Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Credit Repair And Questionable Accounts On Your Credit Reports

By Linda Williams

If you have factors showing on your credit report you can often get them deleted by using credit repair. Credit repair is beneficial to eradicate many troubles from inexact or invalid listings to information that is fake from identity theft. Any information that is dubious can be disputed to see if it can be removed.

However, if you have listings on your report that do not belong to you it is not automatically the consequence of identity theft. Many of these listings are just the result of human error.

When the credit bureaus are compiling the information for credit they use a complex software program that uses a corresponding criteria algorithm. This is made to permit for a minor quantity of mismatches expected to human error. It is completely possible for another persons information to show up on your credit report if things like your name or social security numbers are comparable. This is referred to as file merger errors and they are actually ordinary.

A file merger error is a relatively straightforward item to mend. First off you must authenticate that it is a file merger error and not the end result of actual identity theft. Make a phone call to the creditor and see it they have a chronicle of the account. If there is a documentation of the account you may be the victim of identity theft and if there is no confirmation it is probable a file merger error.

In the case of a file merger error, you need to distribute a dispute. Rationalize in detail how the flawed account does not belong to you. At the same time make sure that you ask them to block the other person's accounts from your record. The credit bureaus will then have their usual 30 days to verify the accurateness of the information or remove it from your credit report.

If it turns out to be identity theft you will need to speak to the police force. Also make sure that you request the credit bureaus to block the financial records. You will need to supply a meticulous police report along with a signed account about how the financial records are fraudulent.

To be on top of possible identity theft especially if you are troubled that it could happen to you, you can always put a fraud alert on your credit report. This is a statement that requests that a lender get in touch with you independently before approving any credit. This is not a warranty as some lenders may just disregard it but it is a practical tactic that you can take earlier.

Identity theft is a somber concern. Be cautious and shelter your identity. You can repair your credit and get debatable items removed intermittently but if you are greatly concerned about identity theft you may want to contemplate a credit monitoring service that will notify you any time a variation is made to your credit report.

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