Tag: credit

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Have you checked your credit report lately?

I recommend checking your credit report often, at least once per month. The three credit reporting agencies are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. You can go directly to their websites to obtain your credit reports. You can also use www.annualcreditreport.com to try to obtain all three reports at one time. Generally you can get one free report per year, though during COVID many are allowing a weekly free report.

There are many free websites and apps to monitor your credit and notify you of any changes. One such services is CreditKarma (this is not an ad for them, just a mention). They pull from 2 of the 3 credit reporting agencies and provide updates as you set your preferences.

If you haven’t filed bankruptcy yet, getting your credit report will help you determine who you owe and what your bankruptcy will look like. You can just email the report to your attorney. You don’t have to print it.

If you have filed bankruptcy and discharged, checking your credit report can help make sure all the debt you got rid of in the bankruptcy is properly showing as discharged.

As always, if you have any questions at all, ask your attorney!

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Equifax is hacked. Now what?

Equifax announced on September 7, 2017 that they were hacked over the summer. Equifax believes 143 million Americans may have been affected. Among the hacked information was social security numbers, birth dates, and credit card numbers.

Luckily they’ve now set up a website where you can find out if you were potentially affected. Simply go to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com where you will enter your information and it will tell you if they believe you were affected. Equifax is also alerting people by mail who were affected. One year of free identity theft protection and credit monitoring are offered for those affected. Simply visit the same website for more information.

Remember to check your credit report often to make sure your information is correct. Part of having a good credit score is having correct information!