----- Original Message -----
From: REAL PERSON
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 6:27 PM
Subject: Question
Bo,
Thanks for your info. Your home page is very useful. 4 months ago I filed BK-7. Last month I received my credit report and many of the accounts have not been updated and the ones that were updated have a pay status of "Unrated". I can't find a definition for "Unrated" and how does that affect my score. I'm not looking for a 720 score, but I would like to see some improvement.
Thanks,
REAL PERSON
Unrated means it is not an account established at least 12 months ago. So the account is less than 12 months old.......or some times they go unrated when they are older than 2 years from date of last activity.
Bobo Majors
931-455-6066
Get your free report NOW Clean your report here
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Unrated accounts on credit reports
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Credit Fraud by e-mail .. get credit monitoring
Quoting Real
Bo,
Since I am not as experienced as I should be,I did a bad thing by responding to a scheme to get personal information. I have a perfect rating score with Equifax. (820) I know that these scum balls will try to do damage to my credit, along with the other that fail for this scheme. Since you seem to have great knowledge, please advise what I should do. I have obtained my credit report and changed all my passwords,but that may not be enough, I am including the e-mailheader that I received. This scary, please help me to understand the dange that I am in.
Thank you very much
Edgar Bryant
You need to send my credit fraud letter in to each bureau,
AND sign up for credit monitoring for one year.
Its a 79.00 investment which cannot be too much considering your spot.
Do you have any idea how good a score that is. Jees. Yo have to spend the time and money to protect your standing.
letter Credit Monitoring
One of the biggest scams today is, update your pay pal or bank account Like Regions. I get these in piles every day. They ask for update to secure your account before it gets closed or something to scare the wits out of you. It works. They scare me each time. Never do this when promted by e-mail. Log into these accounts as you normally would and deal with it there. There never is any REAL PROBLEM IVE FOUND.
bo majors 931-455-6066
Friday, April 22, 2005
Catch on FREE CREDIT REPORTS
From: "INFO" REAL PERSON......
To:
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:57 PM
Subject: free credit report
Whats the catch with the "free credit report" with credit.com? Do you actually get all three bureau reports free or just one and buy the other two? Do they include FICA SCORES?
all best....B
All free credit reports are a result of the customer buying something. In almost all cases, it is credit monitoring for 79 range. The trick is to cancel before 30 days elapse and wala, free report and score.
Most instances it is only one report from one bureau
But you do get a score and most scores and credit are close at all three. If you cancel in less than 30days it is totally free. FREE
People west of the Missippi can get one in about 30 days free with no score if they write the bureaus by hand and snail mail it to them. Or on wlefare loooking for a job and all thats on my website.
I like to just pay the 34.95 and get all three bureaus and a score and be done. NOW!!!!! HERE!!!!! LETS GET ER DONE!!!!!
Thats the honest to god catch.
Im a truth sayer totally
Bo Majors
931-455-6066 Work Russell Barnett KIA
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Free Credit Report & how to Cancel
Quoting Real Person
Bo, I've been reading all of you e-mails and one long one caught my
attention. I am an unfortunate victim of this scam. I'm sure I only asked for the free trail and I was trying to cancel but would'nt you know it there is'nt any info on how to cancel before your 30 days are up. And they did say 30 days not 20. can you help??
--------------------
I don't see it either
i bet if you log in (with your username and password) you can find it
i do know they give any paid customer a phone number
use that
or go to contact us at bottom
then to the bbb if you cannot get satisfied
they do make it hard so it is easier to keep your monies
and they are not my friends
they are owned by experian
and pose as a third party
what a bunch of .............
Bo Majors
I want to see my credit report NOW!
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Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Credit Agency Closed @ Ex Spouse Payments on Bills
----- Original Message -----
From: REAL PERSON
To: 'majors@oskie.com'
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 8:43 AM
Subject: Credit repair
You stated that you disputed an account in which that company had closed, what did you put as the explanation. Also, what advice can you give me on a matter in which a car had been repoed and the ex-spouse was responsible for paying that car payment.
Engineer Design Branch
Directorate of
0000 First St. Bldg. 0000
Real Person Town MO 65473
931-931-931
REAL PERSON@us.army.mil
1. not my account please remove Use this form
2. If the account was joint the only option is a 50 word explanaation attached to the bureau sometimes a court order will remove it but most of the time I find that an explanation is the only thing a man can do. No help with score on explanations.
