How To Stay Safer Online: Your 2021 Online Privacy And Device Security Checklist
Protecting your personal and financial information when youre posting on Facebook, paying your credit card bill online, or shopping for birthday presents at your favorite online retailer remains a challenging task.
Scammers are always on the hunt for the Social Security numbers, credit card information, bank account information, and other personal information of consumers, all with the goal of using this data to run up fraudulent credit card charges, steal cash from their bank accounts, or to open new loans in their names.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your online privacy and device security in 2021. The big key? You need to use caution to avoid the most common online scams. If you follow one rule, make it this one: Never give your personal or financial information to any person or company that emails, texts, or calls you.
Heres a look at some of the steps you should take this year to boost your security.
The Creditor Doesn’t Report To Cras
Your report might also be missing accounts. This kind of omission can happen if your local bank or credit union doesn’t provide information to credit reporting agencies. If you’re in this situation, try the following:
Ask the CRA to Add the Information
Send a copy of a recent account statement and copies of canceled checks showing your payment history and ask the credit reporting agencies to add the information to your file. The nationwide credit reporting agencies themselves don’t specifically say that they will add accounts to your report if you report them, or whether they will charge you to do so. But it doesn’t hurt to try.
Ask the Creditor to Report the Information
Another possibility is to ask the creditor directly to report your account information to the reporting agency. Creditors and the credit reporting agencies generally have existing contracts. So, if a creditor isn’t already providing information to the credit reporting agency, it might not want to spend the resources necessary to do so just for your account. But again, it’s worth a try.
Use an Alternative CRA
You can create a free account at www.prbc.com. Its website, however, lacks the kind of consumer information you see on the websites for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. Before you jump into this option, find out whether the creditors you are seeking credit from will agree to use a credit score from this company.
Financial Information In Your Credit Report
Your credit report may contain:
- non-sufficient funds payments, or bad cheques
- chequing and savings accounts closed for cause due to money owing or fraud committed
- bankruptcy or a court decision against you that relates to credit
- debts sent to collection agencies
- inquiries from lenders and others who have requested your credit report in the past three years
- registered items, such as a car lien, that allows the lender to seize it if you dont pay
- remarks including consumer statements, fraud alerts and identity verification alerts
Your credit report contains factual information about your credit cards and loans, such as:
- when you opened your account
- how much you owe
- if your debt has been transferred to a collection agency
- if you go over your credit limit
- personal information that is available in public records, such as a bankruptcy
Your credit report can also include chequing and savings accounts that are closed for cause. These include accounts closed due to money owing or fraud committed by the account holder.
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Can I Have An Unrequested Credit Check Removed From My Report
A credit report is important, because contains your financial history. It can also contain mistakes. The good news is that you don’t have to tolerate an error in a credit report. If the balance on your credit card needs updating, there are steps you can take to have the credit bureau correct it on your credit report.
Protect Your Privacy On Social Media
You may not realize how much private information you post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites. Scammers can use this information to steal your identity. And if you’re looking for a job? Some of those past social media posts could give potential employers pause.
You can boost your social media privacy, though. On Twitter, you can switch from a public account to a protected Twitter account. Protected posts are visible only to followers whom you have approved. This way, you can send tweets to friends and family members without broadcasting them to the rest of the world.
You can also change your Facebook settings so that your posts are only visible to approved followers. You can do this by clicking on the “Privacy Settings and Tools” section of Facebook. Tweak who can see your posts under the “Who can see my stuff?” heading. You can also control who can send you messages and friend requests. You can cut out some of the potential spam and phishing attempts from strangers and scammers by restricting your friend requests to “Friends of Friends.” You can find this tool in the “Who can contact me?” header in Facebook’s privacy settings.
And never give away any personal information such as the city in which you live, your date of birth, the street you call home, or your phone number in your social media posts. Be careful, too, about even giving up your full first and last names. Scammers can use this information to steal your identity.
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Medical Id Reports And Scams
Use your medical history report to detect medical ID theft. You may have experienced medical iD theft it if there is a report in your name, but you haven’t applied for insurance in the last seven years. Another sign of medical ID theft is if your report includes medical conditions that you don’t have.
