I'm Sick of These Scammers Blowing Up My Mailbox!

I post ads on Craigslist from time to time for rentals.  Being on the internet as long as I have, I've developed a fairly keen sense of when someone's BSing me.  This 1 particular time, I decided to have a little fun with some scammer - just to see what he would do.  And yes, I'm SURE it was a HE!  Below is the email thread I shared with this guy.  My email address was removed, but I'm leaving his completely in tact!

Hope the bastard gets busted by the Secret Service!!! (I know it's a little annoying to read, but try to read it from the bottom up.  I thought it was kinda funny to see this guy get irritated by my foolishness)

to alisha mayer

dateSun, Jun 15, 2008 at 10:06 AM

subjectRe: $165 Private Room; Beautiful, Clean Brownstone (Bedstuy) (map)

mailed-bygmail.com

Hey sexy.  I spoke with Becos and gave him my information already.  The money order should be in the mail by now.  Like I said, you don't have to worry about a thing.

 

It's been a long time since I've had a sexy woman to cozy up to at night.  So I definitely am looking forward to your company.  What airport are you coming to and at what time?  I bought you something nice I'm sure you'd like.

 

I also have a business proposition for you.  I'll give you details if you're interested... ok

 

Jason

 

On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 10:41 AM, alisha mayer wrote:

Kindly get back to me with your full name ..full address ...zipcode and phone number so the payment will be made out to you in money order ok ... 

On 6/14/08, kappatalp wrote: 

Tell you what.  The room is yours.  I won't even charge you for it cause I think we can both benefit from each other's company.  Make sure you pack appropriate clothing for formal dining, clubs, and some nice lingerie for afterward. ;-)

 

Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

 

 

Jimmy

PS

I'll send you all my information shortly. Maybe when I take a trip to Belgium some time you'll be a gracious host... :-)

 

On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 9:42 AM, alisha mayer wrote:

Anyway am single and i do care to have this room before tuesdat next week ok .

On 6/14/08, kappatalp wrote:

> I love Belgium women!  How old did you say you are again?  I can hardly wait

> to meet you.  I bet you have one of those cute Belgium accents too!  :-)

>

> Are you married?  Let me know what flight you'll be coming in on and I'll

> collect you from the airport.  We can talk about the rent after dinner ;-)

>

> On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 9:09 AM, alisha mayer

> wrote:

>

>> The payment will be mail out to you by my boss in state ok and i will

>> be coming over from belgium ok so all you need to do now is to send me

>> your full name ...full address ..zip code and phone number ok ... so

>> the payment will be made out to you ok ...

>>

>> On 6/14/08, kappatalp wrote:

>> > Daniel told me cash, but if you really want to, you can just bring the

>> money

>> > order with you when you come.

>> >

>> > I think you gave me the wrong number by the way.  I called you to hear

>> that

>> > sexy voice and someone else answered the phone.  Anyway, I still need

>> > the

>> > information from you for the application and I still want those pics and

>> I

>> > still want to hear that sexy voice.

>> >

>> > Tell me what you look like.  Are you comfortable with sharing a bed

>> > every

>> so

>> > often?

>> > Jacob

>> > On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 8:04 AM, alisha mayer

>> > wrote:

>> >

>> >> GOOD THANKS AND I WANTY YOU TO KINDLY NOTE THAT HE READY TO TRANSFER

>> >> THE MONEY INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT OR SEND YOU A MONEY ORDER FOR THE

>> >> PAYMENT OK .....

>> >>

>> >> On 6/13/08, kappatalp wrote:

>> >> > Is that your cell phone, or your house phone?

>> >> >

>> >> > I spoke with Hari and he said that he'll give you cash that you can

>> use

>> >> to

>> >> > pay for the room when you get here so you're all set.  I just need

>> >> > the

>> >> > information to put on the form, and your pics.  I'm also still very

>> much

>> >> > looking forward to hearing your sweet voice! ;-)

>> >> >

>> >> >

>> >> > On 6/13/08, alisha mayer wrote:

>> >> >>

>> >> >> Hello i will fill the form when i get back to state and i will send

>> you

>> >> my

>> >> >> pics once am able to get one of the pics scan today here is my own

>> >> number

>> >> >> ....+447031817549 and here is my boss number in us ...5104432549 his

>> >> name

>> >> >> is

>> >> >> Hari

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >> >> On 6/13/08, kappatalp wrote:

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>> You don't need a printer - just send me the information requested

>> >> >>> on

>> >> the

>> >> >>> form separately and I'll fill the form out for you.