Bobo Majors
931-455-6066 Work Russell Barnett KIA
My Credit Report Website
I want to see my credit report NOW!
Monday, March 21, 2005
How to raise your credit report score in 30 days.
----- Original Message -----
how can a person raise their credit score in 30 days the scores are as follows: 608, 612 and 624 with the 612 being the middle score i really need this to go up for a mortgage loan please email me at
1. dispute anything old looking
2. pay down debt to less than 80%
3. Try to pay bills and get the creditor to remoove the file.
Bobo Majors
931-455-6066 Work Russell Barnett KIA
Credit Help
Check your Credit Report on Score or scores. Click here
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My wifes' Blogg
Friday, March 18, 2005
Collections
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 12:59 PM
Subject: HELP
I found your website when trying to find how to dispute a collections Item. I printed and filled out the dispute form but could not find an address for the CRA. The situation is that my ex-husband has a collections item on his report for a doctor bill that was actually mine. We were seperated at the time so he is no way responsible for the bill. It has now been paid and I did send a letter to the collections company letting them know that I was in responsible. They are now telling me that because it went to the attorneys office they can not have it switched from him to me. Do you have any suggestions? He has immaculate credit and now one of his Credit Cards has raised his interest rate due to this. Also.. once it is removed from his credit, is there a way to have his interest reduced back?
Thank you so much for you time.
-----------------------
i think you find a creditor to be a problem like this fairly often
they want to burn down fujjalah
like bush
Credit cards have disclaimers on the back side of the request forms that say they can raise your score for just about anyreason they can come up with. He signed it and should know that.
but what can you do about it
all i know is what you have done
they want to stick it to someone
and if it has been to a lawyer
and if his name was on the lawyer stuff thats it
NOW
if you are telling the truth
and if he could in no way be responsible for the item
he needs to address the problem
not you
it's his job to protect his credit not yours
HE needs to get hot and heavy
and i would possibly consult the BBB if you find no satifactory reasoning.......
you can dispute anythig you like
so he can dispute the bill
with the bureaus
experian
trans union
equifax
sounds like the creditor is not gonna help though
this might be a good case for
LEW LAW
heck they sick lawyers on the creditors and bureaus
and for 79.00
he'd lose that in no time with credit cards so they are worth the money get your husband to click here
but its your husbands deal
don't fall for the it's your fault crap
he has to do it
Bureaus and Phone Buracracy
I really appreciate your website. I called the numbers prior to viewing your site just to get their address and was unsuccessful. Thank you for providing information to others in need and with the ambition to make a change in an uphill battle.
This is the very reson for me making this website in 1998. I could find no help at bureau land.
2 Bankruptcies cannot be filed in less than 7 years
To:
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 12:37 PM
I have ordered my credit reports to begin a repair on it. I tried to get a new car in January, but was even denied through KIA. The gentlemen from KIA told me it was because I have 2 Chapter 7 bankruptcies showing up in 1998 and 1999. I did have a BK discharged in 1999 that was originally filed in
1998 but legally there is no way I could have had 2 BK's in consectutive years.
You have this statement on your website
"Not all bad credit can be removed or repaired legally. BK's, Judgments, Collections, Late payments. Some can."
So I just wanted to see if I am going to be able to have either one or both of them removed. What is your advice regarding this situation? It seems to me that the Credit Reporting agencies would have known that it would be illegal for me to have both of these---but I guess they dont care......
------------------
I would dispute in the manner in which you have told me
use this form
and yes your right. All bureaus do is what creditors tell them and very little "in house" monitoring is done to make sure they have accurate or even legal records on your credit report. Remember bureas get money from creditors not from disputes and the like.
This is the very reason why all people should check their credit report at least once a year.
Unable to contact a creditor to pay them
To:
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 7:48 AM
Subject: Question
Dear Sir, I have a derogatory account from nextcard and I believe the company has been bought out. I am trying to contact them to see if I can setup a payment plan in order to pay the bill but I cannot seem to get in contact with anybody. What do you think I should do?
Thanks
Dispute it
It will be removed or you will be able to at least contact them with the numbers provided from your dispute request. Expect about 14-40 days for your answer.
Friday, December 17, 2004
FICO vs Experian Score
free fico credit score Click here with monitoring. Cancel in 30 days and its free.
