Even if you owe a debt, you have rights about when and how a debt collector contacts you.
A data breach is a security violation in which sensitive, protected or confidential data is copied, transmitted, viewed, stolen or used by an unauthorized individual. It could be a result of
- hacking
- theft of credit/debit card numbers
- lost, discarded or stolen documents/devices
- mishandled sensitive information
It depends.
On-time rent payments aren’t automatically included in your credit report, but they may be if your landlord or property management company reports them or you choose to use a rent reporting service.
However, when your missed payments go to collections, they can appear on your credit report and negatively impact your credit score.
Yes, landlords can require a credit check as part of the rental application process. However, they have to follow federal, state, and local regulations that apply to tenant screening.
Yes. You can request a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) weekly. See our guide for more information.
No, an eviction notice by itself won’t show up on your credit report.
There are a couple of other ways that evidence of an eviction could still show up on you credit report, for example, if you
- don’t move out when you receive an eviction notice and the landlord uses the court to evict you/obtains a judgment against you, the judgment will appear in your credit report
- move out before the matter goes to court but still owe rent, the landlord could use a debt collection agency which may report your debt and appear in your credit report
Credit freezes (also called security freezes) prevent fraudulent accounts from being opened in your name by not allowing anyone to check your credit report. Most creditors won’t issue new credit if they can’t see it, so with a freeze in place, no one (not even you) can open a new credit account in your name until you unfreeze it.
You can get a free copy of your credit report weekly from each of the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
The official website for obtaining your free credit reports is annualcreditreport.com.
If you ordered a copy of your credit report and found negative or incorrect information, you have options and rights.
A credit score is a numerical value or categorization a lender uses to predict the likelihood of certain credit behaviors (i.e. default). A credit score may also be used to determine the credit terms or rate a person pays for a loan. People with a low score (or no score) may not be able to obtain credit or only receive credit offers at very high interest rates.