Credit Score News.com
NEGOTIATING A HELOC
Listing the person with the higher credit score as the primary borrower," counsels Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com, a mortgage-information Web site, "may knock as much as two percentage points off the interest rate...
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION:  FACT ACT ACTIONS
FTC Issues Final Summaries And Notices Under FACTA (November 19, 2004)
69 FR 42616 (07/16/04)
69 FR 69776 (11/30/04)
Public Comments
CREDIT EDUCATION
Your credit score is a number based on the information in your credit file that shows how likely you are to pay a loan back on time – the higher your score, the less risk you represent ....
DO YOU KNOW THE SCORE
ON CREDIT SCORES?
Take this quiz and find out! 
Click to get started …1. Which of the following does a credit score MAINLY indicate?
FREDDIE MAC RELEASES AUTOMATED UNDERWRITING FACTORS USED BY LOAN PROSPECTOR        June 07, 2000
McLean, VA – Freddie Mac today announced it is releasing a list of the factors used by Loan Prospector®, Freddie Mac’s state-of-the-art automated underwriting service, to analyze mortgages for sale to Freddie Mac, and is calling for mortgage applicants to receive the credit scores used in the loan decision....
RATE YOUR CREDIT!
Want a quick idea of how lenders will likely rate your credit? Just answer the 10 questions below! Our Credit Analyzer will evaluate the information you enter and estimate your credit standing based on that information....
FICO® CREDIT SCORE ESTIMATOR
Once you complete the 10 questions, you will receive your FICO® Credit Score Estimate and be able to purchase your actual FICO® Score used by 75% of all lenders....
HOW IT ALL ADDS UP: CREDIT SCORING EXAMPLES
Most people never even see their credit score.  Credit scoring industry pioneer Fair, Isaac and Co. provides this peek of how someone with good credit and someone with bad credit might be treated under its system.
FANNIEMAE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  CREDIT SCORES
Fannie Mae is modifying the way in which its automated underwriting system, Desktop Underwriter®, analyzes credit risk by substituting the use of credit characteristics from credit reports for FICO scores. ....
CREDIT SCORES:  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The scores best known by the general public are commonly referred to as FICO™ (created by Fair Isaac), although there are really multiple versions of FICO™ each yielding a different number for the same person. Other scores have been created by credit reporting agencies, other credit modeling companies and even lenders...
DANGERS OF BEING AN AUTHORIZED USER
"If you're an authorized user on a credit card your FICO score reflects that account in the same way a primary user's FICO score would reflect it," says Craig Watts, consumer affairs manager for Fair, Isaac ...
www.bankrate.com
GENERAL RESOURCES, INFO AND TIPS
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AND FCRA
CREDIT SCORE AND CREDIT RATING ESTIMATION
MORTGAGE CREDIT SCORE
NEW LAW PROMOTES ACCESS TO FREE CREDIT REPORTS
Soon you'll be able to get your credit report for free. A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request ...
FTC ON CREDIT SCORING
Ever wonder how a creditor decides whether to grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using credit scoring systems to determine if you'd be a good risk for credit cards and auto loans. More recently, credit scoring has been used to help creditors evaluate your ability to ...
WHEN PAYING BILLS CAN HURT YOUR CREDIT
Borrowers who try to pay off old delinquencies, charge-offs and collection accounts often learn the hard way: Sometimes, doing the right thing does the wrong thing to your credit.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/
FOCUSING ON CREDIT SCORES
"I get letters from people who have scores in the 830s, and they're complaining," Mr. Sjoblad said. "It's like a millionaire arguing over a stick of gum. Once you're over 750 – really, 720 – you're going to be able to get the best rates."
www.dallasnews.com/
These are the risk score reasons and codes from the Equifax Beacon 5.0 Scoring Model.