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>> What about the pictures and the the phone number?  I'd love to see

>> you

>> >> >>> and

>> >> >>> hear what you sound like.  ;-)

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>> Looking forward to you,

>> >> >>> Jimmy

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>>  On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 7:30 AM, alisha mayer <

>> alisha.mayer@gmail.com

>> >> >

>> >> >>> wrote:

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>>> Hello Johnny is good to read from you and i will want you to

>> >> >>>> kindly

>> >> note

>> >> >>>> that i dont have a printer here to print out the form and i will

>> want

>> >> >>>> you to

>> >> >>>> know that i will fill the form and the lease when i get to state

>> >> >>>> so

>> >> let

>> >> >>>> me

>> >> >>>> know the form of payment you want out of the two i stated ok

>> ....hope

>> >> to

>> >> >>>> read from you soonest ok...

>> >> >>>>

>> >> >>>>

>> >> >>>> On 6/12/08, kappatalp wrote:

>> >> >>>>>

>> >> >>>>> Sounds great!  Please fill out the attached appliction and send

>> >> >>>>> it

>> >> back

>> >> >>>>> to me.  If you have any pictures of yourself, I'd love to see

>> >> >>>>> them

>> >> too

>> >> >>>>> -

>> >> >>>>> preferably full body ones (no professional shots please).  I bet

>> >> you'd

>> >> >>>>> be a

>> >> >>>>> wonderful roommate! ;-)

>> >> >>>>>

>> >> >>>>> What's your phone number?  I'd also like to have an idea of what

>> you

>> >> >>>>> sound like. ;-)

>> >> >>>>>

>> >> >>>>> Johnny

>> >> >>>>>

>> >> >>>>>  On 6/12/08, alisha mayer wrote:

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>> from usa,i will like to secure the room... state soonest  and i

>> >> >>>>>> will

>> >> >>>>>> be checking in 2week time... the deposit fees will be made out

>> >> >>>>>> to

>> >> you

>> >> >>>>>> soonest to avoid anydelay .Here is little about me,Am an

>> >> >>>>>> Artist..

>> >> >>>>>> in

>> >> >>>>>> Hand and computer Drawing... textile designing as well as

>> >> >>>>>> Sculptures... it make me travelled alot...i was born in usa ,

>> >> >>>>>> but

>> >> >>>>>> presently i will moving in to the usa finaly from Belgium , so

>> all

>> >> the

>> >> >>>>>> payment arrangement is being take care of by my boss, i love

>> >> >>>>>> swimming,and going to cinema house..i love to make people laugh,

>> i

>> >> bet

>> >> >>>>>> it you will enjoy having me as your roommate, am not married, no

>> >> >>>>>> kids.i love to enjoy the best of life...I have discussed this

>> with

>> >> my

>> >> >>>>>> boss concerning the payment and i was giving two option ok so

>> >> >>>>>> the

>> >> >>>>>> first one is payment via certified check or cashier check so for

>> >> this

>> >> >>>>>> the details below are needed for the payment to be made out to

>> you

>> >> in

>> >> >>>>>> certified check or cashier ....

>> >> >>>>>> Full name .........

>> >> >>>>>> Address,

>> >> >>>>>> city,state,..........

>> >> >>>>>> zipcode,

>> >> >>>>>> Home phone.......

>> >> >>>>>> Cell phone......

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>> So that i can get this across to my boss for quick payment for

>> the

>> >> >>>>>> deposit, becos is a busy man.

>> >> >>>>>> The second payment option is paymentbthrough bank transfer and

>> the

>> >> >>>>>> bank account needed should be fron Bank Of America or Wellsfargo

>> so

>> >> >>>>>> here are the needed details

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>> ACCOUNT HOLDERS NAME

>> >> >>>>>> ACCOUNT NUMBER

>> >> >>>>>> ROUTINE NUMBER

>> >> >>>>>> ACCOUNT HOLDERS PHONE NUMBER

>> >> >>>>>> BANK NAME

>> >> >>>>>> BANK ADDRESS

>> >> >>>>>> BANK PHONE NUMBER

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>> I will want you to call my boss and talk to him  here is my boss

>> >> >>>>>> contact cell # his name is  Daniel Rinsola  and his cell number

>> is

>> >> >>>>>> 510-441-2563.call him now and talk to him ..lookingforward to

>> read

>> >> >>>>>> from you.

