How reliable are credit reports?

Question

The reason I am asking is because I had been abroad for a few years and am now resettling back in the States.

I went to open a bank account since I closed it and requested a credit card.

I got a letter in the mail the other day which explained I been denied a credit card. Although I did have a problem I did settle the debt less than 6 months ago.

Anyway, I went on the website as it suggested in the letter to view my credit report and it appeared to be clean with none of the reasons for my denial mentioned in the letter.

Is it common for these 'credit check' companies to make errors??

I would like to know:

1. What action should I take? (I plan to call them tomorrow), action I can take if they are mistaken?

2. If there is a problem and I clear it up, how long could it take for me to get approval and get a credit card?

Thanks.

I closed my bank accounts at this same bank previously and noticed it did mention that my accounts were closed previously on my credit report. Can this be perceived as a red flag?

Answer 1

I have recently paid off all my debt and passed the course on Credit Where Credit Is Due. I had this added to my credit reports from all 3 bureaus. My reports are all clean except TransUnion. Another debt from back in the day showed up on it but not the others. You really have to stay in touch with the agencies. Dispute information when necessary and stay on it. I did.
Also.... now that I cleaned it all up I don't have a report on record. New or archived. This means I must get back in touch and address this issue also. Keep seeking answers and be persistent! Good Luck!

Answer 2

If you pulled all three credit reports & you honestly don't see the problem they stated then you can definitely contact them to make sure all info is correct on the original application. If they said something like "insufficient credit file" then maybe your report is "too clean" meaning you don't have enough credit for them to determine you are a good risk. Possibly being abroad caused you to not have enough recent credit. Too get things off your credit quickly you should dispute them. Most places have a way to do it online. I have also done it by certified mail supplying a copy of the other two credit agency pulls, proof of id, and valid address. I have had responses in as little as 2 wks before. Usually transunion or equifax are the laggers. Sometimes i ask the credit grantor what credit score they are looking for or what the qualifications are. That way I will know before they pull credit if there are going to be any issues.

Answer 3

The sad truth is that even though the law requires that the information collected about you be 100% accurate and 100% complete, it never is. If you check your credit reports and there is no problem that you can detect then you should contact the company that denied you and let them know that the reasons they used to deny you are not valid. It could be that they received information on a person with a similar name or a SSN that is close to yours. This happens ALL THE TIME. In fact, it has even happened to me. I was confused with my father (he is a Sr. and I am a Jr.) and they used his credit report to give me a line of credit. In my case it did no harm as I have excellent credit and so does my father. But it only illustrates that this can happen.

I do not know if this is the case with your situation but it is one option to look at.

Good luck to you.

If you have any questions regarding credit issues, you may email me at [e-mail]

Answer 4

I am not sure if I have the answer about get an approval for your credit card, but I can probably give you some input about a credit report. According to my experience, a credit report is usually not accurate because a report is as accurate as creditors report them accurately. I had to go through a legnthy process to correct my credit report and I have to continue to keep an eye for my credit report.

Here is what you have to do. You mentioned that you went online to review your credit. You technically check three major credit report agencies, which are TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. And review all three reports. If you find anything that are incorrect, you need to request in writing for an investigation. Within 30days, those agencies need to give you an answer if not they need to correct them.

Answer 5

These days creditors look only at bad credit. If you had something bad on your credit report, it will raise a flag that will last for 10 years. Try getting secured credit. Put up about $500 for a $500 credit line. After a year or two, try for unsecured. In addition, try for a department store card. They are easy to get and build credit.

Answer 6

This just happened to me. I had settled a debt I had quite some time ago but recently found out it was still showing as unpaid. Most likely it is the lender that has not updated your information. You need to contact them and make sure they clear it.It is the responsibility of the lender to give information to the credit bureau in order for them to update your credit report. You should check on it every so often to make sure they have not given information in error.Good Luck!! : )