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The Credit Repair Handbook Everything You Need to
Know to Maintain Rebuild and Protect Your Credit John
Ventura Digital Instant Download
Author(s): John Ventura
ISBN(s): 9781435607767, 1435607767
Edition: Original
File Details: PDF, 1.19 MB
Year: 2007
Language: english
The
Credit Repair
Handbo ok
Everything You Need to Know to Maintain,
Rebuild, and Protect Your Credit
One of the nation’s leading bankruptcy attorneys and consumer advocates
JOHN VENTURA
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd i 6/1/07 5:03:45 PM

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the
subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in ren-
dering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is
required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Vice President and Publisher: Maureen McMahon

Acquisition Editor: Shannon Berning
Editorial Director: Jennifer Farthing
Development Editor: Sheryl Gordon
Production Editor: Fred Urfer
Typesetter: Maria E. Torres
Cover Designer: Scott Rattray
© 2007 by John Ventura
Published by Kaplan Publishing, a division of Kaplan, Inc.

1 Liberty Plaza, 24th floor
New York, NY 10006
All rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
August 2007
07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN-13: 978-1-4277-5502-5
Kaplan Publishing books are available at special quantity discounts to use for sales promotions,
employee premiums, or educational purposes. Please email our Special Sales Department to
order or for more information at [email protected], or write to Kaplan Publishing,
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th Floor, NY, NY 10006.
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd ii 6/1/07 5:03:47 PM

Contents
Acknowledgments iv
Introduction v
CREDIT REPORTING AND CREDIT SCORING

1. Understanding How Credit Reporting Agencies Affect Our Lives 3
2. Finding Out What Your Credit Report Says about You 25
3. Correcting Errors in Your Credit Records 43
4. What You Need to Know about Your FICO score 61
REBUILDING YOUR CREDIT AFTER SERIOUS MONEY TROUBLES

5. Credit Rebuilding Preliminaries 73
6. Going through the Credit Rebuilding Process 93
7. Getting Credit Rebuilding Help If You Need It 109
AFTER YOU FINALLY HAVE IT: PROTECTING YOUR GOOD CREDIT

8. Avoiding Financial Problems in the Future 125
9. Minimizing Damage to Your Credit When You’re Having Money Problems 161
10. The Dangers of Identity Theft 181
Resources 209
Index 215
About the Author 229
iii
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd iii 6/1/07 5:03:47 PM

Acknowledgments
Thanks to Shannon Berning and Sheryl Gordon who were great to work
with and added so much to the book. And a special thanks to my friend
and writing partner, Mary Reed. Mary, someone once said you should
be grateful to the people who make you happy, they are the gardeners
who make your soul blossom. I am grateful for everything you do.
iv
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd iv 6/26/07 4:26:43 PM

Introduction
As a nationally board certified bankruptcy attorney who has been

advising consumers about money matters for nearly 30 years, I have
seen first-hand how a bad credit history can affect your life and make
it impossible for you to pursue your financial dreams. Some consum-
ers I’ve counseled had once felt helpless and hopeless because their
credit history had made it impossible for them to buy their first home
or to purchase a new home to accommodate their growing families.
Others had been turned down for better paying jobs because of their
bad credit histories or had been denied insurance they needed to help
protect themselves and their loved ones. Many of these consumers
also found serious errors and misinformation in their credit histories.
And, in recent years, a growing number of the consumers I’ve coun-
seled had credit histories damaged by identity theft.
Regardless of income, education, or age, nearly all of these consumers

had one thing in common: they knew little or nothing about credit
reporting, credit scores, or their credit reporting rights. Each of the
following was also true:
■ They were unaware that they had three different credit

reports—one with each of the three national credit reporting
agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and that the
information in each report was a little different.
■ They didn’t know that they were entitled to obtain a free copy
of each of their credit reports, no strings attached, every 12
months by going to a special website set up by the three credit-
reporting agencies or by calling a toll-free number.
■ They had no idea how to correct inaccurate information in

their credit files or how to get outdated information deleted.
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd v 6/1/07 5:03:47 PM

vi Introduction
■ They didn’t know how to rebuild their credit histories after

money troubles. In fact, many of them had paid money to
credit fix-it firms that had promised to make the negative
information in their credit files disappear but had done noth-
ing to help them.
■ They had many misconceptions about credit scoring. For

example, they did not realize that most creditors do not use
the credit-reporting agencies’ own credit scores. Instead, they
use consumers’ FICO scores (which are discussed in detail in
chapter 4); their own proprietary credit scores; or (in the case
of some auto lenders) insurance companies, and mortgage
lenders, specialized credit scores they purchase. Also, most
consumers were unaware that they actually have three FICO
scores, and didn’t know how to raise their FICO scores.
■ They were doing little to protect their personal and financial

information from identity thieves, were unaware of their iden-
tity theft legal rights, and didn’t know what to do when they
were victims of that crime.
■ They didn’t know very much about personal finance in gen-

eral, including how to manage their money in order to main-
tain a good credit history.
For all of these reasons and more, I decided to write an easy-to-under-

stand, comprehensive guide to credit reporting, including informa-
tion on repairing or rebuilding your credit history after serious money
troubles, understanding credit scoring, and avoiding identity theft.
This book, The Credit Repair Handbook, is the result.
I’ve divided the book into three parts. The chapters in the first part,
“Credit Reporting and Credit Scoring,” are essential reading whether
your credit history is problem-free or it has been damaged by money
problems and/or identity theft. You’ll get the lowdown on how
credit reporting agencies work, including the kinds of information
they collect about you, where they get their information, who uses
it, and how they use it to make important decisions about you. You’ll
learn about the federal laws that regulate the activities of the credit
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd vi 6/1/07 5:03:47 PM

Introduction vii
reporting agencies—laws that give you certain rights when you deal
with these agencies. You’ll find out how to order your credit reports,
including when you are entitled to free copies of the reports and how
to understand what your credit reports say about you, as well as how
to correct any problems you may find. You’ll also find out about credit
scoring, including the importance of your FICO scores, the factors that
go into calculating these scores, and what you can to do to raise your
FICO scores.
The chapters in the second part of this book, “Rebuilding Your Credit
after Serious Money Troubles,” provide consumers who have dam-
aged credit histories with information on how to rebuild those histo-
ries. When you read these chapters, you will learn how to use a bud-
get to manage your money and how to build your savings—both are
essential not only to rebuilding your credit but to maintaining it. You’ll
also be encouraged to think long and hard about why your credit his-
tories got damaged in the first place, so that you can avoid repeating
any mistakes you may have made that contributed to the damage.
Finally, I’ll warn you about the dangers of credit repair scams, educate
you about the signs of a scam, and offer advice about how to find reli-
able credit rebuilding help when you need it.
The final part of the book, “After You’ve Got It: Protecting Your Good
Credit,” includes chapters with information to help you avoid finan-
cial problems in the future. This section features a basic education
about money management, credit, and the key federal laws that pro-
tect you when you apply for credit, use credit, use your debit or ATM
card, pay your bills online, or are contacted by a debt collector. It also
explains why it’s important to rethink the attitudes about money that
may have helped create the problems that damaged your credit, and
lays out the various actions you may need to take in order to turn your
finances around if they begin to take a turn for the worse, including
tightening your financial belt, contacting your creditors, consolidating
your debts, and filing for bankruptcy. You’ll also learn about identity
theft in this part of The Credit Repair Handbook, including how identity
thieves work, the signs that your identity may have been stolen, and
what you should do if you become a victim.
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd vii 6/1/07 5:03:47 PM

viii Introduction
Throughout the book you’ll find sample letters, as well as useful

forms and sample worksheets. In addition, The Credit Repair Handbook
features a resource section with books, links, and organizations you
can turn to for more information on managing your finances. Use the
resource section to find out about other books, as well as magazines,
online resources, brochures, and government publications that can
help deepen your understanding of the subjects covered in this book.
Now that you understand what you will learn by reading this book, I
suggest that you begin with the very first chapter because it introduces
you to many of the subjects that I tell you more about in subsequent
chapters. It also provides easy-to-understand definitions of many of
the words and terms you will encounter throughout this book. So, if
you’re ready to learn all about credit reporting agencies, credit histo-
ries, credit scoring, credit rebuilding, and a lot more, then it’s time to
turn the page. I wish you lots of luck rebuilding your credit, and years
of good credit once you do!
00_FrontmattertoolsX.indd viii 6/1/07 5:03:47 PM