Fixing Errors In A Credit Report
Anyone who denies you credit, housing, insurance, or a job because of a credit report must give you the name, address, and telephone number of the credit reporting agency that provided the report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act , you have the right to request a free report within 60 days if a company denies you credit based on the report.
You can get your credit report fixed if it contains inaccurate or incomplete information:
- Contact both the credit reporting agency and the company that provided the information to the CRA.
- Tell the CRA, in writing, what information you believe is inaccurate. Keep a copy of all correspondence.
Some companies may promise to repair or fix your credit for an upfront fee–but there is no way to remove negative information in your credit report if it is accurate.
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How To Access Your Report
You can request a free copy of your credit report from each of three major credit reporting agencies Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion® once each year at AnnualCreditReport.com or call toll-free 1-877-322-8228. Youre also entitled to see your credit report within 60 days of being denied credit, or if you are on welfare, unemployed, or your report is inaccurate.
Its a good idea to request a credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies and to review them carefully, as each one may contain inconsistent information or inaccuracies. If you spot an error, request a dispute form from the agency within 30 days of receiving your report.
How Do I Get A Copy Of My Credit Reports
You are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three major consumer reporting companies . You can request a copy from AnnualCreditReport.com.
You can request and review your free report through one of the following ways:
- Mail: Download and complete the Annual Credit Report Request form. Mail the completed form to:
Annual Credit Report Request ServiceP.O. Box 105281Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
You can request all three reports at once or you can order one report at a time. By requesting the reports separately you can monitor your credit report throughout the year. Once youve received your annual free credit report, you can still request additional reports. By law, a credit reporting company can charge no more than $13.50 for a credit report.
You are also eligible for reports fromspecialty consumer reporting companies. We put together a list of several of these companies so you can see which ones might be important to you. You have to request the reports individually from each of these companies. Many of the companies in this list will provide a report for free every 12 months. Other companies may charge you a fee for your report.
You can get additional free reports if any of the following apply to you:
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How Often Can I Get A Free Report
Federal law gives you the right to get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months. Through December 2022, everyone in the U.S. can get a free credit report each week from all three nationwide credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Also, everyone in the U.S. can get six free credit reports per year through 2026 by visiting the Equifax website or by calling 1-866-349-5191. Thats in addition to the one free Equifax report you can get atAnnualCreditReport.com.
Does A Name Change Affect My Credit History
When you review your credit report using tools like the one from Rocket Homes Real Estate LLC, you might find that your old name will still be there. Thats because lenders can use this information to verify your identity when you decide to apply for loans down the line. It can even alert you to potentially fraudulent activity involving your name.
A name change wont affect your . Dont be concerned your credit history is tied to your Social Security number, which hasnt changed. In other words, if you have an excellent credit score, changing your name shouldnt affect it unless youve done things like make a late payment.
Again, your old name and other identifying information should still be on your credit report to help as further identifying information such as when you apply for a new job.
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What Should I Do If The Information On My Credit Report Is Incorrect
Most lenders update their account information with the credit bureaus once a month. Even if you pay your credit card balance off before you get your statement, the balance reported by the lender is typically what is listed on the billing statement at the end of the billing cycle. Depending on when you make the next purchase on your card, you may still see a balance reflected.
If you are seeing an account on your report that has not been updated in several months, you should dispute the account directly with Experian using the online Dispute Center. If you have documentation showing that the balance has changed, you can submit a copy online along with your dispute. Experian will contact your lender and ask them to verify the information they have reported.
You may also wish to contact your lender to verify that they have been reporting your account information to the credit reporting companies and request that they send updated balance information. For more information, see How to Dispute Credit Report Information.
How To Update Balance Information On Your Credit Report
Quick Answer
Not seeing accurate balance information on your credit report could mean your creditor hasnt updated the information yet or reported it incorrectly. You can contact your creditor or dispute inaccurate information with the bureau.
Through December 31, 2022, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax will offer all U.S. consumers free weekly credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com to help you protect your financial health during the sudden and unprecedented hardship caused by COVID-19.
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When Do Creditors Report To Bureaus
So even though creditors arent required to report to credit bureaus, the majority of lenders will report information to the three main credit bureaus. So, when do they report this information?