----- Original Message -----
From: tettamilli tettamilli
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 10:22 AM
Subject: Experian Plus Score Vs Fico score
Hey,
You've wrote a nice article on credit scores). I have an score average of 732 between all 3 credit agencies (Equifax, TRW, and Experian). I just tried to get a mortgage, they told me I didn't have a credit score- shock to me! I didn't know you had to have an account open over 6 months for FICO to kick in. I just thought everyone went on the Experian Plus score. I suscribe to their creditexpert.com service. This brings me to the question at hand: what do you think my FICO score will be, if my "average" score for all the 3 major bureau's is 732?
Curious
__________________________________________________
one thing to add. Experian uses many aliases and one is a site called creditexpert where they prey on people and tell them what they want to hear then switch them to nothing for money. See the credit expert thing was meaningless as you have shown me. use a real live place. Click Here. Cancel in 30 days and keep the report free
---------------------
all 3 bureaus suggest experian also.....thats one of the three....so the question is already answered. NO SCORE? Which is it. Got one or not.
all scores measure the same but may have different data.
732 is great
12 months is the level for a "Rated Trade Line"
Friday, December 03, 2004
30 days late at Ford Motor Credit
----- Original Message -----
From: Anonymous
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 2:22 PM
Subject: [Repair a Bad Credit Report Score Free ] 12/3/2004 02:18:29 PM
Ok here is our deal. We are trying to purchase a new home and have one hit against us from Ford Credit for a 30 day late in Oct. My husband was out of town for 3 weeks yadayadayada...We did mail the payment to them close to the 30 day limit due to oversight. When they called about it I spoke with a rep told her it was in the mail etc...Then phonepayed the November payment. I called today to try to get some help - we have made 38 payments on time etc... Have no history of any lates with Ford. The rep said they will only remove the late if they are in error. He would fax a credit ref letter but it would still reflect the one 30 day late and state that we are current. The home we are buying is $30K less than our current home due to the fact it needs a remodel and we haven't had any credit issues in 5-7 years. Any ideas??
------------------------------------------------------------------
i dont know your score
yes the late will show up unless you catch it before
most of the time big credit companies like ford
will not allow any changes
so it sounds as if you are in a fix
one 30 day late should not hurt you so bad
look for any balances over 80 against your high credit
reduce these and see an imediate score increase
bo majors
See your Credit Report Now and get a FREE DEBT Analysis
Friday, November 12, 2004
Collections Paid Collections Laws
----- Original Message -----
From: REAL PERSON
To:
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 8:27 AM
Subject: Paid Collections
Bo, impressed with your website. My experience over
the years is if you paid off your collections in full,
you could get the collection agency to delete their
entry from your credit report with a request.
Exception: ATT who sent the bill to collections but it
was paid in full (payment directly to ATT), refuse to
delete the wording "Collection" off the credit report
comment box. I told them you received all of your
money and it serves no benefit to ATT or me to have
the collection word on the credit report. Collection
agency said they are out of loop since ATT directly
received check. I talked to the ATT higher ups etc.
and they said it is the law that they have to report
it that way. Is that true? Also do you think if I
continuously dispute, ATT will give in? Any
suggestions?
Thanks Real PERSON
_____________
it is not a LAW
it is a company policy
there are no LAWS about removing credit report entries......
these are all privately owned bureaus who keep records of how you pay...
SO
it is not a LAW
But
They can make company policy and label it a law to ease the burden of explanation from the clerks of the company.
ATT sounds like they wish to smoke you.
you made a mistake by not making an agreement prior to your payment that the entry be removed.
they may not have done it.
but i would not pay a collection if the company refuses to remove the entry
after all
what good will it do you to pay
your score is still the same
so i would not pay on collections unless i get gauranteed relief
of course i would never let someone collect on me in the first place
i sign up
i pay
I'm Bo Majors
Click Here. FREE REPORT Cancel in 30 days and keep the report free
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Credit Question
----- Original Message -----
From: REAL PERSON
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 1:10 PM
Subject: I need help
Hi Bo,
I ran across your web site trying to find the phone number for Trans Union and I'm hoping you can give me some advice. I lost my job some months ago because it requires a security clearance and they noticed that I had not started to pay off my years old debts as I told them I would when I got hired.
