A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
Keeping an eye on your score
Keeping your eye on your credit report and
FICO score is more important today than ever before. With more businesses using
FICO scores To decide your credit worthiness and now with the breach of
personal information at retailers such as Target and Home Depot, no one is
safe. But getting your score and keeping track of your score can be a little
confusing; I know this from personal experience.
I wanted to check my credit score so I went
to Experian.com and ordered my free report and score. I was mindful of not
signing up for anything extra, but somehow I did not realize that I had agreed
to a 7 day trial for credit monitoring. I notice a $14.95 charge to my account.
I called Experian and tried to explain that I did not know that I signed up for
the monitoring, but they were not sympathetic. I even wrote the CEO, but have
yet to hear back. I did some research and have found that Creditsesame.com is free and
does not ask for a credit card. I just signed up and did get my score. It was
higher than the Experian score, but in the ball park. I also signed up for free
monitoring, I will report back in a month or so and let you know how I feel
about the service.
Many people think that only when they
apply for a credit card, a mortgage, a car loan, or some other kind of loan
will their credit score become important, but that is just not the case. Many
times it may affect what you pay for auto insurance, whether you can rent a
home, or even employers may want to know about your credit. The most important
thing to do is get a look at your credit report. Now there are many companies
out there that say they will help you improve your credit score, but the
reality is that you can do this yourself.
First dispute any negative on your report to
the 3 agencies. Remember you must do all 3 agencies. When you dispute with the
credit agencies they must investigate and respond to you within 30 days. Each
of the three credit agencies (Experian | TransUnion | Equifax) have a section
on their web sites for disputes. Another big mistake people make is that
they close revolving accounts. That actually brings down your credit score. It makes
no sense, but one of the factors affecting your credit score is available
credit. If you close the account you have less available credit. Keep the
accounts open and just don’t use them.
The rest is basic, pay your bills and pay
down your debts. You can improve your credit score, it just takes time. If you
have good credit, guard it closely, it can save you quite a bit of money.
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management Specializes in Property Management in Orange County
Ca.