Entry bubble AnnualCreditReport.com

By: Colleen | March 11, 2009 | Category: Money

I'll be the first to admit, I am a total sucker for a catchy commercial. The Madison Avenue marketing wizards know exactly how to reel me in. A certain lizard with an accent nearly had me purchasing insurance for a motorcycle...which I don't even have.

Other commercials use catchy jingles or funny circumstances to lure you into a service which-SURPRISE! You are actually entitled to for free.

Right now, with the economy in an uncertain state, everyone is doing their best to track their finances and keep their credit in order. Are you aware that thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are guaranteed access to a free credit report from each of the three nationwide reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion?

Recent ads featuring likable tunes and characters have people scattering to get a free credit report, not realizing they are being charged $14.95 in hidden fees for this service.

To combat this, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched their own set of ads promoting annualcreditreport.com—the only authorized source to get your free credit report under federal law.

Request your Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion report either all at once or separately throughout the year. By requesting the reports separately, you can monitor your credit more frequently. It's important to check and be sure there are no errors and that all your information is accurate, as this report is used to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, and renting a home.

Check out the FTC ads below. What do you think?

 

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: annualcreditreport.com   colleen   credit   credit_report   equifax   experian   federal_trade_commission   ftc   transunion  

 

Entry bubble Cancer Treatment Scams

By: Colleen | October 22, 2008 | Category: Health

doctorBefore I dive into the serious stuff, I have to give a public shout-out to the Phillies, who are playing in their first World Series in fifteen years, starting tonight. Here we go Phils! "Why can't us?"

While baseball seems like the most important thing to me right now, Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings me back to reality, where we are all hard pressed to find anyone whose life hasn't been touched in one way or another by cancer. Personally, my maternal grandfather passed away due to cancer and by the young age of 20, I'd already had minor surgery to remove skin cancer cells.

When someone gets such devastating news, it is important to have an honest discussion with your doctor regarding the course of treatment that is best for you. Sadly, there is always someone out there looking to make a profit by being dishonest to consumers. Because of this, FTC recently launched a new site that encourages cancer patients who are curious about new treatments to ask their doctors first.

This site was developed in response to a group of companies who were selling fake cancer cures to cancer patients. FTC is suing 11 of these companies for false and deceptive claims. This site gives tips and advice to help people distinguish legit companies from scammers.

Always ask your doctor about any product you may have seen advertised, and do your research on the different treatments available to you.

How have you helped a loved one deal with a diagnosis of cancer?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cancer   cancer_treatment_scam   doctor   federal_trade_comission   ftc   phillies   scam   treatment  

 

Entry bubble Identity Theft and Your Credit Report

By: Nancy | March 06, 2008 | Category: Money

Last Thursday, we talked about getting a free copy of your credit report.  And I promised I'd come back this week with an overview of what to do if you find a mistake on it.

Ok, so you've gotten your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com and you've figured out how to read it. But something's wrong. Your birth year could be a little off or something could be misspelled. That's not so bad. But if you notice something like a current mailing address listed that's not yours, or accounts and lines of credit in your name that you didn't open, you could be one of more than eight million people in the US each year hit by identity theft.

Immediately contact the credit bureau that you got your credit report from (Equifax, Trans Union or Experian) to tell them about the mistake and to have them place a fraud alert on your account. They will then contact the other two credit bureaus and instruct them to place a fraud alert on your credit records with them too. A fraud alert on your credit record lets potential creditors know that you suspect that you've been the victim of identity theft, so they will be reluctant to give anybody any more credit using your name for an initial period of 90 days. You can have that extended to seven years.

Next, phone and write a letter to the company that says you have the potentially fraudulent account or line of credit with them. Don't just rely on phone calls or filling out online forms. Write a real letter (here's a sample) and keep record of every communication between yourself, the credit bureaus and the company that the thief got credit from in your name.

For much more detailed information about protecting yourself from identity theft and tools to help you get your good name back if you've been a victim, see the Federal Trade Commission's Fighting Back Against Identity Theft website.

I wish I could tell you that a couple phone calls or letters would take care of the problem if you're been hit by identity theft. Unfortunately, it can be more complicated than that. Getting fraudulent accounts proven and closed and getting your credit report accurate again will take time and persistence on your part. But it will eventually get straightened out.

What's your experience? Have you or somebody you know been the victim of identity theft?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: credit   ftc   nancy   theft