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>> Alisha

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>> On 6/11/08, kappatalp wrote:

>> >> >>>>>> > Alisha,

>> >> >>>>>> >

>> >> >>>>>> > I'm not sure I understand what update you want me to get back

>> to

>> >> you

>> >> >>>>>> with.

>> >> >>>>>> > All of the information is provided in the ad.  Please let me

>> know

>> >> if

>> >> >>>>>> you

>> >> >>>>>> > have any specific questions.

>> >> >>>>>> >

>> >> >>>>>> >

>> >> >>>>>> > Joel

>> >> >>>>>> >

>> >> >>>>>> >

>> >> >>>>>> > On 6/11/08, alisha mayer wrote:

>> >> >>>>>> >>

>> >> >>>>>> >> ** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY

>> >> >>>>>> >> ** Avoid:  wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home

>> >> >>>>>> >> ** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping

>> >> >>>>>> >> ** More Info:  http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

>> >> >>>>>> >>

>> >> >>>>>> >> --

>> >> >>>>>> >> --

>> >> >>>>>> >> Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the

>> >> >>>>>> >> get

>> >> back

>> >> >>>>>> to

>> >> >>>>>> >> me with update of the room and the rent

>> >> >>>>>> >> bills

>> >> >>>>>> >>

>> >> >>>>>> >>

>> >> >>>>>> >>

>> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------

>> >> >>>>>> >> this message was remailed to you via:

>> >> hous-715768663@craigslist.org

>> >> >>>>>> >>

>> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------

>> >> >>>>>> >>

>> >> >>>>>> >

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>> --

>> >> >>>>>> --

>> >> >>>>>> Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the get

>> back

>> >> to

>> >> >>>>>> me with update of the room and the rent

>> >> >>>>>> bills

>> >> >>>>>>

>> >> >>>>>

>> >> >>>>>

>> >> >>>>>

>> >> >>>>

>> >> >>>>

>> >> >>>>

>> >> >>>> --

>> >> >>>>  --

>> >> >>>> Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the get

>> >> >>>> back

>> >> >>>> to

>> >> >>>> me

>> >> >>>> with update of the room and the rent

>> >> >>>> bills

>> >> >>>>

>> >> >>>>

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>>

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >> >> --

>> >> >> --

>> >> >> Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the get back

>> to

>> >> me

>> >> >> with update of the room and the rent

>> >> >> bills

>> >> >>

>> >> >

>> >>

>> >>

>> >> --

>> >>  --

>> >> Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the get back to

>> >> me with update of the room and the rent

>> >> bills

>> >>

>> >

>>

>>

>> --

>>  --

>> Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the get back to

>> me with update of the room and the rent

>> bills

>>

>

 

--

--

Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the get back to

me with update of the room and the rent

bills

 

-- 

--

Hi am interested in your room for rent. i will want to the get back to me with update of the room and the rent

bills

I Was ROBBED!

Yes, I was robbed. For years I had been paying too much for electricity, but that's all changed now!

There's a massive movement in NYC to break up the utilities that previously had a lock on the NYC market. ConEd is currently one of the targets, soon to be followed by KeySpan (now known as National Grid).

Price competition is being introduced through the implementation of Energy Servicing Companies (ESCOs). One such company is Ambit Energy! This company offers the SAME product (there's no "no frills" electricity here) via the same utility lines that ConEd uses to service you now. The ONLY difference is that they offer the product for less than the competition.

Changing servicing companies is FAST, EASY, and FREE!!!!! You've been given the power to choose. Don't be like me and stand by while you're cleaned out month after month! Switch your energy service to Ambit Energy and $AVE!


For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page at http://khorus.joinambit.com/faq.asp

Beware of Falling Minimum Payments

If you opened a credit card statement recently and were pleasantly surprised to find that your minimum payment due was lowered, don’t be so quick to “jump for joy”. What may appear as a small boost to your monthly budget is actually the rock that can weigh you down in debt for a lifetime.

More and more credit card companies are moving to requiring a minimum payment of 2% of your total outstanding balance. Consumer Action, a consumer advocacy group out of San Francisco, found that the number of card companies with a 2% minimum payment reached 53%, up from 43% just a year ago.