Credit Reporting
and Credit Scoring
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 1 6/1/07 5:12:03 PM

01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 2 6/1/07 5:12:03 PM
Understanding How
Credit Reporting Agencies
Affect Our Lives
1
Credit greases the wheels of life in our society. Sure, you can live on
a cash-only basis, but having access to credit with attractive terms
makes life easier and makes it possible to purchase big-ticket items
that might be beyond your means if you had to pay for them with
cash. Among other things, having credit makes it easier to rent a car,
make plane and hotel reservations, shop online, take a family vaca-
tion at Disney World, help pay for your children’s college educations,
and buy a home. For all of these reasons, it’s essential that your credit
histories be full of positive, not negative, information. Also, having
positive information in your credit histories makes it easier to obtain
adequate insurance, land a good job or promotion, rent a place to live,
and so on.
The three national credit reporting agencies (CRAs)—Equifax,

Experian, and TransUnion—are quiet giants in your life. You may not
be aware of their potential influence, but the credit history informa-
tion they collect on you and sell to businesses, government agencies,
and individuals who are legally entitled to the information can affect
your life in profound ways. Most notably, they can make it difficult for
you to obtain credit with reasonable terms. It’s critical, therefore, that
you understand how the CRAs operate—the various kinds of infor-
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 3 6/1/07 5:12:03 PM

4 CREDIT REPORTING AND CREDIT SCORING
mation collected and stored in their computerized databases, who has

access to that information, and what they can do with it. You should
also be familiar with the federal laws that regulate the CRAs, establish
your credit reporting rights, and govern the companies that provide
the CRAs with your information. This chapter begins that education
by introducing you to the CRAs and to credit reporting in general.
WHAT ARE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES?
Credit reporting agencies, also known as credit bureaus, are in the

business of collecting and maintaining information on how well you
(and nearly every other American consumer) manage your credit
accounts. This information, which is a sort of financial report card,
is referred to as your credit history, credit file, credit report, or credit
record. The CRAs sell this information to creditors, employers, insur-
ance companies, government agencies, and others who use it to make
important decisions about you. Your credit record information is also
used to calculate your credit score, a three-digit number that predicts
how well you’re likely to manage your credit in the future. Increas-
ingly, businesses are using this number rather than the actual infor-
mation in your credit files to make decisions about you and to define
the terms of your relationship with them. Chapter 4 gives you more
insight into credit scores.
Three corporate giants dominate the consumer credit reporting indus-

try: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Smaller local and regional
CRAs are affiliated with one of the “big three.” According to the Con-
sumer Data Information Association, the national credit reporting
trade organization, the CRAs maintain 200 million consumer credit
files, collect 4.5 billion pieces of consumer data every month, and gen-
erate one-billion credit reports annually.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 4 6/1/07 5:12:03 PM

Understanding How Credit Reporting Agencies Affect Our Lives 5
THE INFORMATION IN YOUR CREDIT HISTORY
Your credit history includes four basic types of information:
1. Information about how you’ve managed your credit

accounts over time. This is the heart of your credit history.
For each account listed in this section of your credit report
you’ll find, among other things, your current account balance,
the minimum due each month, whether you’ve ever been late
paying the account, and whether it’s ever been sent to a collec-
tion agency.
2. Public record information. If you’ve filed for bankruptcy,

had a tax lien placed on any of your assets, been arrested or
indicted, or have any unpaid money judgments against you
(the amount of money that a court ordered you to pay to some-
one as a result of a lawsuit), that information will show up on
this section of your credit history, assuming the information
isn’t too old to be reported. Information later on in this chapter
fills you in on how long various types of negative information
can remain in your credit history.
3. Inquiries. This section of your credit history lists the creditors,

insurance companies, employers, and others who have looked
at your credit history information over the past two years.
4. Identifying information. Your name and any names you may

have used in the past (your maiden name, for example, or your
name with a Jr., Sr., II, or III next to it), your current and past
addresses, your Social Security number, and the names of your
current and former employers are listed in this part of your
credit history. Information about your spouse may also appear
if you share credit accounts with your spouse, or if your spouse
is an authorzed user on one of your individual accounts.This
means that the account is in your name but you’ve given him
or her permission to use it.
Chapter 2 provides more detail about the various types of information

in each section of your credit history.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 5 6/1/07 5:12:03 PM

What’s Not in Your Credit History
Your credit history does not contain any information about your reli-
gion, race or ethnicity, sexuality, politics, or medical history. (Although
a national speciality consumer reporting agency called the Medical
Information Bureau (MIB) may be reporting information about your
medical history. The last part of this chapter introduces you to the
MIB.) You won’t find anything in your credit history regarding your
checking or savings accounts, your retirement account, or your bro-
kerage account. In addition, don’t be surprised if some of your credit
accounts are missing from your credit history. The next section of this
chapter tells you which ones may not be there.
WHERE THE CRAs GET THEIR INFORMATION
The information in your credit history comes from several different

sources. Most of it comes from the creditors who provide the CRAs with
regular monthly reports on the status of your accounts. These creditors
include banks, savings and loans, credit unions that issue national bank
cards (such as Visa and MasterCard) as well as mortgage companies,
companies that issue nonbank credit cards (such as American Express
and Discover) large national retailers that issue their own store charge
cards, and some oil and gas companies, among others.
Some creditors, however, only provide the CRAs with information

about your accounts when the accounts are past due or when the
creditors have taken an adverse action against you, like turning your
account over to collections or writing off one of your accounts as uncol-
lectible. These kinds of creditors tend to be medical providers, includ-
ing doctors and hospitals, utility companies, local retailers, insurance
companies, and professionals, such as attorneys and accountants.
If any public record information, such as a bankrupcty, tax lien, or

arrest, is in your credit history, it may have come from companies that
are in the business of selling information to the CRAs that they find
from scouring the records of local, state, and federal courts and gov-
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 6 6/1/07 5:12:03 PM

ernment land offices. Also, the CRAs may obtain public record infor-
mation themselves.
You are also a source of the information in your credit files. For exam-
ple, when you complete an application for credit and list your name,
address, and employment history, that information is apt to end up in
the database of at last one of the CRAs.
WHO CAN LOOK AT YOUR CREDIT HISTORY AND WHY
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the law that governs the
credit reporting industry and establishes your credit reporting rights.
Two amendments have been added to that law: the Consumer Credit
Reporting Reform Act (CCRRA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transac-
tions Act (FACTA). These acts specify who can look at your credit history
information and what they can do with that information. A full copy of
the FCRA can be found at www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf. The fol-
lowing is a summary of who can see your information and why:
■ Creditors look at your credit history to help them decide if

they will approve your application for new or additional
credit. Creditors may also review your credit history to help
them decide if they should change the terms of the credit
they’ve already given to you. For example, if the bank that
issued you a MasterCard or Visa sees from your credit history
that you’ve frequently been late paying your accounts, it’s apt
to raise your interest rate, decrease your credit limit, or even
cancel the account.
■ Insurance companies look at your credit history to help

them decide if they will sell
you insurance, how much
insurance to sell to you, and Hot Tip
how much to charge for the Studies show that individuals with good
policy. If you already have credit histories tend to file fewer insur-
insurance, the insurance ance claims. Go figure!
company may review your
credit record information
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 7 6/1/07 5:12:03 PM

when it’s deciding whether to increase the cost of your policy or ter-
minate the coverage.
■ Employers look at your credit history to help them decide if they will
hire you, promote you, move you into a different job, or fire you. How-
ever, before your current employer or a potential future employer can
look at your credit history, it must get your written permission. Also, if
an employer decides to take an adverse action against you due in whole
or in part because of information in your credit history, the employer is
legally obligated to provide you with the name of the CRA it contacted
to review your credit history and contact information for that CRA
together with a written description of your credit record legal rights.
Examples of adverse actions include firing you, not hiring you for the
job you may have applied for, and demoting you.
Employers review consumers’ credit histories for a number of reasons. They

may assume that if a consumer is bad at managing money, he may also be bad
at managing other aspects of his life, including work life. Also, some employ-
ers worry that someone with serious financial problems may be more tempted
to steal on the job, especially if he is responsible for a lot of money. Finally,
employers know that money troubles can affect an employee’s ability to focus
on job responsibilities. For example, money troubles often disrupt marriages,
lead people to drink too much or do illegal drugs, cause depression, and make
employees more prone to illness.
In addition to or instead of reviewing your credit history, some employers may

order an investigative report on you. This kind of report provides a lot of infor-
mation about your personal life, including subjective information obtained
from interviews with people who know you. Investigative reports and your
legal rights when an employer wants to order an investigative report on you are
discussed later in this chapter.
■ Landlords and rental agents look at credit histories to help them screen
rental applicants. Most landlords don’t want to rent to people with a his-
tory of late payments or whom a previous landlord has evicted. In addi-
tion to the information they obtain from your credit report, some land-
lords also use residential and tenant reports generated by other national
agencies. These other kinds of reports are discussed later in this chapter.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 8 6/1/07 5:12:04 PM

