Are there steps I can take to avoid identity theft if my Social Security number’s been stolen?
Yes. The first thing you can do is freeze your credit. Read More
Yes. The first thing you can do is freeze your credit. Read More
Yes, if someone has stolen your child’s personal information, it’s possible for accounts to be opened in your child’s name. To determine whether this has happened, you can contact the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) to see if your child has a file. Read More
Whether individuals are hired, promoted, retained or allowed to volunteer often depends on information revealed in a background check. Companies conduct background checks on prospective employees and volunteers for many reasons including
Read MoreIf you consented at any point (this might include providing your number on an account application), a debt collector can do this. Read More
Yes, they can. While federal laws and rules require them to have minimum requirements with Customer Identification Programs, they also have flexibility in establishing their own procedures.
Read MoreCredit reports are compiled by a credit reporting agency and contain data from many different sources. They are commonly used to make decisions about a person’s ability to obtain credit, employment, insurance and rent or purchase a home. Read More
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. Read More
Credit freezes (also called security freezes) prevent fraudulent accounts from being opened in your name by not allowing anyone to check your credit report. Read More