Some creditors have even gone so far as to call this a “consumer friendly” move claiming it will assist consumers faced with today’s economic woes. In reality, a lower minimum payment causes you to take longer to pay off your debt to the creditor while winding up paying them more money in interest payments.

For example, let’s say you have a credit card debt of $2500.00 @18% annual percentage rate (APR). Your monthly minimum payment based on a 2.5% pay back rate would be $62.50 per month. Oh and by the way, here’s what the credit card company really doesn’t want you to know - it will take you 20 YEARS to pay off your $2500.00 balance paying the minimum monthly due. And you will have paid the credit card company $3,365.51 in interest!

Now lets look at the same example using the rate of 2% minimum monthly payment. Your monthly payment drops to just $50.00 a month. You might be tempted to think “wow, I’ve got an extra $12.50 a month to play with, yippeee!”. Not so fast! That lower minimum payment now means it will take you 34.5 YEARS to pay off your balance of $2500.00 and you’ll wind up paying $6,430.93 in interest!

Consumer Action also reports that many credit card companies are imposing higher late payment fees and “more than a third of card issuers said they will raise existing cardholders' rates because of poor credit histories -- with other creditors -- even if the consumer has made regular, timely payments with that issuer”.

My advice is to watch your use of credit carefully, always pay more than the minimum monthly due, and be sure to read the fine print on any credit card offers or changes to your existing accounts.

© 2004, http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com Author: James H. Dimmitt James is editor of "TO YOUR CREDIT", a weekly free newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter by visiting http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_H._Dimmitt

Can't Make Credit Card Payments? What To Do

Can't make your monthly credit card payments. It is important to understand what you can do in order to avoid late charges, increased interest rates and avoid having your credit score lowered. Taking the appropriate action can increase your ability to make future payments.

Not being able to make your monthly credit card payments is a common occurrence and there are solutions out there than can help. Many circumstances can arise that can cause an unexpected large expense or temporarily loss an income source that will drain funds and limit ones ability to pay bills on time. If this does happen to you, the worst thing you can do is to ignore the issue when it arises. As soon as you know that payments won't be able to be made is the best time to start addressing the issue. Failing to address the issue right away can cause the following problems:

1. Increased future credit card interest rates
2. Late Fees
3. Get your credit score lowered by getting a late payment reported to the credit bureau
4. Decrease your future ability to make on time payments

A short list of steps that you can take in order to avoid these problems:

1. Call the customer service number for your credit card. Briefly explain your current situation and make them aware that it is not likely to happen again and tell them when you expect to be able to pay. If you have not done this in the past, it is very likely that they will give you an extension.
   
2. If you feel comfortable enough, you can always ask friends or family for the money. Like with the credit card company, explain to them your situation and that you don't expect this to happen again and give them a date when you expect to have the money to pay them back
   
3. Try to get a cash advance on your paycheck from your current employer. A lot of times employers will work with their employees to help them out.
   
4. If you have many bills that you cannot pay, see if there is one that can wait. Missing credit card payments most of the time have the worst penalties and can create the most problems in the future.
   
5. Obtain a Payday loan. This option can only be good if cannot get an extension on your credit card payment. This will normally cost you about $75, however it can benefit you because you won't be paying the late fee on the credit amount and you will be able to maintain a good standing on your credit keeping your future interest payments down.
   

It is important to maintain a good standing with your creditors because this will save you thousands in the long run by maintaining a better credit score, keeping your interest rate down, and eliminating late fees. Don't delay on taking action, address the issues as soon as they arise.

If this seems to be a constant problem, credit management/counseling could be a good option for you. With credit management you can get help planning a budget or help negotiate with current creditors about lowering rates or waiving late fees. It is important to take the necessary steps as soon as you realize there is a problem because this will save you thousands in the long run.

Find more debt relief solutions by visiting EndThisDebt.com a website that specializes in providing debt help advice as well connecting individuals with debt specialists based on their individual debt situation.

If you need help with your debt and would like to get a free debt consultation please fill out the form here.Free Debt Consultation

If you would like to obtain a payday loan please fill out the form here.Payday Loan

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manny_Vetti

ID-protection Ads Come Back to Bite Pitchman

By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP Technology Writer Thu May 22, 7:09 AM ET

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Todd Davis has dared criminals for two years to try stealing his identity: Ads for his fraud-prevention company, LifeLock, even offer his Social Security number next to his smiling mug.