■ Collection agencies look at your credit history to help them

collect a past-due debt that you may owe. For example, a
collection agency may look at your credit history to find out
where you live.
■ Individuals and businesses with a money judgment against

you as a result of a lawsuit might look at your credit history to
obtain information that may help them collect on the judgment
or decide if they should try to collect.
■ Potential investors, loan servicers, and current insurers may

look at your credit history to help them assess whether you
are likely to live up to a credit obligation you already have
with them.
■ State and local child support enforcement agencies may look

at your credit history to get information about your employ-
ment history in order to garnish your wages or to find out
where you live.
■ Other government agencies may look at your credit history to

help determine your eligibility for a license or for government
benefits when they are legally required to take into account
your financial status. Also, government agencies—the FBI, for
example—that are authorized to conduct investigations related
to counterterrorism can look at your credit history, if they pro-
vide the CRA with the legally required written certification, or
if a court orders the release of that information.
■ Utilities may look at your credit history to help them decide how
large a deposit you may have to pay to obtain new service.
Others who can look at your credit history include the following:
■ Any business or individual that obtains an order from the

court granting permission to look at the information. The court
order may relate to a lawsuit you initiated or that was filed
against you.
■ Anyone that obtains a subpoena as a result of a federal grand

jury hearing entitling it to review the information.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 9 6/1/07 5:12:04 PM

■ Anyone who has your written permission to look at your

credit history.
■ Anyone with a “legitimate business need” to review your

credit information in connection with a business transaction
that you initiated, or to determine whether you continue to
meet the terms of an existing account. Some businesses give a
broad interpretation to the term legitimate business need in order
to gain access to your credit record information.
THE IMPACT OF NEGATIVE INFORMATION IN

YOUR CREDIT HISTORY
Your credit history will be

harmed if it contains nega- Hot Tip
tive information, including
Creditors establish their own individial
too many open accounts, high
standards for how much is too much
account balances, late payments,
negative information in a consumer’s
defaults, accounts in collection,
credit history. Therefore, some creditors
a bankruptcy, a tax lien because
have very high standards and will deny
you didn’t pay your taxes, and
you credit even if you have relatively
so on. Also, the more negative
little negative information in your credit
information there is, the more
history; others will give you credit even
your finances will be dam-
if your credit history contains a lot of
aged. As a result of the negative
negative information, but the credit will
information, you may experi-
come with unattractive terms.
ence the following:
■ Being denied the credit

you apply for or being approved for credit with less attrac-
tive terms, such as a higher than normal interest rate, a lot of
expensive fees, and lower credit limits
■ Being turned down for a job
■ Being denied the life or auto insurance you apply for, being
sold less insurance than you applied for, or being charged a
higher than normal premium for the insurance
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 10 6/1/07 5:12:04 PM

■ Having a difficult time finding a landlord who is willing to

rent to you
■ Being turned down for a government license or security

clearance
How Long Negative Information Can Stick Around
The good news about having negative information in your credit his-
tory is that it can’t stay there forever. The FCRA allows most nega-
tive information to be reported for seven years, although some nega-
tive information can be reported longer than that. That long-standing
information includes the following:
■ Bankruptcies. All bankruptcies are reported for 10 years. How-

ever, the CRAs have a policy of reporting completed Chapter
13 reorganization bankruptcies for seven years.
■ Tax liens. A tax lien can be reported until you pay it off and
then for seven additional years.
■ Civil lawsuits, judgments (the court’s official decision in

a lawsuit), and arrests. These will linger in your credit his-
tory for seven years after the date that they are recorded with
the court.
There are no time limits on the reporting of negative credit record

information when you apply for a job that will pay you an annual sal-
ary of at least $75,000, for more than $150,000 worth of credit, or for
life insurance with a face value of at least $150,000.
YOUR RIGHTS, ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL

CREDIT REPORTING LAWS
Together, the FCRA, the CCRA, and the FACTA establish your rights
when it comes to your credit record information and your dealings
with the CRAs, as well as with providers and users of that informa-
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 11 6/1/07 5:12:04 PM

Red Alert!
If you’re arrested for a crime, the FCRA allows convictions, even though they are entitled to.
that fact to remain in your credit history for That information is more likely to show up in
seven years, although some states have laws a background check that may be run on you
prohibiting an arrest from being reported (by an employer, for example). To be sure,
unless it results in a conviction or unless you however, you’ll have to order each of your
are out of jail and awaiting trial. If you’re credit histories.
found guilty of the crime for which you are Generally speaking, the older the negative
arrested, there’s no limit on how long that information, the less damage it does to your
fact can be reported. However, the CRAs tend credit history and the less impact it will have
not to report information about arrests and on your life.
tion. They also govern the activities and obligations of the CRAs,
information providers, and information users.
The three federal laws give you the right to the following:
■ Be notified by creditors,
employers, insurance com-
Hot Tip
panies, landlords, govern-
ment agencies, and others The FACTA also gives you certain rights
whenever they take an when your identity is stolen. Those rights
adverse action against you are discussed in chapter 10.
due in whole or in part
to negative information
in your credit history. Some examples: if you’re denied credit,
employment, insurance, or a place to live; the interest rate on
the credit you already have is increased; you’re demoted; your
insurance premium is raised; and so on. You’re also entitled to
the name, address, and phone number of the CRA that provided
the negative information, and to be informed of your right to
request a free copy of your credit report from that CRA. How-
ever, to qualify for the free report, you must put your request in
writing within 60 days of being notified of the adverse action.
■ Obtain one free copy of your Equifax, Experian, and Tran-

sUnion credit reports every 12 months.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 12 6/1/07 5:12:04 PM

■ Obtain additional free copies of your credit history from each of

the CRAs if you are unemployed and will be applying for a job
within the next 60 days, if you are receiving welfare payments,
if a debt collection agency tells you that it has reported (or may
report) negative information about you to a credit bureau, or if
you are the victim of identity theft.
■ Purchase your credit history from any of the CRAs if you are
not entitled to a free copy.
■ Be notified in writing before an employer reviews your credit

record information. Also, the employer must get your up-front
written permission to look at that information.
■ Have a CRA investigate information in your credit report that

you believe is incorrect, incomplete (for example, your credit
record does not indicate that you paid off a tax lien), or too old
to be reported. You are also entitled to have the provider of the
information conduct an investigation instead of the CRA. If an
investigation confirms that the information you dispute is inac-
curate, incomplete, or too old to be reported, you’re entitled
to have your credit history revised accordingly; e.g., the infor-
mation may be deleted, changed, or new information may be
added to make the original information more complete. If the
accuracy of the information you question cannot be verified
within 30 days of your investigation request, the information
must be deleted from your credit history or changed.
■ Ask a CRA that revises your credit history as a result of an

investigation to notify any employers who may have looked
at your credit history over the past two years of the change
and to notify anyone else who looked at it over the past six
months. However, you must provide the CRA with the names
and addresses of those you want notified, and you may also
have to pay the CRA a fee for each notification.
■ Have a short statement that you prepare added to your credit

history when information that you disputed is not corrected,
deleted, or changed in some other way as a result of an inves-
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 13 6/1/07 5:12:05 PM

tigation. You can use the statement to explain why you believe
that the information is inaccurate.
■ Receive written, up-front notifi-

