Yesterday I received two envelopes in the mail. The first was a letter from Equifax stating that I was a lucky one out of 2.5 million to have my personal data stolen.
The second envelope contained a letter from a bank in Ohio explaining that my recent request for a line of credit and a credit card was denied. I called them to tell them that I did not make a request. They asked for my SSN or birthday in order to notify the credit report service and remove that line from my credit report. I refused to divulge any information.
Which got me thinking, it's been awhile since I have exercised my right to a free annual credit report. What resources are ERE approved for this purpose?
Credit report resources
Re: Credit report resources
I’ve used AnnualCreditReport.com to get the free reports, the nice thing about it is that it takes you directly to each credit agency’s free report page so you don’t have to hunt for the link in the fine print.
CreditKarma.com works as a free credit monitoring service, they will send email alerts when new credit accounts are opened. You can also pull real-time credit scores and reports. In exchange for this free service, they hit you with a lot of credit offers and marketing.
CreditKarma.com works as a free credit monitoring service, they will send email alerts when new credit accounts are opened. You can also pull real-time credit scores and reports. In exchange for this free service, they hit you with a lot of credit offers and marketing.
Re: Credit report resources
@fish Thanks for the help. I expected to see a little more interest in this subject. Maybe nobody else here has had their identity stolen? Maybe those on this forum don't feel like they have a lot to lose?
Maybe this is old hat or too basic for discussion? I know a few people who have suffered the effects of ID theft, and then it started happening to me a couple of years ago.
The online resources I have tried to use have been partially successful. The automated phone service is slow, painful and only partially successful too.
I thought that I can't be alone in this struggle and hoped there might be alternatives. I feared that illegitimate alternatives are likely another scam.
Maybe this is old hat or too basic for discussion? I know a few people who have suffered the effects of ID theft, and then it started happening to me a couple of years ago.
The online resources I have tried to use have been partially successful. The automated phone service is slow, painful and only partially successful too.
I thought that I can't be alone in this struggle and hoped there might be alternatives. I feared that illegitimate alternatives are likely another scam.
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Jason
Re: Credit report resources
It seems that credit scores are now provided as service by many banks and credit card companies. Between my bank, my credit card co. and Mint Money, I receive an updated credit score that provides basic info on credit checks, new accounts, and other indicators.
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The Old Man
- Posts: 505
- Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:55 pm
Re: Credit report resources
What exactly are you looking for? Fish has all the answers. He does what I do. I have also implemented a Credit Freeze on everything.Farm_or wrote: ↑Fri Oct 27, 2017 8:21 am@fish Thanks for the help. I expected to see a little more interest in this subject. Maybe nobody else here has had their identity stolen? Maybe those on this forum don't feel like they have a lot to lose? ...Maybe this is old hat or too basic for discussion?
Re: Credit report resources
As Jacob mentioned in the forum ethics thread, this is the kind of problem that benefits from having a range of opinions/personal experiences. Even a “me too” helps the OP gauge whether the advice is reasonable.
Many here are in the post-credit phase of their lives where there is no need to borrow capital from others to fuel consumption. Reaching the “enough” point is just a natural part of progressing up the Wheaton levels. There are communities dedicated to building credit, churning credit cards, etc. and that is where the expert advice is to be found. Like Snoopy I have frozen my credit (enough is enough) and so I periodically monitor only to confirm that no new accounts have been opened.
Jason mentions that credit scores are available through major financial institutions. I have a Citi card and one of their perks is a free credit score. It’s just a score and not a full report. They’ll also disclose the factors impacting the score but not provide a listing of the accounts which is what I think you want. Credit Karma is very report-like. I set up my account with them just prior to freezing my credit (that way they have authorization to pull the required data).
Many years ago (pre-enlightenment), I signed up for one of those 12-months-no-interest deals to buy a dining table of all things. We had just made a down payment on a house and remodeled, so cash was tight and it seemed like a good idea. The payments were by mail (they made it hard on us!) so we got the float for the cost of postage stamps. So several months into making minimum payments, there was a freak storm that shut down mail services for nearly a week and turned my on-time payment into a late payment.
I got a black mark on my credit report and this continued to affect our lives later on. When it came time to refinance our mortgage to take advantage of lower interest rates, the loan was entirely in DW’s name since only her score qualified for the best rate. (Good thing we made a good strategic decision to buy a house affordable on a single income - this was pre-ERE days.) Anyway the whole experience soured me on credit and now I don’t want to have anything to do with it. Still use credit cards for convenience. We also enjoy the rewards but it’s just a nice afterthought.
Many here are in the post-credit phase of their lives where there is no need to borrow capital from others to fuel consumption. Reaching the “enough” point is just a natural part of progressing up the Wheaton levels. There are communities dedicated to building credit, churning credit cards, etc. and that is where the expert advice is to be found. Like Snoopy I have frozen my credit (enough is enough) and so I periodically monitor only to confirm that no new accounts have been opened.
