How do I check my credit report and how can I see if companies have a dispute with me?
December 8th, 2008
listentoreggaeforlife asked:
I paid a medical bill really late about a year ago that I originally was not going to pay but my parents convinced me otherwise. Also I got suspended from college for the semester about a year ago as well and after I got most of my money back (it was only a few weeks into the semester) and moved back home, about a few months later I got a letter in the mail saying that I owed them $300 for terminating my on-campus housing agreement early. I simply ignored the letter and got another one a little while later and then a few months after that, I got a letter from some debt collection agency in North Carolina. I still haven’t paid it and it’s been almost a year, the letter from the collection agency was back in like July of last year and I haven’t heard from either them or the school since. Will this affect my credit record? How do I check my report to see if anybody has any claims against me? Also how can I find out who all has viewed my report?
One last thing, I heard that by even viewing your credit record your score goes down, can anybody elaborate on this?
I paid a medical bill really late about a year ago that I originally was not going to pay but my parents convinced me otherwise. Also I got suspended from college for the semester about a year ago as well and after I got most of my money back (it was only a few weeks into the semester) and moved back home, about a few months later I got a letter in the mail saying that I owed them $300 for terminating my on-campus housing agreement early. I simply ignored the letter and got another one a little while later and then a few months after that, I got a letter from some debt collection agency in North Carolina. I still haven’t paid it and it’s been almost a year, the letter from the collection agency was back in like July of last year and I haven’t heard from either them or the school since. Will this affect my credit record? How do I check my report to see if anybody has any claims against me? Also how can I find out who all has viewed my report?
One last thing, I heard that by even viewing your credit record your score goes down, can anybody elaborate on this?
Get your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com, you can get one at no charge from each of the big 3 CRA’s per year.
Checking credit will not hurt your score.
You should really go to to learn more about your credit situation. You need to learn a lot of things about cleaning up your credit and dealing with collection agencies, and there are a lot of experts who can help you there, and a lot of material you can read.
The source box has a site on how when where and why to get a copy of your credit report. It talks of allowing you one credit report without default. It may assist you.
I just did this last week. You get 1 free credit report a year from all 3 companies. You can also call their 800 number and do it over the phone, it’s all automated, and takes longer while waiting for it in the mail. This site, you get it instantly after putting in your info, and a few test questions to make sure it’s you. It’s available to view for 1 month, so be sure to print it in that time.
And no, your score wont’ go down if you view it. What they’re referring to is called a query I believe. Whenever someone pulls your credit, if you’re applying for a credit card, a loan, etc. that shows up and you’re “marked down” for it, for some reason or other. My mom was told, not sure if this is true now, but all those you’ve been approved etc. credit offers you get in the mail, they do an inquery, and those may also lower your score. To take care of that, contact all 3 credit agencies, think there’s one 800 number to do it for all 3, and you want to OPT OUT. You can do it for a year, or permanently. I’d strongly advise doing that as well to be on the safe side, and reduce your junk mail at home.
The last poster is correct. Annualcreditreport.com is the ONLY totally FREE site where you can view your credit report. It will give you the option of choosing any of the three major buereaus, Experion, Equifax or Transunion. The best way to do it is to get get one free from each of them per year, so what I do is the first time, I pick one, then four months later I get another from a different bureau, then four months later I get one from the remaining buerau. Just keep rotating like that and you never have to pay a thing. Keep in mind, these reports do not show your credit SCORE, just your credit report. It does not hurt your score in the least to view these itmes on the rotation that I described above. Just remember there are a lot of sites out there that CLAIM to be free, but you have to sign up for other stuff that can be really expensive. Annualcreditreport.com is the only totally free one out there.
If you want your SCORE you can go to myfico.com and for I think 10 bucks, you can get your score.