Hot Tip cation whenever an employer or
an insurance company orders an
Your state may have its own credit
investigative report on you, and to
reporting law, which gives you rights
learn the nature and the scope of
and protections that go beyond what
the report if you ask for that infor-
the federal laws provide. Contact
mation. An investigative report
your state attorney general’s office
includes subjective information
to find out if your state has such a
about you gathered from people
law. If it does, learn the details of
who know you, like your friends
the law. You can locate the phone
or neighbors. Although creditors
number for that office in the Blue
are entitled to order investigative
Pages of your local phone directory
reports, they rarely do.
or by going to the website of the
National Association of Attorneys Be provided the name, address,
■
General at www.naag.org. and phone number of anyone who
has looked at your credit history
for employment purposes over
the past two years, and anyone who has looked at it over the
past year for any other reason.
■ Purchase your credit score from a CRA for a “fair and reason-
able fee,” although federal law does not define what that term
means.
■ File a lawsuit in federal court against a CRA, an informa-

tion provider, or a user of your credit record information that
violates your credit reporting rights. If you win the lawsuit,
the court will award you a monetary judgment and you can
also collect attorney fees and court costs from the defendant.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to sue in
state court rather than in federal court.
■ Limit prescreened or pre-approved offers of credit and insur-

ance. These are the unsolicited offers that you probably find in
your mailbox nearly every day. Creditors and insurance com-
panies pay the CRAs to develop lists of consumers to receive
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 14 6/1/07 5:12:05 PM

these offers based on the information in the consumers’ credit

files. They are required to include a toll-free number in their
offers that you can use to opt out of receiving additional offers
in the future.
Red Alert!
Trying to exercise your rights with the CRAs and toll-free numbers that always bring you
can be frustrating sometimes. Resolving even right back where you started—with an unre-
the simplest issue can become complicated solved question or problem.
and can trap you in a maze of letters, emails
What to Do If You Think Your Rights Have Been Violated
You can take a number of different actions if you believe that a CRA,
a provider of information to a CRA, or a user of that information
has violated your federal credit record rights. Those actions include
sending a complaint letter to whomever you believe committed the
violation, filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC), and filing a lawsuit. A consumer law attorney who has specific
experience resolving violations of the federal credit reporting laws
can help you determine your best course of action. For a referral to
a consumer law attorney in your area who can help you, contact the
National Association of Consumer Advocates at (202) 452-1989 or
at www.naca.net or the National Consumer Law Center at (617) 542-
8010 or at www.consumerlaw.org.
Reporting a Violation to the FTC
When you believe that your credit reporting rights have been violated,
contact the FTC. Although it won’t take action on your behalf alone,
it is important to let the FTC know what has happened to you. If it
receives enough complaints about a specific CRA, information pro-
vider, information user, or business practice, it may take legal action
to protect consumers in general.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 15 6/1/07 5:12:05 PM

You can contact the FTC in writing at: Federal Trade Commission,
Consumer Response Center, 240, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20508. You can also call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357, or
file your complaint online at www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm.
Red Alert!
Never try to handle your own lawsuit when will be slim to none because such lawsuits
your federal credit record rights have been tend to be complicated, and because the
violated. Your chances of winning your lawsuit defendant will be represented by an attorney.
FILING A LAWSUIT
If your case is strong, the attorney will probably represent you on a

contingent fee basis, which means that you won’t have to pay the attor-
ney any money up front. Instead, if the attorney wins the lawsuit,
she will take the fee out of the money that the court awards you. If
the attorney loses, she won’t be compensated for the time and effort.
Win or lose, however, you’ll probably be expected to reimburse her
for any expenses incurred handling your case. Be sure that all of the
terms of your agreement with a consumer law attorney are spelled
out in writing.
Your lawsuit may allege that the defendant was either of the
following:
■ Willfully noncompliant. This means that you believe the

defendant knowingly violated the law. When you bring this
type of lawsuit you can sue for actual damages, which is the
money you spent as a result of the defendant’s illegal actions,
such as attorney fees and court costs, and any wages you may
have lost because you had to take time off from work without
pay to deal with your legal problem. You can also sue for emo-
tional pain and suffering if the defendant’s behavior had an
extremely negative impact on your life (you had to be treated
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 16 6/1/07 5:12:05 PM

for depression, for example), as well as for punitive damages.

Courts award punitive damages in order to help discourage
defendants from repeating their illegal behavior.
■ Negligently noncompliant. This means that you were harmed

by the CRA, information provider, or information user, and
you don’t allege that the harm was intentional. When you
bring this kind of lawsuit, you can only sue for actual damages
plus attorney fees and court costs.
You can also sue anyone who obtains a copy of your credit report under
false pretenses or who knowingly obtains a copy without a legally
permissible purpose. For example, a creditor may claim that it will
use your credit record information to determine whether to give you
new credit, but in fact, it uses the information for some other purpose.
Another example: someone who’s not entitled to access your credit
history (an identity thief perhaps) uses your information. Under such
circumstances, you can sue for actual damages or for $1,000 (which-
ever is less), your attorney fees, and punitive damages. It’s also pos-
sible that the defendant will be prosecuted criminally. If convicted, the
defendant could be required to spend up to two years in prison and
pay a fine.
OTHER NATIONAL CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES

THAT ARE GOVERNED BY THE FCRA
The CRAs are just one of many different types of national consumer
reporting agencies. These other agencies also collect information on
you, such as information about your medical records, your residential
or tenant history, your check-writing history, your history filing insur-
ance claims, or your personal background. They sell your information
to employers, insurance companies, and landlords.
These other types of agencies are also governed by the FCRA and are
required to comply with all of the same provisions that apply to the
CRAs. For example, they must correct an error in your file if an inves-
tigation that you initiate confirms the error, and they are obligated to
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 17 6/1/07 5:12:05 PM

provide you with a free copy of your file every 12 months, assuming
you request it. However, because there’s no central, comprehensive
list of all of these other national consumer reporting agencies, it’s not
easy to know who these agencies are and how to contact them. As a
result, you may not find out that one of those agencies has informa-
tion about you until you’re denied employment, insurance, a place to
rent, or something else because of the information. Also, ordering a
free annual copy of the information can be a challenge because fed-
eral law doesn’t require these other agencies to maintain a centralized
website or a single, central 1 800 number for ordering copies of your
reports from them. However, federal law does require each of them to
establish a toll-free report ordering number.
The following provides general information about the larger national

consumer reporting agencies and tells you how to order a free annual
copy of the information they may be reporting about you:
The Medical Information Bureau (MIB). The MIB collects and

maintains medical-related information on consumers with significant
medical conditions like epilepsy, asthma, diabetes, and so on, who
have applied for individual life, health, long-term care, or disability
insurance. The MIB’s information is available to insurance compa-
nies that may be thinking about selling insurance to these consum-
ers, but the consumers must give their up-front written permission
first. Most consumers do not have an MIB file. In fact, according to
the MIB, only about 20 percent of all consumers have one. To find
out if you’re one of those consumers—and if you are, what’s in your
file—go to www.mib.com/html/request_your_record.html. You can also
call 1-866-692-6901.
Check-reporting companies or registries. These kinds of agencies

report information on your check writing, including how often your
checking account is overdrawn, how often you write bad checks, and
whether a bank, savings and loan, or credit union has ever closed
your checking account. If one of these companies has a lot of nega-
tive information on you, you may have a hard time finding a financial
institution willing to give you a checking account.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 18 6/1/07 5:12:05 PM

The businesses on the following list represent the major check-report-

ing companies. The list provides information for contacting each to
find out if they have information on you and to obtain a free copy of
that information:
■ Certegy. Go to www.certegy.com/ContactUs and click on
“Consumer Assistance” at the top of the page, or call
1-866-543-6315.
■ CheckRite. Call 1-800-766-2748.
■ ChexSystems. Go to www.consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/
en/index or call 1-800-428-9623.
■ Shared Check Authorization Network (SCAN). Go to Chex-

Systems’ website or call 1-800-262-7771.
■ TeleCheck. Call 1-800-835-3243.
Businesses that collect and sell information to insurance com-

panies about the automobile and/or homeowners’ insurance
claims you may have filed in the past. Insurance companies use
this information to help them assess the likelihood that you will
file insurance claims in the future. The information can affect your
ability to obtain adequate insurance, as well as the cost of your
insurance.
The two largest national insurance speciality reporting agencies are