At that time I was making arrangement to consolidate my debts through CCCS and thought everything was taken care of. Then I found out that CCCS couldn't start the process until I furnished phone numbers for the companies that were listed on my credit report. None of these collectors is in contact with me, the original credit card companies have sold off my debt, and I don't know for sure who I owe or how to contact them or what is the wisest course of action to pursue.
So I ordered a 3 bureau credit report last week hoping that I could start over and get my act together this time before going to a debt consolidating agency. But I'm looking at all of these different reports and they don't have the contact information. Even if they did I don't know which companies I need to contact in order to have my credit report show that I am not over 120 days on any outstanding debts which is what the government says I need to do in order to have an acceptable credit picture to pass their security check.
I looked over your site and tried to figure out from the various pages what to do but I'm getting overloaded with information that I don't have the insight to know whether or not it pertains to my situation.
Can you be of any assistance please?
------------------------
just dispute everything you don't know about
use my form
they will either remove it
or give you an address
sounds to me though
your gonna get fired
debt consolidation?
charge offs?
they will surely not let you get away with that stuff
creditors will eat your lunch if you give them a chance
and it is your job not theirs to keep in contact
when or if you move or for any reason
you signed up
you charged
you pay......
listen if you borrowed money from me
and didn;t pay oh man
so for me
if i borrowed 5000 from you and didn;t pay you
you whip my tail
your only hope is to pay them all off
in full
or ax grinder
use my dispute form
ask to remove them in waves of 3 at a time
i dont know how many you have
but if you dispute them all at one time
it doesnt work as well
you might benefit from this outfit
for 79.00 they might help you save your self
Click Here. FREE REPORT Cancel in 30 days and keep the report free
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Credit Report Score News Articles
Click on the heading above to veiw 5 things you need to know about your credit report score.
Get to Know Your Credit Report
Click Here. Get YOUR credit report Free with cancelable monitoring and free debt analysis on your desktop now!
Identity Fraud Article
My credit Report has another persons credit on it!
Article with tips to imporove your credit report score!
Lexington Law firm Can help your credit score!
Use my personal webpage to help. Read my real life story!
SomeOne Please Comment on something......
Click Here. FREE REPORT Cancel in 30 days and keep the report free
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Credit Card Report Fraud
----- Original Message -----
From: REAL PERSON
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 1:05 PM
Just wanted to say thanks for compiling the 3 addresses. I’ve been a victim of credit fraud. Someone actually used my name/info to open an account and charged up 25,000 dollars and then some. I was there friend (not anymore) and worked for them at there office and was told to use this credit card for gas occasionally if needed and that I was being put on it as a signer (not the business owner). Anyway they filled out the form as though I was the one who asked for it and since I charged gas a couple times on it – I became fully responsible. What a horrible lesson I’ve learned. Your website helps get through some of these headaches. I never had one problem with my credit till now. It was also a lesson learned in checking my credit regularly. The world is full of ugliness unfortunately and we really should not have to go to these extremes to get half this stuff off our credit reports because companies should be sure that it comes off once your 7 years are up and the loans have been paid but unfortunately we have to follow up on those things too.
This has been a nightmare but thanks for your help.
D
Real Person
REAL PROBLEMS
Listen
It is encumbant upon creditors and bureaus to protect consumers from this ugliness.
1. the creditors should have contacted you sooner than this or at least helped you.
2. the bureaus should have to noticed a marked change in your credit habits and flagged your account, and possibly called you before it got too bad.
Hope it all works out.
Bo Majors
Have your credit report in hand NOW? If not, get one!
Get a free credit report, a credit score and a debt analysis,
All on your desktop in seconds, click here
Free Credit report Dispute Form Letter
Free Fraud Victim Form Letter
Free Dispute Form Letter
Free Credit Report due to Fraud Form Letter
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Home Puchase and 466 Credit Score
----- Original Message -----
From: REAL PERSON
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 9:30 PM
Subject: our credit report
my hub and i have been working so hard to clean his report to buy our first home we are getting no where, we had a jundment report was removed and stuff not belonging to us i am trying to find what each item is in points is fico score is 466 we just cant get a head i haave disput almost everything any thing else we can do?
---------------
Bobo Majors
try to find owner financing
you need a stable job history only for most owner financing
ask a realtor
--------------
From: REAL PERSON
To: Bobo Majors
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 10:36 AM
Subject: Re: our credit report
my hub been on his job for 4 yrs same trade 20 yrs we are trying to buy a modular home and land it will be our first home
------------------
Bobo Majors
your gonna need owner financing
----------
To: Bobo Majors
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: our credit report
what is that? how can u have that when it is brand new?