Each credit provider has its own schedule of when they report to credit bureaus. Credit bureaus dont require the information to be reported at a specific date. But you can expect it to happen every 30 to 45 days. The exact dates will vary from lender to lender. Also, remember, the same information might not reach all credit bureaus at the same time. So, a lender could report your information to TransUnion this week, but it only reaches Equifax next week.
As a result, it is very typical for your credit score to be in constant flux. It can change within days or even hours as different lenders send information to the credit bureaus. Your credit score will also not be the same with each credit bureaus. Every new report a creditor makes to the bureaus could mean adjustments to your credit report and credit score.
How Often Does Your Credit Score Update
At a glance
Your credit score may update on a weekly or even daily basis. It depends on several factors.
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If youre trying to build your credit, you probably already know that it takes time and patience. Still, it can be frustrating to do everything right, check your credit score, and see that it hasnt changed at all.
In general, how frequently your score is updated depends on your creditors. However, in certain circumstances, there are things you can do to get your score updated more quickly.
If you check your credit score often, you may notice that it hardly remains the same. But what causes the frequent changes? It boils down to when lenders and creditors report new information to the three major credit bureausExperian, TransUnion and Equifaxthat ends on your credit report. Each time new data is reported, your score could change. Heres why.
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How To Update Your Credit Report Fast
Having your credit up to date is essential, since negative or incorrect information can have a profound impact on your life. Negative credit can damage your ability to rent or purchase a home, obtain credit or insurance, open a bank account or even get a job. According to CNBC, an astounding 74 percent of consumers complained to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about mistakes on their credit reports. Consider these steps to update your credit report in a timely manner.
How To Establish And Build Business Credit
Start establishing a business credit history by legally registering your business and getting an employer identification number from the IRS. Open business bank accounts, leases, utility services and other accounts in your businesss name, rather than your own.
You can begin to build business credit by making moves such as getting a business credit card and requesting trade credit from suppliers, then making your payments on time. For these payments to help your business credit score, youll need to work with companies that report to business credit bureaus. Not all of them do, but companies are often willing to do so if you ask.
As with personal credit, paying your creditors on time is key to improving your business credit score. You should also check your business credit score regularly, making sure the information in your credit report is correct and current.
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How Can I Get My Credit Report
If your application has been declined because of information in your Experian report, you can request a free copy at Experian’s Report Access. Through December 31, 2022, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax will make available to all U.S. consumers free weekly credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com to help you protect your financial health during the sudden and unprecedented hardship caused by COVID-19. You can also get a free Experian credit report at any time on our website, or download the Experian app for easy access wherever you are.
How Do Credit Card Balances Affect Me
High credit card balances can negatively impact credit scores because lenders view them as a sign of risk.
Your utilization rate, which is calculated by taking the total of all your and dividing that number by the total of all your credit card limits, is the second most important factor in your FICO® Scores. Most credit experts recommend keeping your utilization rate, or balance-to-limit ratio, below 30%. Individuals with the best scores tend to have utilization rates below 10%.
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Common Reasons For Incorrect Personal Information On Your Credit Report
So now you know whats likely to be incorrect, lets get into why that information is more likely to be wrong. Like many things in life, theres not just one reason, but a multitude of reasons why your personal information on your credit report might be incorrect.
The personal information on your credit report is collected by the credit bureaus in Australia from credit providers such as banks. Each time you apply for credit, take on credit, and more, that information is stored and reported to the credit bureaus. This information then appears on your credit report.
As highlighted by Wardle, there are two main reasons why personal information on credit reports can be incorrect consumer error, or creditor error. Lets break these two down.
1. Consumer error
When you apply for credit, you will need to fill out your personal details on the application. Sometimes, people make mistakes on the application they might spell their name wrong, or submit incorrect licence details, for example.
Regardless of whether the application is approved or rejected, the credit enquiry is sent to the credit bureaus with the incorrect information, which can then end up on your credit report.
Furthermore, if you move address, and you dont update your drivers licence or inform your credit providers, then your outdated address will remain on your credit report. Thats why its important to ensure you update your address across all channels when you move house.
2. Creditor error