Choice Point and ISO Insurance Services. Choice Point produces auto
claim and insurance claim CLUE Reports. To order your free annual
CLUE Reports, go to www.choicetrust.com or call 1-866-312-8076. To
obtain your free annual A-Plus Report from ISO, go to www.iso.com/
products/, or call 1-800-627-3487.
Companies that report on your rental history. When you apply for a
place to rent, the landlord or rental agent may order your history from
one of these companies to find out if you paid your rent on time in the
past, left your previous apartments in good condition when you moved
out, and so on. If too many blemishes appear in your rental history,
your application may be turned down.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 19 6/1/07 5:12:06 PM

Most companies that provide rental history information do not clas-

sify themselves as national consumer reporting agencies. Therefore,
because the federal credit reporting laws do not apply to them,
they’re not obligated to provide you with a free annual copy of the
information they are reporting about you. However, three rental
history reporting firms do operate as national companies. Their
names and the information you need to order your free annual
reports follow:
■ ChoicePoint. Go to www.choicepoint.com or call 1-877-448-5732.
■ SafeRent. Call 1-888-333-2413.
■ Tenant Data Services. Call 1-800-228-1837.
Background screening companies. These companies provide con-

sumer background check reports to employers. An employer may order
such a report about you when you apply for a job. Also, your currrent
employer may order one when you apply for a promotion. Insurance
companies sometimes order background check reports as well. Back-
ground check reports can include a wide range of information, including
your credit record information, information about your education, your
work history, state licenses, driving record, medical history, whether you
ever filed a workers compensation claim, whether you have a criminal
record or have been incarcerated, the results of any drug testing you may
have submitted to, and basic information about your military history,
such as your rank, duty assignments, salary, recognitions, and your cur-
rent status in the military.
Red Alert!
The FCRA applies to most background check its own background check rather than hiring
reports. However, the law doesn’t apply when an outside company to do it. Now that so
a background check is run on you because much information is available on the Internet
you’re being considered for a job with an through free and for-a-fee databases, many
annual salary of at least $75,000. Also, the employers do their own employee back-
law doesn’t apply when an employer conducts ground checks.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 20 6/1/07 5:12:06 PM

Given the sensitive nature of the information in background check

reports, an employer cannot order one on you without first obtaining
your written permission. (The same restriction applies to insurance
companies.) The employer must provide you with a special form to sign
that is separate from any job application you are asked to fill out and
from any other job-related paperwork you may be given. Also, if the
employer wants the report to include your medical records, your high
school and/or college transcripts, financial aid records, and/or informa-
tion about any disciplinary actions your school may have taken against
you, the employer must ask you to sign additional consent forms. The
FCRA does not obligate the employer to tell you ahead of time which
company will run your background check.
If an employer decides not to hire you because of information in your

background check report (or if it decides to take some other adverse
employment-related action against you), it must provide you with
notice of its decision prior to making it official, together with a copy
of the report it reviewed, and information about your rights under the
FCRA. Once the employer takes the adverse action, it must notify you
of that fact and provide you with the name of the background screen-
ing company, as well as its address and phone number, and inform
you of your right to dispute any information in your background
screening report that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
Investigative reports. These are background check reports that also

include subjective information about your character and reputa-
tion, lifestyle, and personal habits—information obtained through
interviews with your friends, neighbors, and family members. If an
employer wants to order an inves-
tigative report on you, it must get
your up-front permission using a Hot Tip
special form that’s different from If there is negative information in your
the one it must use when it orders background report, some employers will
a regular background check. In let you explain the information and will
addition, you are entitled to ask give you a certain number of days to try
the employer to explain the nature to clear up the infomation if you believe
and scope of the investigation it is inaccurate or incomplete.
before giving your permission. All
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 21 6/1/07 5:12:06 PM

Red Alert!
When an employer orders a background are asked to prepare a background report.
check report about you from a background In fact, at the time that this book was writ-
screening company, the FCRA entitles you to ten, only ChoicePoint collects and maintains
a free annual copy of the report. However, consumer background check information.
most of those companies don’t collect and To find out if ChoicePoint has a file on you,
maintain information about consumers like and to order a free annual copy of your file if
the CRAs do. Instead, they collect informa- it does, go to www.choicepoint.com or call
tion on an as-needed basis—whenever they 1-866-312-8075.
of the same FCRA requirements that apply to regular background

check reports also apply to investigative reports, and you also have
the same rights under the FCRA vis à vis an investigative report as
you have in regards to a regular background check.
The next chapter will deepen your understanding of the national

credit reporting agencies and credit reporting in general by explaining
how to order copies of your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit
reports, and how to understand what your reports say about you.
You’ll learn how to order your reports through the mail, by phone,
and online, as well as how to find out when you are entitled to free
copies of your credit reports, and about the various kinds of informa-
tion in each report.
Red Alert!
Besides all of the national consumer reporting having to comply with the law by operat-
agencies that may be collecting and reporting in such a way that they don’t qualify as a
ing information about you, other specialty national consumer reporting agency. How-
agencies that are not national may be doing ever, some states have passed laws to regulate
the same thing. However, because they aren’t them. Contact your state attorney general’s
national, they’re not covered by the FCRA. office to find out if your state is one of them.
Also, some agencies that are national avoid
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 22 6/1/07 5:12:06 PM

Terms to Remember
This chapter used a number of words and terms that may be new to you. You will encounter
many of them as you read other chapters in this book. This short glossary defines each of those
words and terms.
Adverse action—A harmful action that a business or government agency takes against you
as a result of negative information in your credit histories. The action may include: turning
you down for credit, denying you the job or promotion you applied for, demoting you, reject-
ing your application for insurance, refusing to rent to you, increasing the cost of the credit you
already have, charging you more for your existing insurance premium, and so on.
Background check report—A report that contains much more detailed information than a
consumer credit report. In addition to including your credit record information, a background
check report may also provide details about your educational and work histories, your driving
record, your medical history, any workman’s compensation claims you may have filed, and your
criminal record (if you have one), among other things. The FCRA requires anyone who orders a
background check report to comply with special rules.
Contingent fee basis—The way that some attorneys charge for their services. When a con-
sumer law attorney charges on a contingent fee basis, he or she does not charge you an up-front
fee for representing you. Instead, if you win, the losing side—the defendant—pays your attorney
for the number of hours he or she spent on your case as part of the judgment. If you lose your
case however, your attorney does not get paid for his or her time.
Credit history (also referred to as a credit file, credit record or credit report)—Detailed
information about how a consumer has managed his or her credit acccounts over time. A credit
history also includes identifying information about a consumer such as the consumer’s Social
Security number and current address, negative public information about the consumer, like
information about a tax lien, an arrest or an incarceration, as well as the names of the busi-
nesses who reviewed the consumer’s credit record information.
Credit score—A three-digit number based on the information in a consumer’s credit history
signifying how well or how poorly the consumer has managed his or her credit accounts.
Default—When a consumer doesn’t live up to the terms of his or her agreement with a credi-
tor in regards to a credit card account, a loan, or a line of credit.
Equifax—One of the three national credit reporting agencies that collect, maintain and sell
information about consumers’ credit accounts.
Experian—One of the three national credit reporting agencies that collect, maintain and sell
information about consumers’ credit accounts.
Terms to Remember continues on next page
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 23 6/1/07 5:12:06 PM