Now, Lifelock customers in Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia are suing Davis, claiming his service didn't work as promised and he knew it wouldn't, because the service had failed even him.

Attorney David Paris said he found records of other people applying for or receiving driver's licenses at least 20 times using Davis' Social Security number, though some of the applications may have been rejected because data in them didn't match what the Social Security Administration had on file.

Davis acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press that his stunt has led to at least 87 instances in which people have tried to steal his identity, and one succeeded: a guy in Texas who duped an online payday loan operation last year into giving him $500 using Davis' Social Security number.

Paris said the fact Davis' records were compromised at all supports the claim that Tempe, Ariz.-based LifeLock doesn't provide the comprehensive protection its advertisements say it does.
"It's further evidence of the ineffectiveness of the services that LifeLock advertises," said Paris, who is lead attorney on the three new lawsuits, the latest of which was filed this month.

Davis learned about the fraud in Texas when the payday-loan outfit called to collect on the loan, he said. He didn't get an alert beforehand because the company didn't go through one of the three major credit bureaus before approving the transaction.

Davis said it's possible driver's licenses have been issued to other people in his name because of the widespread availability of his personal information — and because of what he described as the flimsy mechanisms in place to report that kind of fraud.

Paris noted that LifeLock charges $10 a month to set fraud alerts with credit bureaus, even though consumers can do it themselves for free.

But Davis stands by his company and his advertising gimmick, which has appeared in newspapers and on billboards, radio and MTV. He even broadcasts it by bullhorn on walking tours through crowded downtowns.

"There's nothing on my actual credit report about uncollected funds, no outstanding tickets or warrants or anything," he said. "There's nothing to indicate my identity has been successfully compromised other than the one instance. I know I'm taking a slightly higher risk. But I'll take my risk for the tremendous benefit we're bringing to society and to consumers."

The lawsuits, for which Paris is seeking class-action status, highlight the fundamental limits on how much security identity-theft companies can provide.

Companies like LifeLock can help guard against only certain types of financial fraud by helping consumers set up alerts with credit bureaus, which inform them when someone tries to open a new line of credit or boost their credit limit to finance a buying binge, for example.

The services don't guard against many types of identity theft such as use of a stolen Social Security number on a job application or for medical services, or even the instance of an arrestee giving police a stolen Social Security number to shield his own identity.

LifeLock is also being sued in Arizona over its $1 million service guarantee, which the plaintiffs claim is misleading because it only covers a defect in LifeLock's service, and in California by the Experian credit bureau. Experian accuses LifeLock of deceiving consumers about the breadth of its protection and abusing the system for attaching fraud alerts to credit reports.
Security experts say complaints about the company reinforce the time-honored wisdom of keeping your Social Security number secret.

"There's been a lot of marketing, a lot of hype about LifeLock," said Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy with the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. "The question is, 'How much protection does it really buy you?'"

"There is no company that can guarantee they can protect you (completely) against identity theft," Stephens said. "Absolutely nobody can do that."

3 Credit Tips that Will Save You Hundreds Each Year

While extremely convenient, credit cards can be a very costly consumer product. Most people don’t realize just how expensive carrying around a credit card in your wallet can be. Each year many big spending credit card consumers can throw hundreds or even thousands of dollars out the window using credit cards. Even if you’re not a big credit card spender, almost anyone can save hundreds of dollars each year with these 3 credit card tips.

Never Pay the Minimum PaymentYour credit card company usually makes sure you know that there is a minimum payment. Even if you owe thousands of dollars, your minimum payment can seem extremely low, sometimes only 3% of your total balance. However, what the credit card companies don’t tell you is that if you have a large balance and only pay the minimum payment for the next few years you will cost yourself possibly thousands of dollars in interest costs alone. In fact, that purchase at the record store for $50 over time will double. To avoid paying interest only and never touching the principle make sure you always pay more than just the minimum payment.

Transfer Your Balance to a Lower Interest Credit CardMost Americans receive several credit card offers each month and most have some very enticing interest rate offers. For instance, many credit card offers will transfer your existing high interest rate credit card for free to the new card and allow you either zero percent interest for 6 months or a very low interest rate for a specific period of time. If you have a high balance in which you pay hundreds of dollars each year on interest payments, in many cases it is in your best interest to accept these offers and enjoy zero or low interest for the next 6 months to a year.

