Watch your credit report!!!

[Rudey]

Chalk this one up to the ol' "It will never happen to me" syndrome.

My wife and I have never had a problem financing anything, be it a house, car, truck, etc. But this past week we were turned down for a loan to buy a boat.

Curious, we pulled our credit reports, and what we saw was shocking to say the least!

There was erroneous information about accounts, outdated information, accounts we DO NOT have, addresses where we've NEVER lived (in California of all places)!!! It even said we'd been to court and lost judgements against us (we've NEVER been to court for anything unless you count my wife's speeding tickets!!.

So, now we've had to retain a lawyer and he says it will probably take 3-6 MONTHS just to clear the false stuff off of there!

So now it is a lesson learned the VERY hard way.

Keep an eye on those credit reports.

[Jaspro]

Dang rudey that sucks! Wonder if it was revenge for your lack of time spent on the green screen?

Good to see you back BTW.

[Landrover]

Geez, that scares the heck outta me also! We are completely debt free (except current home) and do not use credit cards only a joint debit card. I told my wife I guess we are prime targets for credit theft. What the heck can you do to protect yourself from stuff like this in this world of super high speed data exchange. Rudey that absoulutely sucks!!! Instead of a new toy just in time for the spring fishing scene you guys have to hire a freakin lawyer!!!

[Bill M]

My wife was in the mortgage business for years so she keeps a close eye on ours. You should check it occasionally. I think she does it every 6 months or so.

Sucks to have a surprise like this. I wish you luck getting it straightened out.

[Rick]

You can get a free credit report once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com. You actually get a free one from each agency (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) once a year, so I alternate thru them about every 4-5 months. I have had some minor glitches and written letters to get them fixed. You definately need to check periodically.

[2050z]

Ouch! I get a free report from all three each year. Plus I get a credit score. I hope you get it cleared up before summer. We need for you to get a new boat.

[Skipshot]

If you have the same name as your dad it could also become a problem. When I first tried to buy a truck I found out that all of my dads accounts were listed under my name. He didn't have anything bad but according to my credit report, 99% of my income was alreay used.

[kevin01]

Sorry to hear this, I have had friends that have had similar problems and it was a pain in the neck for them to get things fixed. So far, the only problem I have had is with old accounts that still dont show as closed, and yet they dont have any information in the reports to make it so that you can get hold of these creditors. Seems to me, it they can have my info on here then I should be able to have theirs as well.

[bowhunterhelm]

Yeah it's good to keep up with your credit report. My wife and I had a little surprise on ours when we were applying for our mortgage. There was a $17,000 credit card in my wifes name that wasn't hers.

We disputed it and I believe it's been removed.

Guess I better check

[scotty]

My wife and I are completely debt free except for six months left on our mortgage. All our shopping is done with a debit card. We budget for everything. Each week the budget gets balanced and updated. Keeping to a strict budget is tough, but the peace of mind that you get from not being in debt over your head is priceless. We check our credit report through the agencies on a quarterly basis.

[Breezy]

a few of my friends and i have been using these guys www.lexingtonlawfirm.com in just a few months i have increased my credit score 25 pts. they do all the work for you! check em out

[Bucks&Broadheads]

I've had a Credit Check Monitoring system for years. Anytime an inquiry is made on my credit I know about it. So I can stop any fradulent accounts from being opened in my name before they get started. Costs a few bucks a month, but to me it's worth it. If you've ever had your identy stolen the few bucks a month for this service is worth A LOT!

[Cottonfish]

We're considering building a house this summer, just went to the link provided by Rick and ended up on Equifax. Everything's okey dokey, this was a great thread. Thanks all......

Stu

[Stins]

That is why I have insurance against identity theft so when something like this happens I have a lawyer that cleans it up. Unforetunately in this day and age there is a very good possibility that this will happen.

[DaveC]

Thanks for the link Rick.

I ran one for now, looked good except for them danged credit cards that do an inquiry before sending you the blank checks you didn't ask for.

I'll be speaking with a Bank of America employee about that soon.


Sorry about the boat Rudey, maybe the price will drop by the time this mess is wiped up.