Why Both Spouses Should Each Have An Independent Credit History

Gone are the June and Ward Cleaver days from the show Leave it to Beaver.

Our generation is changing quickly. We are getting married later in life. For women, it’s around 31 and for men, it’s about 34 years of age. First time marriages now have a 67% chance in surviving divorce. Married couples head 84% of our population. Now is the time to understand how important your credit score is for your financial health.

 

Are stay-at-home spouses at a credit disadvantage?

Stay-at-home spouses, male or female, can be at a disadvantage in today’s credit society if they have not already established individual credit prior to entering into marriage. The best advice for both spouses is to build independent credit histories . This is especially important if the marriage breaks-up or a spouse dies. Your partner's credit history is now no longer relevent for you. Also, in case of an identity theft of your spouse, your personal credit rating can support your family purchases until your spouse's credit identity has been restored--only if your credit score is a good one. Obviously if you have bad credit that'll be harmful rather than helpful.

Here’s how to create  your own personal credit rating. 

• Keep some bills in each of your own names after you marry. This will allow for independent credit histories.
• If you don’t have any credit built, apply for a credit card in your name. Make payments on time to create a responsible credit history.
• Getting a personal or car loan in  your name and your spouse's is also another great idea.
• Household bills like water, cable or hydro can also start a positive paper trail in your name.

Awareness is the first step in building a future for your family and strengthening the credit score for you and your spouse. Of course, a strong credit rating comes only from paying your bills over a protracted period of time.

For more valuable information, visit www.prudentcreditrepair.ca

Are You Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft?

Prior to the dawn of the Internet the term identity theft would conjure up images of pick pockets and dumpster diving. With the advent of the information age, Identity fraud or impersonation has steadily become a much more prevalent crime in our society. In Canada 20% of us have been victims of identity theft. Who wants a collection call regarding an overdue amount on a card you never knew you had? Educating yourself is the best deterrent.

What’s in your trash? Identity thieves obtain your information from the items you put at your curb on trash day, and even from the receipts you throw out in a public garbage can. Even an out of date Mortgage statement or a tax statement has enough information on it to get them started in duplicating your identity. The solution is simple, shred or destroy anything that has your name on it prior to throwing it out. Digital information stored on your computer or CD’s is a little harder to re-cycle. If you are selling your old computer or donating it, often wiping, deleting or reformatting will not be enough. Depending on your computer, research what software you need to wipe your hard drive clean for good.

Good Old Fashion Mail. Do you make sure you get all your statements from whom you should monthly? Make it a priority of opening and reading every bill and statement you get monthly. What if one went missing would you ever know it? Identity thieves often pray on pre approved credit cards and will often commit mail fraud to do it. Make sure you know if anything goes missing so you are one step ahead and can call your bank and change your information before they use it.

Paying Bills On Line. It’s difficult not to use the Internet for some kind of transactions, weather it’s making sure a phone bill is correct or banking in general. The key is to make sure you are using a secured page to do so. Look for a lock in the browser bar or “https” that means your data will be sent encrypted. Beware of “Free Trials”. They may be a net set up to catch your personal information to use it to further re-create your identity or to obtain your credit card info.

Why Obtain Your Own Credit Report Annually. If you don’t know what yours looks like how do you know you are not already a victim of identity theft? Usually most people find out when it’s too late and they are in need of credit. Stay ahead of the criminals and protect yourself.

Create A Secure Password. Your password should be made up of upper and lower case letters and numbers. This makes for a stronger encryption. One tip is to use numbers that look like letters. Substitute 5 for an S for example.

Social Security Number? Memorize It? Keep your S.I.N. out of your wallet! It is the one number associated with you that, in the wrong hands could lead to years of bad credit.

Remember you are your own first line of defense in protecting yourself from the unforeseen.

For more valuable information please visit www.prudentfinancial.net

How To Deal With Identity Theft

Identity theft is when a person’s personal information is stolen for the purpose of criminal use. Unfortunately it has become a growing epidemic. Most people don’t even know that they are a victim of this type of fraud until they are contacted by creditors and so we need to take precautions to ensure that we are not a victim of this crime. Here are some ways in which you can deal with identity theft:

Protect Yourself – There are ways you can protect yourself from identity theft. Always protect your personal information. Shred your confidential documents and only use secure sites when purchasing online.

Notify Credit Bureaus – If you suspect fraud you must first be sure that it is in fact fraud. If there’s a charge on your credit card statement that you do not recognize, call the credit card company and find out more about the charge. Some vendors hold their credit accounts under a different name so you may not recognize the charge. Once you eliminate the scenario that it was an error and you’re sure that it’s fraudulent activity then you should contact the credit bureau to establish fraud alerts. Your account will be flagged so that all creditors will contact you before extending any credit.

Request A Copy Of Your Credit Report – Once you receive your credit report, examine it carefully. Make sure the information is accurate and report all fraudulent activity, in writing, to the credit bureau and also to the creditor. Don’t forget to continually monitor your credit reports!

Debt Collectors – If you’re being contacted by a collector to pay the balance on a fraudulent account, get the name of the person calling, the collection company name, phone number, address, the creditor info, the amount of the debt, the date of charges and account number. Explain to them that you are a victim of fraud and that you are not responsible for the balance. You may need to complete a fraud affidavit form. Follow up the call with a letter and ask for a letter back stating that the account has been closed and that you do not in fact owe the debt.

Lost or Stolen Wallet/Purse – If you have lost your wallet or purse or had it stole, report it immediately. Call all credit card companies and get new cards with new account number sand change your password to a new one. Closely continue to monitor your bank accounts.

Identity theft is a big problem and it’s really difficult to catch people who have stolen other’s identities. If your identity has been stolen then it can take a lot of work to clean up the mess. Educating yourself will help you deal with Identity theft. For more valuable information and tips visit www.prudentcreditrepair.ca.