TruCredit Frequently Asked Questions
Merged Credit Reports
Who are the three national credit
bureaus?
Free reports -- Can I get a free credit report?
Divorce -- Does a divorce decree relieve me of
my old debts if the judge says
so?
Risk Scores -- How can I raise my risk score?
What is the Fair Credit
Reporting Act?
How much does it cost for a Trucredit Report?
How fast can I get my report?
What's the fastest way to get my report?
Can my report be faxed to me?
Can my report be emailed to me?
Do you take electronic checks?
Can I order a Trucredit Report on another person
or my spouse?
If I am married, does my Trucredit Report cover
my spouse?
I just married and changed my name, what name should
I use to order my report?
Can I get my credit bureau risk score on my Trucredit
Report?
Who are the three national credit
bureaus?
Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. These three
credit bureau systems are the most used repositories for credit information
in this country. Smaller, local credit bureaus normally affiliate with
and contribute their information to one of these three. These three credit
bureau systems are competitors and do not normally share information.
Sometimes lenders and other creditors report information to one of these
systems. Sometimes they report to two or all three. To get all your credit
information, it is best to check all three credit bureaus.
Free reports -- Can I get a free
credit report?
We cannot get a free credit report for you because
we have to go to the three credit bureaus and buy your credit information
for our Trucredit Report. In certain circumstances, free reports are available
to you under Federal or State law. Visit www.annualcreditreports.com
for more information regarding your free annual credit report authorized under Federal law.
Divorce -- Does a divorce decree
relieve me of my old debts if the judge says so?
A divorce decree may not always absolve you from
your bills. You may still be obligated to repay the joint debts you and
your ex-spouse incurred while married. This applies even if a divorce
judge directs your ex-spouse to pay a bill. It's best to consult a lawyer
about such questions.
In addition, when the ex-spouse responsible to
pay a debt according to a divorce decree, becomes delinquent in paying
a joint bill, the creditor may have the right to report that derogatory
information on your credit report. If your ex-spouse doesn't pay at all,
the creditor may ask you to repay the debt and may even take legal action
against you for unsettled accounts.
Therefore, if you are getting a divorce, try
to pay off your remaining joint balances before divorce and close all
accounts you and your spouse share. If that is not possible, ask your
joint creditors to have joint accounts closed and remaining balances transferred
to new, individual accounts established in the name of the responsible
party. Then, after the divorce is final, you can begin to develop credit
separately and independently.
Risk Scores -- How
can I raise my risk score?
Here are our tips:
1. Order your Trucredit Report and make
sure your credit report is accurate.
2. If you can pay off past-due and collections balances. Unpaid balances
normally lower your score.
3. If you have many accounts it may be best to close some accounts that
are no longer used or necessary. Too many open accounts may lower your
score. Note if you only have a few accounts opened, it may be better to
leave them open, especially if they are older accounts with a good credit
history.
4. Minimize shopping for new credit cards and loans. When you apply for
credit cards and loans, it generates a credit inquiry on your account.
Too many inquiries may slightly lower your score.
5. Pay down high balances on revolving credit cards (if you can). High
balances relative to the card's credit limit may lower your score.
6. Establish good paying habits with no late payments for 12 to 24 months.
Even if you have bad credit in the past, remember that a pattern of paying
your bills on time more recently will help.
What is the Fair
Credit Reporting Act?
It is a federal law protecting consumers by
requiring consumer credit reporting agencies to adopt reasonable procedures
regarding confidentiality, accuracy and proper use of your credit information.
For a summary of your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA),
click here.
For the complete text of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), click here.
How much does it cost for a Trucredit
Report?
We get your report for you from all three national
credit bureau systems including Transunion, Equifax and Experian. It's $29.90. To qualify
for online delivery, you will be required to pass our online identity
authentication test. Credit Scores are an additional charge. Get your 3 credit scores for an additional $9.95.
How fast can I get
my report?
Normally you will get your credit report online in the same session as when you apply for your report. Applicants who request online delivery who
do not pass our online identity authentication process will have to call our customer service to be authenticated over the phone. After being successfully identified, successful applicants will get their report delivered online. The report will be available for online review for 30 days.
What's the fastest
way to get my report?
Fastest: Apply online for online delivery.
Can my report be faxed to me?
No, for security and identity issues, we do
not fax your report.
Can my report be emailed to me?
No, at this time the three credit bureaus do
not all allow delivery via email. Until email security and identity
issues are solved, we will not email your credit report. To our knowledge,
no credit reporting company delivers a three bureau credit report to
consumers through email. Delivering a credit report over a secured server
is not the same as delivering a credit report through email.
Do you take electronic checks?
No, we do not.
Can I order a Trucredit Report
on another person or my spouse?
No, on this web site you may only order
your own report. Your spouse must order their own report.
If I am married, does my Trucredit
Report cover my spouse?
The Trucredit Report will show all the individual and joint credit reported
under the name requested. It will not show the individual credit reported
under your spouses' name. To see all the credit reported under both
names, it is advised to order separate credit reports for each party.
I just married and changed my
name, what name should I use to order my report?
Generally use your current legal name unless
you know your credit is still in your unmarried name. Normally credit
bureaus will link your names together and report your credit under either
your married or unmarried name. However, if all your credit is in your
unmarried name, the credit bureaus may not know yet about your marriage
and new name. To some degree credit bureaus depend on the creditors
who report credit information to them, to update your new name and address.
That only happens as you get credit in your new name or contact your
old creditors about your name change.
Can I get my credit bureau risk
score on my Trucredit Report?
Credit risk scores are an option you may purchase
with your credit report. They must be purchased at the same time you
order your credit report. We cannot get your credit score without purchasing
your credit report from the 3 national credit bureaus, so we cannot
provide credit scores to you without your ordering a credit report. Your 3 credit scores are an extra $9.95.