Use a Debit Card Instead of a Credit CardIt’s no surprise that many times we use credit cards out of habit. But why use something that is so expensive when we don’t need to. We can easily pay for that meal or fill up our car with gas with our debit card and not pay any interest. Debit cards are just as convenient as credit cards and usually accepted everywhere credit is as well. Use your debit card to avoid high interest fees in the long run and you can literally save hundreds in interest fees each year.

Connie Barker is the owner of several financial websites including those which deal with Bad Credit Personal Loans

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Connie_Barker

The Truth About Credit

What you might not know about credit.

Some people don’t know about a loop hole in the credit reporting system.

You probably know that a loan in your name gets reported to the credit bureaus. And this borrowed money shows up on your credit report.

The more you owe on your credit report the lower your credit score will be.

But there is a way to get loans and credit cards that never show up on your credit report.

When you get a credit card in the name of your business, it will never be reported on your personal credit report. So you can get large amounts of cash from the banks I work with everyday and it will never show up on your credit report.

And you can start a business on paper for almost nothing. Just pick out a cool name for your new business and submit it on-line.

That means no matter how much cash you take out in the name of your business, your credit score never drops.

This is the best way most people have ever seen to get cash and use it to buy real estate, because the money is invisible.

Tom Kish. Real Estate Guru

Tom is a public speaker and trainer on the topics of real estate investing and small business cash flow. He is available for public speaking, consulting, and one on one coaching for your business and real estate investing pursuits.

http://cashflowexperts.biz/cmd.asp?ad=137545

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Kish

Top 5 Credit Misconceptions

We have all heard the rumors…from neighbors, relatives or friends. There are a wide variety of myths floating around about what you should and shouldn't do to improve your credit reports and credit scores. The buck stops here! Phelps Creek Financial Coaching has exposed these urban legends to provide you with the truth about credit...

1. Your score will drop if you check your credit - Fortunately, this one is definitely not true.Checking your own report and score is counted as a "soft inquiry" and doesn't harm your credit at all. Only "hard inquiries" from a lender or creditor, made when you apply for credit, can bring your credit score down a few points. Worried about damaging your credit while shopping around for a loan? Multiple inquiries for the same purpose within a short amount of time (a few weeks) are grouped together into a less damaging period of inquiry.

2. Closing old accounts will improve your credit score - To close or not to close, that is the question. Many people advocate closing old and inactive accounts as a way for improving your credit. In most cases, closing accounts will actually have the opposite effect. Canceling old credit accounts can lower yourcredit score by making your credit history appear shorter. Think twice before closing the oldest account on your credit report. If you want to reduce your levels of available credit, ask for your credit limits to be reduced or close newer accounts instead.

3. Once you pay off a negative record, it is removed from your credit report - Negative records such as collection accounts, bankruptcies and charge-offs will remain on your credit report for 7-10 years after they are first posted. Paying off the account before the end of the set term doesn't remove it from your credit report, but will cause the account to be marked as "paid." It is still a good idea to pay your debts, it can improve yourcredit score, but the major improvement will come when the record expires.

4. Being a co-signer doesn't make you responsible for the account - When you open a joint account, co-sign on a loan or become an authorized user on someone's credit card, you are taking on legal responsibility for the account. Any activity on these shared accounts, good or bad, will show up on both people's credit reports. If you co-sign for a friend's auto loan and they don't make the payments, your credit profile will be hurt by their actions and visa versa. The only way to stop this double reporting is to refinance the loan or to have the creditor officially remove you from the account.

5. Paying off a debt will add 50 points to your credit score - Yourcredit score is calculated using a complex algorithm that takes into account hundreds of factors and values. It is very hard to predict how many points you can gain by changing one factor. For a person with a high credit score, just one late payment can cause a significant drop. If a person has a low credit score, it may not cause a large drop at all. There is no magical way to improve your credit score, just keep paying your bills on time, reducing your debts and removing negative inaccuracies from your credit report. Good financial behavior and time are the two most important factors on your credit score.

Cindy S. Morus (http://www.phelps-creek.com/) is a Certified Financial Recovery Counselor specializing in showing women and their families how to achieve financial well-being and peace of mind. She is also a Certified Credit Report Reviewer and Get Clients NOW!™ licensee. Contact her at 541-387-2995 or cmorus@phelps-creek.com. She is also the publisher and editor of "Financial Fitness", an internet gazette dedicated to helping people improve their financial fitness no matter what decisions were made in the past.