 
01 Amount owed on accounts is too high
02 Level of delinquency on accounts
03 Too few bank revolving accounts
04 Too many bank or national revolving accounts
05 Too many accounts with balances
06 Too many consumer finance company accounts
07 Account payment history is too new to rate
08 Too many recent inquiries last 12 months
09 Too many accounts recently opened
10 Proportion of balances to credit limits is too high on bank revolving or other revolving accounts
11 Amount owed on revolving accounts is too high
12 Length of time revolving accounts have been established
13 Time since delinquency is too recent or unknown
14 Length of time accounts have been established
15 Lack of recent bank revolving information
16 Lack of recent revolving account information
17 No recent non-mortgage balance information
18 Number of accounts with delinquency
19 Too few accounts currently paid as agreed
20 Length of time since derogatory public record or collection is too short
21 Amount past due on accounts
23 Number of bank or national revolving accounts with balances
24 No recent revolving balances
25 (Bankcard Industry Option Only) Length of time installment loans have been established
26 (All Industry Options Only) Number of revolving accounts
28 Number of established accounts
30 Time since most recent account opening is too short
31 Too few accounts with recent payment information
32 Lack of recent installment loan information
33 Proportion of loan balances to loan amounts is too high
34 Amount owed on delinquent accounts
38 Serious delinquency, and public record or collection filed
39 Serious delinquency
40 Derogatory public record or collection filed
98 (Auto Industry Option Only)  Lack of recent auto finance loan information
99 (Finance Industry Option only) Lack of recent consumer finance company account information
ASK MAX CREDIT ADVICE
Welcome to the credit reporting industry's first online consumer credit advice column, Ask Max. Part of Experian's expanded outreach to consumers, this biweekly column provides answers to questions about credit reporting and direct marketing submitted by consumers to Maxine Sweet, Experian's vice president of...
http://www.experian.com/
HERE'S THE SCORE ON HOW CREDIT RATINGS ARE DONE
“The irony is, the higher your score, the farther you can fall,” said Craig Watts, spokesman at Fair Isaac, creator of the FICO score.  One late payment could push an 800 down to 640...
Home-equity lines of credit are considered revolving credit, Detweiler said. One client raised his credit score by 60 points by paying down his $50,000 equity line...
http://www.timesleader.com/
5 PAIN-FREE WAYS TO SAVE
"Ten consumers in a room may all have the same VISA card, but will probably pay a wide variety of interest rates, determined by each person's credit rating," said Craig Watts, a spokesperson for Fair, Isaac & Co.
www.money.cnn.com
IMPORTANT!!  Free Credit Reports under FACTA can be accessed by going to www.annualcreditreport.com or by visiting the Federal Trade Commission  (no ads)
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CREDIT REPAIR:  SELF-HELP MAY BE BEST
You see the advertisements in newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet. You hear them on the radio. ... You may even get calls from telemarketers offering credit repair services. They all make the same claims:  "Credit problems? No problem!" ... Do yourself a favor and save some money, too. Don't believe these statements.  ...
CREDIT SCORING BOOKLETS
Your Credit Scores Developed jointly by Fair Isaac and Consumer Federation of America, this pamphlet provides a brief ...
Understanding Your Credit Score This booklet provides a thorough description of credit scoring, including ways credit scoring
www.myfico.com/
RAPID CREDIT UPDATE AND RESCORE
FIX YOUR CREDIT IN JUST 72 HOURS
Rapid rescoring services are a legitimate and growing part of the credit industry. Usually offered by independent credit reporting agencies, these services are used by mortgage lenders or brokers who are trying to get better loan terms for their borrowers.
CREDIT RULES BILL PROTECTS CONSUMERS' REPORTS
Enter rapid rescoring: You can ask your loan officer to request a rescoring of your file that will correct the underlying errors and raise your scores quickly enough, probably within 72 hours, to obtain the mortgage rate you deserve,,, Individual borrowers cannot contract with credit agencies to perform rescorings.
"RAPID RE-SCORING" OF CREDIT FILE COULD BOOST FICO JUST ENOUGH TO  QUALIFY FOR A HOME LOAN
It’s called “rapid re-scoring.” It’s potentially a mortgage saver--even a home saver--for anybody whose credit scores have been depressed by erroneous information on their credit files or by ill-advised use of their existing credit lines. Say you’re applying for a loan on a new home you want to buy. To your surprise, the loan officer tells you that your “FICO” score is too low to qualify for the loan program you need to swing the purchase.

MYFICO.COM  INFO ON CREDIT INQUIRIES
For many people, one additional credit inquiry (voluntary and initiated by an application for credit) may not affect their FICO score at all. For others, one additional inquiry would take less than 5 points off their FICO score. Inquiries can have a greater impact, however, if you have few ...
