Are you more than your FICO score?
Oct 9, 2012, 7:29 PM | Updated: 7:29 pm
Can a man be judged by his FICO score alone?
Sometimes? Yes.
In today’s struggling economy and closely monitored lending guidelines, you either have a sufficianet score for financing or you have to clean up your credit
The first step is to get a copy of your report so you know what you’re dealing with.
There are three major credit reporting agencies in the United States: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. All Americans get one free credit reort from each of these three credit reporting agencies, thanks to a law that passed in 2005.
You have three ways to get them:
1) Go to annualcreditreport.com
2) Call 1-877-322-8228
3) Fill out the form on the back of the Annual Credit Report Request brochure.
How can you help yourself clean your credit up?
If you see mistakes on your report, request an investigation and you can dispute them. They usually involve just sending a letter, but each credit reporting agency can assist you on what to do.
If you’re behind on payments, contact your creditors and arrange a payment plan and make those payments on time.
There comes a point when repairing your credit becomes an overwhelming process.
Before you throw in the towel, you may want to consider a credit repair company. They vary by price and personal attention.
Amerifirst Financial Inc, uses Continental Credit and it is the preferred credit repair company. The costs range from a one-time charge of $59 to $99 per month, depending on how exetensive the credit repair is.
Bottom line: Know what your score is and if you need to do some house cleaning.
You can contact Lisa the Lender anytime. She joins Diane Brennan and Linda Williams for That Real Estate Show every Saturday at 3 p.m.
