Your Credit Questions and Answers

I have four different Free ways to be notified of a new account being opened in my name on my Social Security number.  This is the critical notification that your Identity is being stolen if you did not just open a new credit line. My Discover card, Credit Karma, Chase Bank, and Credit Sesame accounts all notify me if there has been a new account opened in my name with my Social Security number.   New Credit Account I recently opened a new Home Depot* credit card.  You know those Black Friday tool sales sucked me in again.  I do it almost every year.   Anyway right on time the next day and the day after I opened a new account I was notified by Credit Karma, Discover, Chase Bank, and Credit Sessame. Why This is Important Any time your credit is checked you need to be notified.  If you did not apply for new credit it is likely to mean someone is attempting to STEAL Your Identity.   The first step in Identity Theft is for the thief to apply...

  I am about to have my last birthday of my 7th decade.  I know, a strange way to say I am turning 69. I was 33 years old with a problem. I had no idea how credit worked. I had a couple of credit cards which I usually paid on time.  At 28 I had purchased my first house with owner financing.  The woman I bought my first house from did not check my credit as I made a significant down payment.   At 33 years old I was applying to purchase my second house and I was going to rent out my first house. We applied for a home loan from a bank, however my wife at the time had missed a payment on her credit card and I had missed a payment on my credit card. The Bank required an explanation as to why we had missed payments.  I thought it was silly as neither of our missed payments were for more than $25.  My income at the time was significantly more than needed to easily make the payments and other than a small loan on the first house we were debt free.   ...