other bills. Will this impact my credit?

Yes. First, many credit cards include a so-called “universal default” provision. This means if any bill is late or unpaid, the credit card issuer can raise your rate. Second, other bills in addition to credit cards show up on credit reports and negative items are reflected in credit scores.

7. My mortgage payment is due on the 1st of the month but I’m allowed to pay as late as the 15th without penalty. If I pay on the 14th will this show up on my credit report?

No — but be careful here. A debt is considered “late” for credit reporting purposes only if it’s at least 30 days overdue. However, some unscrupulous lenders charge excessive fees and may even raise interest rates if payments are even a day late. If you have such financing you should consider refinancing to get better terms.

As to that mortgage payment, lenders typically provide a payment grace period because checks may be delayed in the mail and payment days may fall on weekends or holidays. However, since the bill must be paid anyway, it’s absolutely best to pay either early or on time.

You may find if you have a good payment record with mortgage lenders that they will be helpful if you run into problems. Example: Your mortgage payment is delayed in the mail and arrives after the grace period. A late fee is charged. You call the lender, they look at your payment history, conclude something is wrong and waive the fee. In other words, you get the benefit of the doubt because you’re credible.

Does this happen? You bet.

8. How often should I check my credit?

Given the growing problem of identity theft — the Federal Trade Commission says there were more than 250,000 complaints last year — it makes sense to check credit reports regularly. The good news is that you can get three free credit reports per year, one from each of the major credit reporting agencies, without charge, by going to AnnualCreditReport.com.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission says under federal law “you’re entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you such as denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company. You’re also entitled to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you’re on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft.”

9. What should I do if I feel a payment will be late?

Many creditors such as mortgage lenders, credit card companies, auto finance organizations and utilities now have several options for quick payments. You may be able to pay online, pay over the phone or pay by overnight delivery..

However, it’s wise to get quick payment information now, before it’s needed. For instance, some creditors have one address for regular payments and another for overnight deliveries.

If you feel a payment will not be made or will be more than 30 days late, contact your lender immediately. It’s often possible to work out an accommodation if you begin working with the lender as soon as possible.

10. Can I get a mortgage after a foreclosure or bankruptcy?

Foreclosure and bankruptcies are serious matters which are likely to make access to mortgage financing difficult if not impossible for several years. However, some borrowers are able to get mortgages again with some speed.

How? While foreclosures and bankruptcies are the worst credit events, they are not necessarily caused by consumer mismanagement or misdeeds. People have health emergencies. Companies close. Areas are devastated by natural disasters.

The bottom line is this: Mortgage underwriters want to know more about you and your situation. While loans may be approved automatically, declined loans are reviewed individually. Before looking for a home, speak with mortgage lenders if you have had a foreclosure or bankruptcy.

If you had a good credit record and encountered a financial catastrophe outside your control, lenders may be able to provide financing once credit has been re-established. Individual lenders can provide specific advice and information.

As the expression goes, it can’t hurt to ask.