7 Ways to Imrpove Your Score

Do you have a poor credit rating? If so, you are one of tens of thousands of Americans with the same problem. In fact, it seems that this has become a national ‘disease.’ And just what do people need that have a disease? They need a cure.

Here are some sure-fire solutions to ' repair bad credit '. Keep in mind, like most ‘diseases,’ credit repair can take some time, but complete healing is possible.

The First Step

The first thing you need to do is find out what is being reported about you. This is easy and inexpensive. For under $10, you can get your credit report from one of the three main credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Keep in mind however, that if you have recently been denied credit, you can get a free report from the same credit bureau the lender used to reject you as long as you do so within 30 days.

What You Don’t Need

You don’t need a repair clinic. Why? There is no legal way to ‘repair’ your credit. Those that claim to know loopholes and shortcuts are merely out for your money. They may even get you into legal trouble by having you fudge the facts or creating a whole new file for you. Anything legal that a clinic can do, you can do just as easily and without the cost of ‘professional’ help.

Further Steps to Take

1. Stop using your credit cards immediately. Put them somewhere where they will not tempt you. You may consider keeping at least one card for emergency purposes. Additionally, with poor credit, you may find it more difficult to get a credit card in the future. If you keep at least one account open, then you won’t have to worry about applying.

2. Be Honest With Yourself. Taking a good hard look at your financial situation, particularly if it isn’t good, can be very difficult. Yet, to get out debt you have to fully understand what the situation is.

3. Find the Errors. Believe it or not, up to 40% of all credit reports have errors in them. If you find that your credit report shows something that is not true, you need to write to them with all the details. Be sure to use certified mail so that you can keep track of who you wrote to, when you wrote, and who received the mail on the credit bureau’s end. Then ask the credit bureau to send a corrected report to anyone who has requested a report on you in the last 6 months.

4. Find the Omissions. By law, you are allowed to add information to your report that you believe will help your rating. This might be additional information about a repayment of a loan, good credit you have with companies that do not report to the credit bureau, or salary increases.

5. You Must Have a Plan. Whether you determine to pay your bills down little at a time, take a second job, go to credit counseling, or file bankruptcy, you need to make a plan and stick to it. In order for your credit to be improved, you have to have a plan and then take action!

6. Talk to those that you owe. Creditors want their money. They do not want you to default (quit paying). In fact, most creditors will work with you to get a reduced payment schedule. If you can keep them from reporting you to the credit bureau, then it won’t hurt your credit. The catch here is this: be sure to stick to the new negotiated plan – they won’t renegotiate if you fail to comply.

7. The Best Cure is Time. Have you ever heard the saying ‘time heals all wounds’? It also heals your credit. After 7 years, most items will be dropped. This is good news if you are working to correct your credit. As each year passes, more and more bad items will drop off and more and more good items will be included. Eventually, the disease will be cured.
Follow these steps and you will find that your credit looks healthier and healthier each day. Eventually this path will lead you to full recovery.

Good Luck!

How Credit Inquiries Actually Work

It's a common misconception that all credit inquiries -- or any time your credit report is pulled -- hurt your credit score. This isn't true, however. Only "hard inquiries" will take a toll on your score. Hard inquiries are occasions when your credit report is pulled for the purposes of extending you credit or a loan offer. So when you open a new credit card account or apply for a loan, a "hard inquiry" will be made on your credit report.

A hard inquiry may negatively affect your credit score, but usually not by a lot. The exact amount of points isn't known for sure, as credit bureaus closely guard the complex mathematical formulas they use to determine your credit score. However, about 10 percent of your score is determined by "new credit," which includes credit inquiries. It's quite common to see a 3-5 point deduction from your score for each hard inquiry.

In contrast, "soft inquiries" also exist and will NOT affect your score at all. This is when you go directly to a credit bureau or a credit-related website and pull your credit report for your own educational purposes. The inquiry itself may show up on a future credit report, but it's a soft inquiry and is not factored into your score.

If you've had a hard inquiry or two made on your credit report recently, don't fret! If you use your credit responsibly, your credit score will rebound fairly quickly. Just continue to pay at least the minimum payments on ALL your credit cards and loans every month, and your score should fare well.