You Can Now Check Your Credit Report For Free Weekly
You Can Now Check Your Credit Report For Free Weekly
Phishing scams have gone way up in the past couple of weeks,” says Bruce McClary, spokesperson for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
If you inadvertently gave out any personal information to what you thought was a bank, lending company or other institution, fraudsters may be able to leverage that into opening fake credit lines in your name.
If identity theft or credit fraud is taking place, it’s very critical to act quickly before your credit score is damaged. “Being able to see that info as soon as it’s on your credit report puts you way ahead of the curve compared with only checking your report once a year,” says McClary.
If you see a mistake on your credit report, you’ll want to act right away. Contact any one of the three credit bureaus if you see something amiss so they can place a fraud alert on your accounts. A fraud alert works similar to a credit freeze in that it requires creditors to verify your identity before opening a new line of credit, sending an additional card or increasing your credit line on an existing account.
Deferred Payments for Coronavirus-Related Reasons Should Not Affect Your Credit
The CARES Act includes specific provisions to protect those experiencing coronavirus-related financial stress from seeing any negative impact to their score.
This means that if you are approved for a COVID-19-related forbearance, delayed payment or other payment arrangement with your lender or loan servicer, they cannot report you as being delinquent and your credit score will not be impacted during the time period of your modified payment schedule.
The best thing to do if you know you will fall short on a payment or bill is to contact the lender proactively. If they know it’s due to coronavirus-related hardship, most lenders and creditors offer alternative solutions without penalizing your credit standing.
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