Credit Scores And You

This book is a consumer instruction manual for the credit reporting and credit scoring systems. Although these credit systems directly effect the financial standing of millions of Americans, few people understand them.

This book is a consumer instruction manual for the credit reporting and credit scoring systems. Although these credit systems directly effect the financial standing of millions of Americans, few people understand them.

"Credit Scores and You" is the definitive guide on how to create, maintain, or repair your credit score. Knowing how to get your credit score over 700 and to keep it there can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime. The book is the result of the author's desire to give financial direction and inspiration to his two sons as they grew into young adults. His career in lending and the financial world has provided a keen understanding of what is required to build a solid financial base, and how vitally important an excellent credit score has become in business, and in day-to-day life. It shares real life experiences, and provides information on getting started in finances, handling money, and how to build your credit history. Learning about trade lines, the credit scoring system, and when to consider various loan products is discussed. How your credit history impacts what you do and what it can cost you over time is the essence of this subject. A good credit score involves much more than what it will cost for a particular loan product. Your credit score is considered when you apply for a job, when you are looking for housing, and how the insurance company views you as customer. That simple three-digit number has become more profound since the mid 1990's than ever before. Your credit score will determine whether or not you are approved for a loan product. In many cases it will also dictate how much you will pay in interest rates and fees. Excellent credit scores will open many more doors and save you money. A good credit score will also help you when applying for a job. Many employers will run a credit check along with a background check before they will consider a candidate for employment. High or low credit scores are considered a reflection on how an applicant may perform on the job. Insurance companies have their own methods for determining risk, and charge insurance premiums based on that data. Credit scores in recent years have become one of the factors that they look at on an insurance application. High or low credit scores can be one of the determining factors in what they charge. Having an understanding of the importance of a great credit score should not be underestimated. 'Credit Scores and You' will give the reader an excellent basis for getting on the right track toward financial wellness.

“Does a phenomenal job of pulling back the curtain and giving you a first-hand peek inside the hidden, often frustrating, world of credit scoring.”—Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, New York Times bestselling author ofZero Debt A healthy credit score is essential for a healthy financial life. But the precise mechanisms used to determine our credit scores are shrouded in mystery. Consumers aren’t usually told how their score is being used by all kinds of companies and banks to dictate financial terms that will strongly affect their daily lives. So when consumers interact with the world of credit, they do so from a position of weakness. With this revelatory guide, Anthony Davenport aims to change that. Finally, here is a consumer-friendly road map for understanding and navigating the secretive world of consumer credit. Davenport reveals where your credit score comes from, how to improve, maintain, or rescue it, and how to avoid hidden credit pitfalls. Your Score is an accessible manual designed to help you take control of your credit score and better navigate all the important financial decisions in your life. “Anthony Davenport not only understands credit, but truly believes everyone should be empowered to understand it for themselves. You won’t find this level of honest information anywhere else.”—Tiki Barber, cohost of Tiki & Tierney and former NFL running back “This is a masterful work . . . The time it takes to read this book will produce extraordinary returns.”—Mark Gerson, chairman, Gerson Lehrman Group “Davenport offers a handy, one-stop guide to understanding—and fixing—your credit score . . . A clearheaded, must-read guide for anyone looking to decode the most influential number of them all.”—Publishers Weekly

Your Credit Score, Fourth Edition thoroughly covers brand-new laws changing everything from how your credit score can be used to how you can communicate with collectors.

Explains little known advice and tips for improving a credit score, including how to remove damaging information and negotiate with creditors.

Do you or someone you know have bad credit or no credit at all? If so, pay close attention! And, if you really want to know the facts about credit, this book is definitely for YOU! This book covers everything there is to know about building a great credit score and it's understandable to the average person! In fact, some people have called it the "Credit Manual"! You'll uncover a wide array of tips, including how to repair your credit today! It even includes a sample letter that you can use to send to credit bureaus for disputing credit report errors and repairing your credit. It's like having your very own credit expert that you can reference and ask questions any time you need to! Through this book, you are going to learn what you will need to know about how to get rid of your bad credit and raise your credit score to 750 or more. You will discover: - What Are FICO Scores? - How To Find Your Score? - How To Get Your Credit Report For Free? - What Is The Best Credit Score To Get Super Low Interest Loans? - How To Raise Up Your Credit Score To 750 And Above? - The Very First Thing To Take When Raising Your Credit Score - Ways To Start Establishing A Good Credit - How To Repair Your Bad Credit Score? - How To Read The Secret Codes On Your Credit Report - How to Dispute & Fix Errors on Your Credit Report - Definitions Of The Eight Types Of Public Records - Things Need To Observe When Applying For A Mortgage - The Ugly Truth About Credit Counselors And Debt Consolidators That They Wish You Never Find Out - How To Prevent Identity Theft And What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen - How Does Bankruptcy Affect Your Credit - And Much More...

The first consumer credit bureaus appeared in the 1870s and quickly amassed huge archives of deeply personal information. Today, the three leading credit bureaus are among the most powerful institutions in modern life—yet we know almost nothing about them. Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion are multi-billion-dollar corporations that track our movements, spending behavior, and financial status. This data is used to predict our riskiness as borrowers and to judge our trustworthiness and value in a broad array of contexts, from insurance and marketing to employment and housing. In Creditworthy, the first comprehensive history of this crucial American institution, Josh Lauer explores the evolution of credit reporting from its nineteenth-century origins to the rise of the modern consumer data industry. By revealing the sophistication of early credit reporting networks, Creditworthy highlights the leading role that commercial surveillance has played—ahead of state surveillance systems—in monitoring the economic lives of Americans. Lauer charts how credit reporting grew from an industry that relied on personal knowledge of consumers to one that employs sophisticated algorithms to determine a person's trustworthiness. Ultimately, Lauer argues that by converting individual reputations into brief written reports—and, later, credit ratings and credit scores—credit bureaus did something more profound: they invented the modern concept of financial identity. Creditworthy reminds us that creditworthiness is never just about economic "facts." It is fundamentally concerned with—and determines—our social standing as an honest, reliable, profit-generating person.

Most credit books promise quick fixes and easy solutions to bad credit, but the truth is there is no quick fix when it comes to credit. Your best strategy as a smart consumer is to understand your credit inside and out. Credit expert John Ulzheimer can give you all the tools you need to master the world of credit, before or after you get into trouble, and take the power back into your own hands. Topics covered include: • The difference between a credit score and a credit report • The best way to deal with collection agencies • How to monitor your credit report • Protecting yourself from identity theft • The impact of student loans on your credit score • How to opt out of unwanted credit card offers The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Good Credit answers all of your questions about credit (including the ones you didn’t even know you should be asking!) and yes, even explains the best ways to work toward improving a bad credit score.

Explains how both credit scoring and credit reporting systems actually work, how to improve FICO scores, and ensure credit reports are accurate.