Terms to Remember continued from previous page
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)—The federal law that governs the credit reporting industry
and that gives consumers specific protections and rights in regard to their credit histories, the
national credit reporting agencies, and other types of national specialty consumer reporting
agencies. Since the FCRA was passed, Congress has amended the law two times, with passage
of the Consumer Credit Reporting Reform Act (CCRRA), and the Fair and Accurate Credit Trans-
actions Act (FACTA).
Federal Trade Commission—The federal office charged with enforcing the FCRA and other
consumer protection laws.
Investigative report—A type of consumer report that includes subjective information about
a consumer that has been acquired from the consumer’s friends, neighbors, relatives, and others
who know the consumer. Consumer credit reports do not include subjective information.
Legal judgment—The official decision of the court in a lawsuit. For example, the court may
order the defendant to pay the consumer a certain amount of money. This is called a money
judgment.
National consumer speciality reporting agencies—An umbrella term that applies to all types
of national businesses that collect and sell consumer information to employers, insurance com-
panies, and landlords and that are governed by the FCRA. In addition to consumer credit record
information, these agencies may collect and sell information about consumers’ medical records,
rental histories, insurance claims or personal background, among other kinds of information.
National credit reporting agency (also called a credit bureau)—A type of national consumer
specialty reporting agency that collects information about how consumers manage their credit
accounts over time, maintains that information in computerized databases, and sells that infor-
mation to whomever is entitled to see it according to the FCRA. The national credit reporting
agencies are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Prescreened or pre-approved offers—Unsolicited offers of credit or insurance. The FCRA
allows consumers to opt out of receiving such offers.
Tax lien—A legal claim on a consumer’s real or personal property by a taxing authority, like
the IRS, as a result of the consumer’s failure to pay her taxes. The consumer cannot sell, borrow
against, or transfer the property with the lien attached to it without paying the taxing authority
first. The lien also gives the taxing authority the right to take the property from the consumer in
payment for her tax debt.
TransUnion—One of the three national credit reporting agencies that collect, maintain and
sell information about consumers’ credit accounts.
01_Chap01[1-24]x.indd 24 6/1/07 5:12:07 PM

Finding Out What Your Credit
Report Says About You
2
Now that you’ve read chapter 1 and understand the importance of

the information in your credit history, it’s time to order a copy of your
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit histories so you can find
out what they say about you. This chapter tells you how to do that,
including how to order the reports for free once a year, and how to
order them for a fee if you need to.
This chapter also reviews the basic types of information you’ll find in
your credit reports and explains why the details of that information
will probably differ a little from report to report. Last but not least is a
discussion of some of the other credit report–related products that the
credit reporting agencies (CRAs) market to consumers, and whether
it’s worth paying for any of those other products.
REVIEW ALL THREE OF YOUR CREDIT HISTORIES,

NOT JUST ONE
When you are ready to find out what’s in your credit history, don’t
order the information from just one of the CRAs; order it from all
three. Here’s why:
25
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 25 6/1/07 5:14:05 PM

■ The CRAs don’t get their information from exactly the same
sources. For example, one creditor may report information
about your account to Experian; another may report your
account information to Equifax and TransUnion; and a third
may report to all three CRAs.
■ There may be a serious problem in one of your credit histories

that doesn’t appear in your other two. The problem may be
misinformation, outdated information, or incomplete infor-
mation. Furthermore, when you apply for credit, employment,
insurance and so on, you probably won’t know which of your
credit histories will be reviewed during the application evalu-
ation process. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that all of
your credit files are problem free.
It’s a good idea to review each of your credit histories every six months
because new information is constantly being added. You should also
review them a couple months before you apply for important credit,
employment, insurance, and so on, so that you’ll have time to address
any problems before you file your application. Chapter 3 explains
how to resolve credit record problems.
OBTAINING YOUR CREDIT HISTORIES FOR FREE
Although the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) says that the CRAs
can charge you a reasonable fee for each copy of your credit his-
tory that you order, you’re entitled to free copies of your credit
reports under certain circumstances. For example, the Fair and
Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) gives you the right to
obtain a free annual copy of each of your credit reports. It also
gives you the right to obtain free copies of your credit reports
when you know or believe that you’re the victim of identity theft.
The next two sections of this chapter tell you how to order your free
annual credit reports, and about the specific special circumstances
that entitle you to additional free copies. Chapter 10 discusses obtain-
ing free copies when your identity has been stolen.
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 26 6/1/07 5:14:05 PM

Finding Out What Your Credit Report Says About You 27
How to Order Your Free Annual Credit Reports
Every 12 months, you can order one free copy of your Equifax,
Experian, and TransUnion credit reports. You can order them all at the
same time or you can order them individually throughout a 12-month
period. Your free reports should arrive about 15 days after you place
your order.
There are three ways to order your free annual reports:
1. Order them online at www.annualcreditreport.com. This is the

report-ordering website that the three CRAs were required to
establish under federal law.
2. Order by phone at 1-877-322-8228.
3. Order by mail. You can write a letter requesting one or more of

your free annual credit reports or you can download a request
form at www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf. Fill
it out completely and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request
Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
Red Alert!
AnnualCreditReport.com is the only website receive a “free” service, such as credit
that offers you all three of your credit reports monitoring for a limited time, for example.
for free, no strings attached. Other sites, like Once that time is up, your credit card is
FreeCreditReport.com, may claim to offer free automatically billed each month for the cost
credit reports, but all of their offers come with of the service, unless you remember to cancel
a catch—you’re automatically signed up to the service.
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 27 6/1/07 5:14:05 PM

If you write a letter, your request won’t be processed unless the letter
contains very specific information. To make sure that you include all of
the required information, model your letter after the sample in Figure
2.1. Also be sure to indicate in your letter whether you are ordering
all three of your free annual credit reports, or just one or two. If you
are ordering one or two, be clear about which one(s) you want. Send
your letter or your request form via certified mail with a return receipt
requested so that you will know when your request is received.
Red Alert!
Some identity thieves set up websites gov, visit its identity theft Web site at www.
offering free credit reports, but the sites are consumer.gov/idtheft, and follow the advice
nothing more than a means of obtaining your in chapter 10. Also, if you receive a suspi-
personal and financial information. Watch cious email about your credit reports or come
out, because some of these sites have URLs across a credit report–related website that you
that at first glance appear to be the official don’t think is legit, contact the Los Angeles
free annual credit report website established Electronic Crimes Task Force run by the Secret
by the CRAs. If you get scammed by a phony Service at [email protected] and
site, file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftc. [email protected].
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 28 6/1/07 5:14:05 PM

When you order one or more of your free annual credit reports
via a letter, be sure that it contains all of the information in this
sample letter. Your order can’t be processed without it:
FIGURE 2.1 Sample Letter for Ordering One or More of Your Free Annual
Credit Reports
[Date]
Annual Credit Report Request Service
PO Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to request a copy of my free annual credit report from ___
_________ [indicate which CRA credit report(s) you are ordering]. The
following information is provided to help you process this request:
* [Your full name, including Sr., Jr., III, etc.]
* [Your Social Security number. To help protect you from identity theft,
you can request that when the CRA processes your order, it not
print the last five numbers of your Social Security number on your
credit report.]
* [Your date of birth]
* [Your spouse’s full name, if you are married]
* [Your spouse’s Social Security number]
* [Your current address, and your previous address(es) if you’ve not lived
at your present address for at least two years. Include your apartment
number or private mailbox number if appropriate.]
* [Your evening and daytime phone numbers, including area codes]
Please mail my credit report(s) to: [Provide your name and mailing
address].
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this request.
Sincerely,
[Your signature]
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 29 6/1/07 5:14:05 PM

OTHER TIMES THAT YOU’RE ENTITLED TO FREE

COPIES OF YOUR CREDIT REPORTS
The FCRA also entitles you to free copies of your credit histories,
in addition to your free annual copies, when either of the following
happens:
■ A creditor, employer, or insurance

company takes an adverse action
Hot Tip against you (such as lowering
When you order your credit report your credit limit, canceling your
online, you can revisit the report for 30 account, or increasing the cost of
days regardless of whether you order a your policy), in whole or in part
free report or pay for it. After 30 days, because of negative information
you will have to pay to review your in one of your credit histories.
credit report again. When you place The company taking the adverse
your online order, you will be asked to action must provide you with the
establish an ID and password. Save the name and contact information of
ID and password because you won’t the specific CRA that reported the
be able to return to your online credit negative information so you can
report during the 30-day period (or file a contact it to request a free copy of
dispute online) without them. your credit report. However, you
If you don’t, retrieving your ID and must make your request within
establishing a new password can be a 60 days of receiving the compa-
time consuming and frustrating hassle. ny’s notice or you’ll have to pay
for the report.
■ You add a fraud alert to your credit files because you think or
know for sure that you are the victim of identity theft. Chapter
10 focuses on identity theft.
You are also entitled to a free report from each of the CRAs within any
12-month period (in addition to your free annual credit reports) if any
of the following applies:
■ You are out of work, but intend to apply for a job within the
next 60 days. When you make your request, provide written
certification of your current job situation and your intention
to apply for a new job within the required time frame. Attach-
ing a copy of your last unemployment check to your certifica-
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 30 6/1/07 5:14:06 PM

