Netcredit

How TRUSTING Are You? How well do you know the people who might have temporary access to your filing cabinet, check book or wallet? Now think: there's the guy who installed new cable outlets...your cleaning lady... the neighbor who feeds your cat when your away. Like most of us, you are probably pretty trusting until the precise moment you are either robbed or betrayed. Believe me, I've been there. Once the damage is done it is very costly and time consuming to have it undone. The only way to protect yourself from identity theft is to keep your personal details behind a solid unrelenting wall of common sense. Don't carry your social security card in your wallet and DO have a locked filing cabinet or home safe where you store your check books, passport, un-used credit cards, bank statements, W-2's, pay stubs and anything with your social security number or account numbers that could be used to impersonate you. Sad but true--a very high percentage of people who use your

Your Credit Report Is A Record of Your Financial Behavior. These records deonote patterns established over your borrowing lifetime You may be surprised to see records of employment and mortgages or credit card accounts over twenty years ago still reporting. Three national credit reporting bureaus maintain these records. These reporting bureaus: are Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. Credit reports (also known as your credit file, credit profile, or credit history) contain: Your identification, including your name, telephone number, and address, as well as your Social Security Number, birth date, and employer. (The information usually includes previous addresses and employers too.) Your credit history, which details how you pay your bills to banks, credit unions, finance companies, mortgage companies, and retail stores. Also included are any existing public records, such as bankruptcies, judgments, and tax liens. Inquiries, or authorized credit checks by companies receiving your appl

Remember, your credit scores are based on your financial behavior, so good behavior is key to maintaining good credit scores as well as improving your current position. The List below is a quick review of how responsible borrowers behave . Always pay all of your bills on time. This proves your reliability and demonstrates consistent behavior and responsibility. Check your credit reports regularly and correct inaccuracies. Verify that the information reported about you is correct. Dispute anything incorrect with each of the credit bureaus immediately. Some disputes may require contact with financial institutions too. While it is best to document your disputes in writing, to all three bureaus simultaneously. Some bureaus provide customer service by telephone with instructions on how to register for a fraud alert. Monitor your accounts closely for signs of identity theft. Simply review each statement and verify that all bills are authorized, accurate, and your own. Guard PINs and acco

Most people find out they have been the victims of Identity Theft too late to prevent it. Watch your bank and credit card accounts every month for suspicious charges. Unexplained withdrawals should be reported to your bank immediately and investigated! Early Signs: Have you noticed any small suspicious charges on credit cards or bank accounts? This is an early warning sign of impending doom. If you have lost mail, bank statements, pay stubs, a wallet, credit card or check book--a thief or con may sell or hold them to use later. If you suspect you have been exposed to Credit Fraud or Identity Theft, you should notify all three Credit Reporting Bureaus (details below) to put an alert on your file--even if you only suspect a person who had access to your personal details. Unfortunately, with the increase in online purchases, there is a substantial increase in intercepted information by hackers who put spyware onto your computer designed to seek out credit card and bank account numbers. Re

Bankruptcy is a very important legal option open to U.S. Citizens who have serious financial problems from which they cannot reasonably recover given their current circumstances. There are two types open to individuals: Chapter 7, sometimes know as a 'straight' or 'liquidation' bankruptcy and Chapter 13, also called 'wage earner' or 'repayment plans'. You can get a lot of bankruptcy information from your State Bar Association, some of whom publish informative articles online. Office supply stores also carry Do It Yourself Bankruptcy Kits. You have the right to represent yourself in court, however the complications of this area of law elude most of we mere mortals. It helps to read up on the implications for you personally before you make a decision that could affect the rest of your credit lifetime. Credit Counseling: A Word of Warning: There are a number of 'credit counseling agencies' and 'debt elimination firms' that may essentially a