Should I Have Credit Score Monitoring?

Credit score monitoring is a tool that many people can benefit from.  Monitoring your credit isn’t just for people who have a lot of debt or who are taking a loan soon. Everyone could benefit from keeping an eye on information in their credit report in order to protect their identities and avoid mistakes that could cost them money. Be sure to check your children’s accounts too, to ensure nobody has used their identities to establish false credit.

What is Credit Score Monitoring?

A credit score monitoring service will regularly check your credit report and score and allow you to access this information when you want to.  Your credit report is a listing of credit accounts that you currently have open or that you have opened in the past. The credit report contains details on how much of your credit you’ve used, when you apply for new credit, the types of credit you have and your payment history.  The information on the report is then used to generate a three-digit score lenders use to decide if they should lend to you and at what rate.

If you want to watch your credit score and keep track of the info being reported, you’ll need to obtain your credit report and score from each of the three major credit bureaus in the United States. Credit score monitoring, on the other hand, lets you see the report and score regularly without having to order a new report from the credit bureau each and every time you want to take a look at your information.  

Why You May Need Credit Score Monitoring 

Most people who are trying to improve their credit score or get out of debt know that it is helpful to check their credit score. People who are going to be making a major purchase, like buying a home, also typically keep tabs on their credit scores so they can make sure they get a favorable mortgage rate.

However, these aren’t the only situations where credit score monitoring makes sense. Credit score monitoring can also help alert you if someone has stolen your information and is misusing your data to get credit and not pay the bills. If a mistake is made, such as someone else’s credit information being included on your report, credit score monitoring can also let you know about this problem so you can get it corrected.

Who Needs Credit Score Monitoring? 

Because anyone could potentially have his identity stolen or be the victim of a credit reporting mistake, everyone can benefit from credit score monitoring to help them identify problems.  IDENTITY GUARD® is one tool that can be used to fight identity theft and to keep tabs on your credit, so visit the company’s website today to learn more about how credit score monitoring may be able to help you.

Best Identity Theft Protection Advice

Protecting your personal info is no trivial matter. The very last thing you need is for your name, social security number, birth date or other identifying data to fall into the wrong hands and to be used to get credit or obtain services. If your identity is stolen and misused, you could end up with damaged credit and could be forced to spend hours fixing the issues that the theft created. As such, it is important to follow some best identity theft protection practices in order to ensure that your personal identifying information is safe.

Guard Your Personal Information Carefully

An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure with regards to protecting your identity. If your information never gets into the wrong hands, the information can’t be misused. So, you must be careful about who you give your social security number, address and birth date out to. Don’t ever give this information to strangers over the phone or via email, and watch out for efforts by deceitful individuals asking for personal details. If someone calls or emails you and asks for your info, make sure you know who they are before you give it out. It’s also wise to strongly consider shredding mail that has personal data on it so your information isn’t stolen straight out of your home garbage can.

Be Careful When (And Where) Your Credit Cards Are Used

The theft of your identity is one issue that you need to worry about, and the theft of your credit cards is another. If someone else gets a hold of your credit card information, pretends to be you and uses it without your permission, it can be another destructive form of theft. You can and should do anything possible to avoid this by being careful where you use your card. Never use your credit card on an unsecured website or a site that you aren’t confident about (a secured site will have an “S” at the end of the HTTP, so will read HTTPS). Criminals may also get your credit card info from special devices installed on credit card readers, so be careful about what restaurants and local stores you swipe your card at.

Take Advantage of the Help Offered by an Identity Theft Protection Service

Although you are careful with your cards and your identifying info, criminals are creative and they just might get your details anyway. Because of this, one of the best identity theft protection tools you can use is a service that alerts you when certain triggering events happen. Services such as Identity Guard® can allow you to find out faster when someone is misusing your personal details. This can provide you with the power to react fast, call your creditors straightaway and stop the identity theft when it starts instead of after the criminal has made a mess of your finances. Find out more about how an identity theft protection service can help you at http://www.identityguard.com.