----- Original Message -----
From: REAL PERSON
To: Bobo Majors
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: our credit report
can i bring it up in less then a year? his score?
----------
Bobo Majors
what i am saying IS
you will have to abandon the NEW thing
and look for a place that someone would rent to own or the like
410 is so abysmall there is no chance in haydees of getting financing
unless you put 1/2 down
----------------
sounds like it would highly unlikley
you have disputed
you have called
you have paid things
but 466
lord ive not a report that bad in a year or so
510's....520's is about as low as i have seen
and 450 is as low as possible
466 is pitiful
id have to see your credit
but sounds to me like you have never paid anyone in your whole dang life
your whole dang life
so why would you now...is what the creditor ask
then i bet you don;t have anything to put DOWN
if are are going to be able to make payments
one would assume you have some money saved
borrow 1/2 down from you mother and get her to co sign
and maybe they might look at it
i don't mean to make it sound hopeless
but really it is
you need 7 years under your belt
and narry another bad mark
and some re established credit
i would send 400 to a gas card company
pay them good for 2 years
and pay them more than you charge
it will raise your high credit limit above the 400 you sent them
but with a 466 they might even send you money back to you
its that bad
466
how did you manage that>>>>>
that my friend is almost impossible to do even if you TRY to screw your credit up
Click Here. FREE REPORT Cancel in 30 days and keep the report free
Free Credit report Dispute Form Letter
Free Fraud Victim Form Letter
Free Dispute Form Letter
Free Credit Report due to Fraud Form Letter
Monday, October 25, 2004
Debt Consolidation & Credit Scores
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 2:38 PM
---- Original Message -----
From A REAL PERSON
To: majors@oskie.com a REAL PERSON
What is your opinion on debt consolidation. I have decent credit, just high usage to limit ratios and my interest rates are so high that it makes it hard to lower the balances. Would it be beneficial to do debt consolidation or would it just lower my score since the accounts may be closed by the lender once I enroll in the programs? Are there alternatives to consolidation?
Manager, Business Development
i think you are right about the debt hurting your score
BUT
that is only if you know what your score is
if it is bad 575 or less
it really doesn't matter about consolidation
your score is bad anyway
my rule of thumb is how bad is your debt
if your debt is more than 1/3 to 1/2, your yearly income then you may be in trouble and need help BAD
alternatives would be
second mortgages or personal loans from banks not finance companies
thanks
bo majors
Got Debt.....Get This
Get my Credit REPORT NOW
Free Credit report Dispute Form Letter
Free Fraud Victim Form Letter
Free Dispute Form Letter
Free Credit Report due to Fraud Form Letter
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Lex Law and credit repair
----- Original Message -----
From: Real PERSON
To: majors@oskie.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 9:47 AM
Subject: Interesting web site
Hi there, I just finished reading your website and I really found it interesting.
About two years ago I found out my husband was having some problems with the bills and (long story) I ended up with terrible credit. I even had a leased car for 4 years and when the lease came up and I asked to buy it, they would not let me.
Let me start by saying I have no idea what my score was...but it must have been really terrible. I had a tax lien that I did not even know about, a foreclosure, and number of late payments.
I got on track, signed up for Lexington Law (a web company that I send 35$ a month to and they dispute anything on my report that I am not happy with), and starting making all my payments on time. Lexington has removed the foreclosure and some of the late payments (by the way, legal I checked it out first) and I just got my score yesterday and it is 644.
Not great, but I am hoping at least acceptable for now. Of course, I am still working on it and I am proud to say I have no real credit card debt to speak of and I have saved about 20k.
Question: I have a small credit card where the limit is $550. Sometimes I pay it all off, Sometimes I have a balance of $300.00 or so. I asked for a low limit because I did not ever want to get into trouble and run it up. Is this smart....or is my ratio off because I have such low aval. credit? What do you suggest?
My husband did not sign up for Lexington Law credit help, but he did so just this morning. His credit score is 560. He has a tax lien (on one report) that should have come off like the other two reports (we paid it off), but I guess they have not gotten to that yet. I am sure that will help him by a few points when that comes off.