Jason mentions that credit scores are available through major financial institutions. I have a Citi card and one of their perks is a free credit score. It’s just a score and not a full report. They’ll also disclose the factors impacting the score but not provide a listing of the accounts which is what I think you want. Credit Karma is very report-like. I set up my account with them just prior to freezing my credit (that way they have authorization to pull the required data).
Many years ago (pre-enlightenment), I signed up for one of those 12-months-no-interest deals to buy a dining table of all things. We had just made a down payment on a house and remodeled, so cash was tight and it seemed like a good idea. The payments were by mail (they made it hard on us!) so we got the float for the cost of postage stamps. So several months into making minimum payments, there was a freak storm that shut down mail services for nearly a week and turned my on-time payment into a late payment.
I got a black mark on my credit report and this continued to affect our lives later on. When it came time to refinance our mortgage to take advantage of lower interest rates, the loan was entirely in DW’s name since only her score qualified for the best rate. (Good thing we made a good strategic decision to buy a house affordable on a single income - this was pre-ERE days.) Anyway the whole experience soured me on credit and now I don’t want to have anything to do with it. Still use credit cards for convenience. We also enjoy the rewards but it’s just a nice afterthought.Re: Credit report resources
I don't have any interest in my credit score, but a lot of interest in what is going on without my knowledge.
I froze my credit several years ago after listening to one of my co-worker's story of what he went through after his BIL ran up several credit cards in his name.
I have been lackadaisical in monitoring my credit. I have gained more interest in monitoring it from a point of protection since my dad (who is now senior citizen) has encountered challenges as well that he has needed assistance dealing with.
So far, the only negative affects that I have suffered from multiple attacks have been delayed tax returns. No big deal. But I have a little fear and doubt about what I don't know enough about.
I don't consider myself internet handicap, but my dad certainly is. He was finally able to get all three reporting agencies to freeze and he got his credit report from all three with the help of another neighbor. I have only gotten one out of three reports so far.
One report was clear, but for unknown reasons as yet, I could not get past the authentication on the other two. Try as I might, and I do know the correct answers about myself. Has me worried that something has changed without my knowledge. I finally gave up on the Internet access and started the old school process. Three hours later and I should be expecting snail mail.
The whole experience of partially failing to help my dad and myself has me doing more homework. I thought this forum might be a good resource. But I am starting to think that there may be something wrong or abnormal and that could be the reason for my frustrations?
I froze my credit several years ago after listening to one of my co-worker's story of what he went through after his BIL ran up several credit cards in his name.
I have been lackadaisical in monitoring my credit. I have gained more interest in monitoring it from a point of protection since my dad (who is now senior citizen) has encountered challenges as well that he has needed assistance dealing with.
So far, the only negative affects that I have suffered from multiple attacks have been delayed tax returns. No big deal. But I have a little fear and doubt about what I don't know enough about.
I don't consider myself internet handicap, but my dad certainly is. He was finally able to get all three reporting agencies to freeze and he got his credit report from all three with the help of another neighbor. I have only gotten one out of three reports so far.
One report was clear, but for unknown reasons as yet, I could not get past the authentication on the other two. Try as I might, and I do know the correct answers about myself. Has me worried that something has changed without my knowledge. I finally gave up on the Internet access and started the old school process. Three hours later and I should be expecting snail mail.
The whole experience of partially failing to help my dad and myself has me doing more homework. I thought this forum might be a good resource. But I am starting to think that there may be something wrong or abnormal and that could be the reason for my frustrations?
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Jason
Re: Credit report resources
I'm still not sure exactly what you are looking for, but let me guess:
(1) There's a general disinterest in this topic here because one of the goals of ERE is to be free of its use. The more "advanced" people just don't deal with it anymore and probably have forgotten about its significance to people who are still dependent upon it;
(2) The credit bureaus purposefully make it difficult to deal with them. Their modus operandi is to keep you confused and off balance. Why? To keep you dependent upon them. To explain it anecdotally, I once had a drug dealer that I had a great relationship with. I bought every Friday like clockwork. He would drive to my place of employment at lunchtime, and we would conduct the exchange as we drove around the neighborhood in his Cadillac, discussing which girls we wanted to snort cocaine off of. It was always the same conversation. He liked them tight and thin. I like them Zaftig. The relationship got to the point that he would front me when I didn't have the cash. And this guy was a mover. He was not nickel and dime. That was clear. Plus he had a gun in the glove compartment and if it was after 3:00AM a pit bull in the back seat. On Christmas, he opened up his trunk and gave me a bottle of Jack Daniels. We hugged. I think I felt a gun in his parka.