NAMB OFFERS CONSUMERS TIPS TO IMPROVE CREDIT SCORE
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) recommends that consumers meet with a certified mortgage professional to discuss how to improve their credit score and profile. During the meeting with their mortgage originator, NAMB recommends ...
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YOUR CREDIT:  MARRIAGE DIVORCE AND RELATIONSHIPS
FTC: FACTS FOR CONSUMERS CREDIT AND DIVORCE
Mary and Bill recently divorced. Their divorce decree stated that Bill would pay the balances on their three joint credit card accounts. Months later, after Bill neglected to pay off these accounts, all three creditors contacted Mary for payment. She referred them to the divorce decree, insisting that she was not responsible for the accounts. The creditors correctly stated that they were not parties to the decree and that Mary was still legally responsible for paying off the couple's joint accounts.
http://www.ftc.gov/
Q:  IF MY SPOUSE HAD BAD CREDIT BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED, WILL THAT AFFECT MY CREDIT SCORE?
A:  If you hold a joint credit account, have co-signed a loan or have authorized use of another person's credit, these items could affect a score if they appear on your credit report. It's important that joint account holders or authorized users understand that their credit behavior does affect the other joint account holder or main account holder. A credit account held solely in the name of your spouse, child or any other family member cannot impact your credit score. However, in community property states, all debt acquired during a marriage is considered a joint debt, regardless if the account is joint or in the name ...
www.experian.com/
KNOW PARTNER'S CREDIT BEFORE SAYING "I DO"
If personal ads were pragmatic, you might see a pitch like this: Single female with 820 credit score seeks single male with 800-plus score who enjoys moonlit walks on the beach. But in matters of the heart, people are rarely practical. It's not unusual for financial opposites to attract, where someone with a good credit history marries a bad credit risk. Often these differences go undiscovered until the two try to buy a house and are denied a loan — or at least one with favorable terms — because of a partner's poor money management.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Royal Mortgage Credit Reporting LC www.RoyalMortgageCredit.com is a member of the National Credit Reporting Association, Mortgage Bankers Association, National  Association of Mortgage Brokers and National Association of Professional Mortgage Women. 
WHEN GOOD CREDIT MARRIES INTO BAD
If I have really good credit and the person I am marrying has bad credit, how does that affect me and my credit?  Each person has his own separate credit report, so you don't have to worry about your spouse's bad credit affecting your record the minute you get married. As long as you apply for a loan on your own, the lender can't check your spouse's report, too.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/
PICKING UP THE FINANCIAL PIECES AFTER YOUR DIVORCE
Get your credit report as early as you can in the divorce process. If you were a stay-at-home spouse, you might find it's easier to set up new credit and bank accounts while you are still legally married. Otherwise, your ex may simply have you deleted from the account — without notice. Three months after your divorce is finalized, check your credit report again to make sure you're not still financially attached.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/wheaton/
Resources
Home
Public Interest Consumer Groups
Credit Score Estimation
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FTC, FCRA, FACTA
Mortgage
Marriage,Divorce,
Relationships
Bibliography
Research
Resources
Home
Public Interest Consumer Groups
Credit Score Estimation
Rapid Credit Rescore
Identity Theft
FTC, FCRA, FACTA
Mortgage
Marriage,Divorce,
Relationships
Bibliography
Research
Student
Center
Student
Center
TIPS CAN HELP COUPLES AVOID SOME COSTLY PITFALLS IN DIVORCE
  When the Valentine's Day rush is over, A. Natalie Nelson's rush starts.  Nelson, 48, is a certified divorce financial analyst. Couples hire her to help sort out the financial implications of their breakup. "My phone rings off the hook every Feb. 15," she said. "It's not usually one thing. It's a cumulative breaking point." About 1 million U.S. marriages end in divorce each year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. No seasonal statistics are compiled, but divorce specialists say that mid-February is prime time for marital dissolutions.  "I think the holidays end up being...
www.dfw.com/
Timely information concerning the above and other topics can be accessed directly from news sources including GOOGLE news and YAHOO news. Further information may be available at the FTC NEWSROOM and FEDERAL RESERVE press releases.  Additionally, the national credit repositories may have recent information at EQUIFAX press releases, EXPERIAN press releases and TRANSUNION press releases.  Fico score info can be accessed at FAIR ISAAC Press Releases.