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Since the National Consumer Assistance Plan went into effect in 2017, public records must meet strict requirements in order to appear on consumer credit reports. Civil judgments and tax liens do not meet these new requirements, so they were removed from credit reports. At this point, the only derogatory public record that should appear on... Read More
Article originally published August 29th, 2012. Updated October 29th, 2018. The emails usually come in the form of a slightly panicked plea, often from individuals who have just used Credit.com’s Free Credit Report Card for the first time. They’ve seen something that they either didn’t expect or think is wrong, or they think their credit scores should... Read More
Usually, a charge off occurs when an individual doesn’t make payments – usually for six months. This is more than just a credit card status though. It affects your relationship with your credit card issuer, your general credit standing, your ability to get a credit card or loan approved and other credit-related services. How Charge... Read More
You may already know the common items that appear on your credit reports, like personal identifying details as well as the debts you hold, payments you’ve made and hard inquiries generated whenever you fill out an application for credit with a lender. But knowing all that, you could still find surprises on your credit report. Even if... Read More
If you’re considering adding someone to your credit card accounts — a spouse, child, parent or even close friend — you might be wondering how it could impact your credit, both positively and negatively. The simple answer is that it won’t really. As long as you’re making your payments on time and neither of you... Read More
Does trying to read your credit report feel like you are reading another language entirely? This is a perfectly normal reaction when reading one of your reports for the first time or if you are not in the habit of reviewing your credit reports regularly. “While your credit reports may be hard to read at... Read More
Q: I have a credit card that I have been using for about five years, and [it] has never showed up on my credit reports. I usually keep the card paid to a zero balance. How do I get this to show up? It should help my score. — Anonymous A. Opening a new line of... Read More
Most of us take pride in the way we present ourselves to people — our actions, appearance and words tell the world who we are. Our credit reports should work the same way and be an accurate representation of us as consumers. This way, lenders can use them to fairly evaluate loan and credit applications... Read More
You know you’re supposed to review your credit, and you’ve even heard that you can do so for free. But is anything in life really free? Turns out, your credit reports are. Yes, that’s right, you really can get your credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion —... Read More
The major credit reporting agencies have a big change in the works that could bolster a lot of people’s credit scores. As part of its National Consumer Assistance Plan (the result of a settlement brokered with 31 state attorneys general back in 2015), Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are planning to significantly reduce the amount of tax-lien and... Read More
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Thanks for stopping by.
- The Credit.com Editorial Team
Natalie Issa
David Lord
McCall Robison