So one day my boss says to me "If you ever come in here again looking like Keith Richard's no talented younger brother, I'll fire you. I say Ok, Ok. So I go to NA for a year and clean up. But of course I relapse and I call my dealer. We meet. And you know what he says to me after not seeing me for a year? "Do you have a problem?" He meant "Do I have a drug problem?" You see what he did? He never asked me that question when I was seeing him every week discussing the optimal feminine body type to snort drugs off or giving me free liquor like drug dealer reward points. He asked the question after not seeing me for a year. Why? Because he saw that when I put my mind to it, I could quit. That's exactly how the credit card companies act. The second they get an inclination you are leaving them, they get all asshurt and start fucking with your mind like a gun toting Dominican drug dealer because that's exactly who the fuck they are and why the only relationship you can have with them is abnormal and wrong.
(1) There's a general disinterest in this topic here because one of the goals of ERE is to be free of its use. The more "advanced" people just don't deal with it anymore and probably have forgotten about its significance to people who are still dependent upon it;
(2) The credit bureaus purposefully make it difficult to deal with them. Their modus operandi is to keep you confused and off balance. Why? To keep you dependent upon them. To explain it anecdotally, I once had a drug dealer that I had a great relationship with. I bought every Friday like clockwork. He would drive to my place of employment at lunchtime, and we would conduct the exchange as we drove around the neighborhood in his Cadillac, discussing which girls we wanted to snort cocaine off of. It was always the same conversation. He liked them tight and thin. I like them Zaftig. The relationship got to the point that he would front me when I didn't have the cash. And this guy was a mover. He was not nickel and dime. That was clear. Plus he had a gun in the glove compartment and if it was after 3:00AM a pit bull in the back seat. On Christmas, he opened up his trunk and gave me a bottle of Jack Daniels. We hugged. I think I felt a gun in his parka.
So one day my boss says to me "If you ever come in here again looking like Keith Richard's no talented younger brother, I'll fire you. I say Ok, Ok. So I go to NA for a year and clean up. But of course I relapse and I call my dealer. We meet. And you know what he says to me after not seeing me for a year? "Do you have a problem?" He meant "Do I have a drug problem?" You see what he did? He never asked me that question when I was seeing him every week discussing the optimal feminine body type to snort drugs off or giving me free liquor like drug dealer reward points. He asked the question after not seeing me for a year. Why? Because he saw that when I put my mind to it, I could quit. That's exactly how the credit card companies act. The second they get an inclination you are leaving them, they get all asshurt and start fucking with your mind like a gun toting Dominican drug dealer because that's exactly who the fuck they are and why the only relationship you can have with them is abnormal and wrong.
Re: Credit report resources
+1 to Credit Karma, mentioned by Fish. I first heard of the site years ago on network news in a consumer advice segment, which made me less apprehensive about its legitimacy. You have to answer a LOT of questions to authenticate yourself, just as with annualcreditreport.com. Once you've done that and established a free account, it's an easy matter of logging in each time. I ignore the website ads, and they don't email me anything except a monthly reminder to check my record and an alert if anyone checks my credit (I just switched cell providers, which triggered an alert). They provide an overview and then detailed info including any changes.
I too was part of the Equifax breach, though no one has applied for credit in my name...yet. I've been informed of various breaches over the years by financial institutions and a medical provider, and I didn't sign up for any free monitoring services other than Credit Karma. I just go by the assumption that my privacy is nil, my SS# is handled daily by disgruntled and possibly dishonest minimum wage workers, and my financial accounts are under siege at all times. The best defense is to check your credit card, bank and investment accounts online every few days or every week at a minimum. I also have alerts set up on each of my accounts to email me when any transaction occurs over a set limit. It's part of living in today's world.
I too was part of the Equifax breach, though no one has applied for credit in my name...yet. I've been informed of various breaches over the years by financial institutions and a medical provider, and I didn't sign up for any free monitoring services other than Credit Karma. I just go by the assumption that my privacy is nil, my SS# is handled daily by disgruntled and possibly dishonest minimum wage workers, and my financial accounts are under siege at all times. The best defense is to check your credit card, bank and investment accounts online every few days or every week at a minimum. I also have alerts set up on each of my accounts to email me when any transaction occurs over a set limit. It's part of living in today's world.
Re: Credit report resources
Thanks to everyone for their input.
Again -- I am not interested in my credit score, but I am interested in protection.
I found an article on Nasdaq.com regarding the Equifax breach that answered most of my questions. The "mainstream" advice that is so readily available was adding to my confusion.
I still have yet to get all three bureau reports ( I have gotten two.) But I feel better knowing that a credit freeze is (so far) the ultimate level of protection.
Interesting side story about the lifelock head cheese falling victim to ID theft after advertising his SSN in a publicity stunt!
Again -- I am not interested in my credit score, but I am interested in protection.
I found an article on Nasdaq.com regarding the Equifax breach that answered most of my questions. The "mainstream" advice that is so readily available was adding to my confusion.
I still have yet to get all three bureau reports ( I have gotten two.) But I feel better knowing that a credit freeze is (so far) the ultimate level of protection.
Interesting side story about the lifelock head cheese falling victim to ID theft after advertising his SSN in a publicity stunt!