Credit Card Theft: Who Is Responsible for the Charges on a Stolen Card?

Credit card theft can be disastrous as you can discover that your credit card is being used without your permission. The theft of your credit information can be done in many different ways. One example is, someone could steal your credit card and use it without your permission. Someone might also take your identity (your social security number and name) and open a card which they use and don’t pay for.

What to Do About Credit Card Theft

If your identifying info is misused or your credit credit card is stolen, you must take action. When a theft occurs, you need to be sure to contact your credit card company via phone right away to let them know that charges are being made without your permission.

The Consequences of Credit Card Theft

Credit card theft can lead to many unauthorized charges being made on your credit card. While you should not be held financially accountable for any charges made in your name without your permission, you may have a long and complex process to undo the harm that was done to your credit and to have the unauthorized charges taken off your credit report. Based on the circumstances, you might be required to submit documentation to your creditors showing clearly that you are not the one responsible for accumulating the charges.  You might end up spending a good period of time on the phone with creditors and you likely have to file a police report about your stolen card or your stolen identity to be able to show that you are not to blame for the charges.

Your Responsibility for Credit Card Theft

Although you are not liable for credit card theft, you do need to take prompt action so your creditor can de-activate the card and so you won’t be liable for charges. You also have the responsibility of doing all you can to prevent yourself from having your cards or your identity stolen. This is a responsibility you have to yourself, to protect your financial good name. Thankfully, there are tools you can use such as Identity Guard® that will alert you to certain triggering events so you can take action quicker if your card or information is being misused. This could make it easier for you to fight against credit card theft and identity theft so you don’t have a big financial mess on your hands to clean up. Find out today how Identity Guard® can help prevent credit card theft at http://www.identityguard.com.

Three Advantages to Credit Report Monitoring

If you are interested in tracking what is happening with your credit, credit report monitoring could be the answer. Credit report monitoring allows you to see any changes that affect your credit report or your credit score. This can provde the financial information you need to take control of your finances and it could also help you to better protect your identity. There are several benefits of monitoring your credit report and score such as the following top advantages.

Credit Report Monitoring Boosts Understanding of Your Financial Picture

When you apply for credit or take on debt, this information is reported on your credit report. By taking a short look at your credit report, therefore, you can get a snapshot of all money you owe and the credit you have available. If you’ve borrowed to obtain a house, taken on credit card debt or have other loans, you’ll see them all in one place. You’ll also understand how much you can still borrow on your credit cards. By seeing a snapshot of your total financial picture furnished by your credit report, you will be able to determine where you stand financially along with what your outstanding responsibilities are.

Credit Report Monitoring Helps You Catch Mistakes

The info on your credit report comes from banks and lending institutions and they aren’t infallible. Sometimes, your creditors will report incorrect information like saying you made a late payment when you didn’t. Sometimes, a creditor may think that you are another person and will report information on your credit report that doesn’t actually relate to your borrowing behavior. When you monitor your credit, you can catch these mistakes and have them corrected by contacting the credit reporting agencies.

Credit Report Monitoring Will Help Alert You to ID Theft

Identity theft is a big financial problem if it happens to you since credit could be severely damaged even though you did not do anything wrong. If someone takes your identity, that person may use your personal information to take on loans and get credit or consume services. The person who stole your identity will, of course, not pay for the bills they’ve incurred in your name. Nonpayment, maxed credit cards and even judgments against you can all show up on your credit report and can damage your credit score and your credit worthiness. You’ll end up attempting correct the incorrect information and to contact financial institutions to let them know you weren’t to blame for the charges and debts. While you can fix your credit score and have the incorrect information removed, this is often a very long-drawn-out process and the longer the thief has your identity the more you may have to undo. If you monitor your credit report, hopefully you’ll be able to spot the identity theft more quickly and you can put an end to the misuse of your information before your credit is completely damaged and there’s a lot to undo.

If you are interested in credit report monitoring, you can use a service such as IDENTITY GUARD® to help you keep tabs on your credit.