tion—or some other document that helps prove your unem-

ployment—will help expedite your request.
■ You’re receiving public welfare assistance. You must certify in

writing that you are receiving public assistance. Attaching a
copy of your most recent public assistance check to the certi-
fication helps ensure that your request will be processed in a
timely manner.
■ A collection agency lets you know that it has reported or is

about to report negative information about one of your credit
accounts to a CRA. You are only entitled to a free credit report
from that particular CRA.
If any of these circumstances apply to you, you must contact the CRAs
individually to order copies of your credit histories. Contact informa-
tion for each of the CRAs appears later in this chapter.
In addition to what federal law says about getting free copies of your
credit reports, your state may have a law that also entitles you to one
or more free credit reports for any reason every 12 months. These free
credit reports are in addition to the federally mandated free annual
credit reports.
At the time this book was written, Colorado, Georgia (which enti-
tles residents to two free copies of credit reports every year), Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont all had such laws.
If your state isn’t on this list, check with your attorney general’s
office to find out if your state has passed such a law since this book
was written.
PAYING FOR YOUR CREDIT REPORTS
If you have already obtained your free annual credit reports in a given
12-month period and you don’t qualify for additional free reports for
any reason, you’ll have to pay a fee each time you order a copy of
your credit report from a CRA. The cost of a credit report was $10
at the time this book was written. (You may also have to pay a sales
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 31 6/1/07 5:14:06 PM

tax, depending on your state.) Some states have laws that permit their
residents to purchase copies of their credit reports for less than $10.
To find out if your state is one of them, call your state attorney
general’s office.
ORDERING YOUR CREDIT REPORTS FROM EACH

OF THE CRAS
You can order additional copies of your credit histories from Equifax,
Experian, and TransUnion online at their websites, by phone, or by
mail. Figure 2.2 provides detailed ordering information for each of
the CRAs.
Ordering your credit histories online

Hot Tip is your fastest option, because once
you’ve completed the ordering pro-
To help protect your Social Security
cess and paid for your report using
number from identity thieves, when
a major credit card, you’ll get imme-
you order your credit reports by mail,
diate access to your credit record
ask each of the CRAs not to print the
information. You can also print a
last five digits of that number on your
copy of your online credit report.
credit reports.
In contrast, ordering by mail is the
slowest way to obtain copies of your
credit records. Refer to the sample letter in Figure 2.3 to make certain
that your letter includes all of the requisite information.
Red Alert!
Selling credit report–based products and credit report. As a result, if you are ordering
services to consumers is a big business for the your credit report online, it can be a challenge
CRAs. When you visit their websites, the first to figure out where to go on the site to place
thing you’ll see are bundles of products and your order. However, the online ordering
services that the CRAs want you to buy rather information included in Figure 2.2 makes it
than purchasing just a single copy of your easy for you to navigate these sites.
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 32 6/1/07 5:14:06 PM

FIGURE 2.2 Ordering Additional Copies of Your Credit Reports After You’ve Ordered Your Free
Annual Reports
Follow these instructions to order your credit report from one of the CRAs when you’ve
already ordered your free annual report.
■ Equifax
– To order online, go to www.equifax.com. At the top of the page, use the pull-down menu
under “Products” to select “Equifax Credit Report,” which will bring you to the order
page. Word to the wise—to make certain that you are billed for your Equifax credit report
only and not for any other Equifax products or services, click on the circle at the right of
the page next to the words “Get only your Equifax Credit Report for $10.00,” and unclick
the box on the right-hand side of the page next to the words “Add Equifax Credit Ranking
for only $8.95.”
– To order by phone, call 1-800-685-1111.
– To order by mail, send your request to Equifax Information Services, LLC Disclosure
Department, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241.
■ Experian
– To order online, go to www.experian.com/consumer_online_products/index.html and
click on the yellow “Order Now” button at the bottom of the column labeled “Experian
credit report.”
– To order by mail, write to Experian, National Consumers Assistance Center, PO Box
2104, Allen, Texas 75013-2104.
■ TransUnion
– To order online, go to www.transunion.com and then click on “FACT ACT” at bottom of
your screen under the heading “More for Consumers.” At the bottom of that page you’ll
see a highlighted area to click on to order a single copy of your TransUnion credit report.
– To order by mail, mail your request letter to TransUnion, Consumer Disclosure Center,
PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022-2000.
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 33 6/1/07 5:14:06 PM

If you decide to order a copy of your credit report from a CRA through
the mail, it’s essential that you include specific information in your
letter. Otherwise, the CRA won’t be able to fill your order until you
provide the missing information, which means that there will be a
delay in processing your order. Model your letter after this one to
make certain you include all of the vital information:
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 34 6/1/07 5:14:07 PM

FIGURE 2.3 Sample Letter for Ordering Your Credit Report by Mail When
You Have to Pay
[Date]
[Name of CRA]
[Address of CRA]
Please send me a copy of my credit report. The following infor-

mation is provided to help you process this request:
* [Your full name, including Sr., Jr., III, etc.]

* [Your Social Security number]
* [Your date of birth]
* [Your spouse’s full name, if you are married]
* [Your spouse’s Social Security number]
* [Your current address, and your previous address(es) if you’ve
not lived at your present address for at least two years. Include
your apartment number or private mailbox number if appropri-
ate. ]
* [Your evening and daytime phone numbers, including area
codes]
I have enclosed a _____________ [check or money order] in the

amount of $10.00 to pay for my credit report. [Depending on your
circumstances or state, you may not need to include the previous
sentence, or the amount of your check or money order may be a
different amount.]
Please mail my credit report to: [Provide your name and mailing
address].
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this request.
Sincerely,
[Your signature]
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 35 6/1/07 5:14:07 PM

OVERVIEW OF THE INFORMATION IN YOUR

CREDIT REPORTS
Although the format of and the specific information in each of your

credit reports will vary from CRA to CRA, as you learned in chapter 1,
all three reports include the same four basic types of information:
1. Identifying information. In this part of your credit history, you’ll

find your personal information, including your name and any other
names you may have used in the recent past, your current and past
addresses, your Social Security number, date of birth, and the names
of your current and past employers. Depending on which CRA gener-
ated the report, your phone number, spouse’s first name, and the type
of residence you live in (e.g., single or multifamily home) may also be
included.
2. Account information. This is the heart of your credit history

because it’s where you’ll find information about your individual and
joint credit accounts (accounts you share with someone else—your
spouse or partner, probably). Among other information, for each of
the accounts listed in this section you’ll find the following:
■ Account number (the number may be scrambled to help pro-

tect you against identity theft.)
■ When you opened the account and when the credit reporting
agency began reporting information about the account
■ Type of account—whether it’s a revolving or installment

account, a mortgage, or some other type of loan
Red Alert!
Having a lot of credit-related inquiries in that you are taking on more debt than you
your credit history is not a good idea because can handle.
creditors may interpret them as an indication
02_Chap02[25-42]X.indd 36 6/1/07 5:14:07 PM

Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
381. Matt. xxii. 35.
382. John xv. 12.
383. xiii. 84.
384. 35.
385. Matt. v. 10.
386. 12.
387. Luke xi. 47, &c.
388. Luke ix. 55, 56.
389. Matt. xxvi. 52.
390. xx. 25, &c.
391. Matt. xxiii. 8, &c.
392. Luke xiv. 23.
393. Matt. xxii. 9.
394. Christianity as old, &c. p. 305.
395. Matt. x. 34, 35.
396. Luke xii. 49, 51.
397. Ibid.
398. John xvi. 1, 2, 3.
399. Rom. xii. 9, 10.
400. 18.
401. xiii. 10.
402. Rom. xiv. 1.
403. Ibid. 3, 5.
404. 17.
405. 4.
406. xv. 1.
407. 5.
408. 6.
409. Rom. xv. 7.
410. 1 Cor. i. 10, &c.
411. xii. 27.
412. xiii. 1, &c.
413. 2 Cor. xiii. 11.
414. Gal. v. 19, &c.
415. Chap. vi. 15.
416. 16.
417. Eph. iv. 1, &c.
418. 31.
419. Eph. iv. 32.
420. Chap. v. 1, 2.
421. Phil. ii. 1, &c.
422. Col. iii. 8, &c.
423. 1 Tim. i. 5, &c.
424. James iii. 14, &c.
425. De Hæret. a Magist. pun. p. 161, &c.
426. Acts v. 9.
427. Acts xiii. 6, &c.
428. 1 Cor. v. 5.
429. Gal. i. 9. v. 12. Rom. xvi. 17. 1 Cor. v. 9.
430. 1 Cor. v. 13.
431. 2 Cor. x. 8.
432. Gal. i. 9.
433. Tit. iii. 10.
434. Gal. v. 20.
435. 2 Pet. ii. 1, &c. v. 10.
436. Tit. iii. 11.
437. 1 Pet. v. 3.
438. Eph. iv. 11.
439. John xx. 23.
440. 2 Cor. v. 20.