Is my credit score in a range where I could apply to make a purchase again? I have not applied for a car or home because I feared that my score was so much lower than the average.
Thanks so much, and I will share your site with my friends and family.
REAL PERSON SIGNS
640 is usually the cutoff range for mortagages unless you get owner financing......so yes your credit should get you in..... IF you quailify........... based on debt to income and the banks do not hold a tax lein against you.
but I am glad to hear positive things about LEX LAW. I have heard time after time how good they are and how they make it easy to do the impossible but with by the law. Hard work. And come up with ideas that regualar people can not imagine......SO I believe in LEX LAW. They don't cheat. You can quit anytime. AND they do not prey on poor people with no brains. They actually force bureaus to obey the LAW.
Get your report Free RIGHT NOW!
Get my Credit REPORT NOW
Free Credit report Dispute Form Letter
Free Fraud Victim Form Letter
Free Dispute Form Letter
Free Credit Report due to Fraud Form Letter
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Credit Scores and Why you need to know yours
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to knowing credit score
From Alabama comes reassuring news that Chucky, the 1,000-pound zoo alligator who escaped during Hurricane Ivan, has been captured. That means you can stop worrying about finding a giant reptile in your bathtub and move on to other concerns. Here's a good place to start: your credit score. Your credit score influences everything from the interest rate on your mortgage to your car insurance premiums, yet many Americans don't worry enough about their scores. A recent survey by TrueCredit.com found that only 10% of Americans know their score. Another survey released last week by the Consumer Federation of America found that many consumers harbor some dangerous misconception about their scores.
The knowledge vacuum is troubling, consumer advocates say.
"The cost of not knowing your score and its significance could be not only denial of credit, but also difficulty obtaining needed services and even a job," Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the CFA, said last week.
Credit scores are compiled by the three major credit agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, based on information provided by creditors. Most scores are based on a formula developed by Fair Isaac, a research firm. They're designed to measure the likelihood you'll repay a loan, based on your record of repaying debts in the past. Some common fallacies about credit scores include:
• Your credit score is like your golf score: the lower, the better.
A high score indicates a borrower is a low risk; a low score signals trouble. If your score is below 600, you can expect to pay above-average interest rates on a loan, if you can get one at all.
Borrowers with scores above 700 usually qualify for relatively low rates. If your score is above 760, you probably qualify for the lowest rates.
• You can improve your credit score by marrying well.
Married couples don't get a combined credit score, so you can't improve your number by marrying someone with a 780.
"When you get married, you're not mixing your credit history," says David Chung, interim president of CreditXpert, which sells credit-management products.
However, lenders will look at both scores if you apply jointly for a loan, such as a home mortgage, says John Danaher, president of TrueCredit.com, a subsidiary of TransUnion.
• Earning more money will improve your score.
The amount of money you make doesn't affect your credit score. Your score is based entirely on your history of repaying your debts, Chung says. If you're behind on your bills, your score will suffer, no matter how much you earn.
"I could be a multimillionaire, but if I don't pay my bills, the bank doesn't care," Chung says. "They didn't get their money — that's all they care about."
Your occupation, age and employment history don't affect your credit score, either. However, individual lenders may consider those factors, along with your credit score, when deciding whether to give you a loan.
• There's little you can do to improve your score.
Actually, there's a lot you can do, although it may take time.
About 40% of consumers surveyed by the CFA didn't realize they could raise their scores by paying off a large balance on a credit card. A disturbing 28% mistakenly believed they could improve their score by maxing out on their credit cards.
Most credit scoring calculations look at the amount of your outstanding debt compared with your credit limits. Borrowers who have maxed out on their credit cards are considered riskier because they may have trouble making payments. The formula rewards borrowers "who are using credit but using it responsibly," Danaher says.
Paying your bills on time will also go a long way toward improving your credit score. Your score is adjusted as new information comes in.
If you pay your bills on time, your score could improve in as little as three months, Danaher says.
• You can get your credit score for free.
Sadly, that's not true. A federal law enacted last year will allow consumers to get a free copy of their credit reports once a year. The rollout will start in December on the West Coast, expanding to cover all parts of the country by September 2005. But unless you're applying for a home mortgage, you'll still have to pay to get your score.
All three credit reporting agencies will sell you a copy of your credit report and score. You can purchase all three reports and scores HERE for $38.85.
To test your knowledge of credit scores, go to www.consumerfed.org/score.