441. iv. 5.
442. i. 24.
443. 1 Cor. ii. 2.
444. 1 Pet. v. 3.
445. 1 Tim. iv. 6.
446. vi. 13, 14, 20.
447. 2 Tim. ii. 2.
448. Acts xx. 28.
449. 2 Tim. ii. 24.
450. Eph. iv. 15.
451. Tit. i. 11. ii. 8.
452. 1 Cor. v. 4.
453. 2 Cor. ii. 6.
Aa. These publications may be had at No. 14, City Road, London.
A1. Wesley’s Life by Coke &c. page 429.
A2. Meth. Mag. vol. 16, page 441.
A3. Ibid ... vol. 27, page 95.
A4. Evan. Mag. for May, 1811.
A5. Meth. Mag. vol. 35, 396.
A6. Evan. Mag. for March, 1811.

A7. Ibid.... Ibid.
A8. Ibid.... Nov. 1811.
Ac. 13 and 14 Car. II. c. 1.
Ad. 17 Car. II. c. 2.
Ae. 22 Car. II. c. 1. repealed.
Af. 19 G. III. c. 44.
Ag. See Dr. Buchanan’s Christian Researches in Asia.

NOTES.
(A.)—Socrates, the greatest, the wisest, and the best of the

ancient philosophers, was born at Alopece, a village near Athens, in
the 4th year of 77th Olympiad. His distinguishing character was that
of a moral philosopher; and his doctrine concerning God and religion
was rather practical than speculative. But he did not neglect to build
the structure of religious faith upon the firm foundation of an appeal
to natural appearances. He taught that the Supreme Being, though
invisible, is clearly seen in his works; which at once demonstrate his
existence and his wise and benevolent providence. He admitted,
besides the one Supreme Deity, the existence of beings who
possessed a middle station between God and man, to whose agency
he ascribed the ordinary phenomena of nature, and whom he
supposed to be particularly concerned about human affairs. Hence
he declared it to be the duty of every one, in the performance of
religious rites, to follow the customs of his country. At the same time
he taught that the merit of all religious offerings depends upon the
character of the worshiper and that the gods take pleasure in the
sacrifices of none but the truly pious. Concerning the human soul,
the opinion of Socrates, according to Xenophon, was that it is allied
to the Divine Being, not by a participation of essence, but by a
similarity of nature; that man excels all other animals in the faculty
of reason; and that the existence of good men will be continued
after death in a state in which they will receive the reward of their
virtue. Although it appears that on this latter topic he was not wholly
free whom uncertainty, the consolation which he professed to derive
from this source in the immediate prospect of death, leaves little
room to doubt that he entertained a real expectation of immortality:
and there is reason to believe that he was the only philosopher of
ancient Greece, whose principles admitted of such an expectation.
His death, by the hands of the common executioner, took place in
the first year of the 96th Olympiad, and in the 70th year of his age.
Just before he drank the fatal hemlock, he said to a friend, “Is it not
strange, after all I have said to convince you that I am going to the
society of the happy, that Crito still thinks that this body, which will
soon be a lifeless corpse, is Socrates? Let him dispose of my body as
he pleases, but let him not at its interment mourn over it as if it
were Socrates!”
(B.)—Tertullian, a celebrated priest of Carthage, was the son of a

centurion in the Militia, who served as a proconsul of Africa. He was
educated in the Pagan religion; but being convinced of its errors,
embraced christianity, and became a zealous defender of the faith.
He married it is said after his baptism. Afterwards he entered into
holy orders and went to Rome, where, during the persecution under
the Emperor Severus, he published his “Apology for the Christians,”
and in the beginning of the third century he embraced the sect of
the Montanists, who maintained that the Holy Spirit made Montanus,
their leader, his organ for delivering a more perfect form of discipline
than what was delivered by the Apostles. the 96th Tertullian lived to
a very great age, and died about the year 216.
(C.)—Tacitus, Caius Cornelius, a celebrated Roman historian, and

one of the greatest men in his time. He applied himself to the bar, in
which he gained high reputation. Having married the daughter of
Agricola, who was the Roman Consul, and Governor of Britain, the
road to public honours was open to him under Vespasian and Titus,
but during the sanguinary reign of Domitian, he and his friend Pliny
retired from public affairs. The reign of Nerva restored those
luminaries of literature to Rome, and Tacitus was engaged to
pronounce the funeral oration of the venerable Virginius Rufus, the
colleague of the Emperor in the consulship, and afterwards
succeeded him as Consul in the year 97.—It is supposed he died in
the end of the reign of Trajan. There have been five translations of
his works into English.
(D.)—Herodotus an ancient Greek historian, born at Halicarnassus

in Caria, about the year before Christ, 484. He travelled over Egypt,
Greece, Italy, &c. and thus acquired the knowledge of the history
and origin of many nations. He then began to digest the materials
he had collected, and composed that history which has preserved his
name ever since. He wrote it in the Isle of Samos. Lucian informs us,
that when Herodotus left Caria to go into Greece, he began to
consider with himself what he should do to be for ever known and
make the ages all to come his own. His history he presumed would
easily procure him fame, and raise his name among the Grecians, in
whose favour it was written, but then he saw that it would be
tedious to go through all the cities of Greece, and recite it to the
inhabitants of each city. He thought it best therefore, to take the
opportunity of their assembling all together; and accordingly recited
his work at the Olympic games, which rendered him more famous
than those who had obtained the prizes. None were ignorant of his
name, nor was there a single person in Greece who had not either
seen him at the Olympic games, or heard those speak of him who
had seen him there. There have been several editions of his works;
two by Henry Stephens in 1570 and 1592; one by Gale at London, in
1679, and one by Gronovius at Leyden, in 1715.
(E.)—Justin Martyr, one of the earliest and most learned writers of

the eastern church, was born at Neapolis. the ancient Sychem of
Palestine. His father, Priscus, a Gentile Greek, brought him up in his
own religion, and had him educated in all the Grecian learning. To
complete his studies he travelled into Egypt, and followed the sect of
Plato, with whose intellectual notions he was much pleased. But one
day walking by the sea side, wrapt in contemplation, he was met by
a grave old man of venerable aspect; who falling into discourse with
him, turned the conversation by degrees from the excellence of
Platonism to the superior perfection of Christianity; and reasoned so
well, as to raise in him an ardent curiosity to enquire into the merits
of that religion; in consequence of which enquiry, he was converted
about A. D. 132. On his embracing Christianity, he quitted neither
the profession nor habit of a philosopher; but a persecution breaking
out under Antoninus, he composed an Apology for the Christians;
and afterwards presented another to Marcus Aurelius, in which he
vindicated the innocence and holiness of the Christian religion
against Crescens a Cynic philosopher, and other calumniators. He did
honour to Christianity by his learning and the purity of his manners;
and suffered martyrdom in 167.
(F.)—Polycarp, one of the most ancient fathers of the Christian

church, was born towards the end of the reign of Nero, probably at
Smyrna, where he was educated at the expence of Calista, a noble
matron distinguished by her piety and charity. He was a disciple of
St. John the Evangelist, and conversed with some of the other
Apostles. Bucolus ordained him a deacon and catechist of his church,
and upon his death he succeeded him in his bishopric, to which he is
said to have been consecrated by St. John. Polycarp governed the
church of Smyrna with apostolical purity till he suffered martyrdom
in the 7th year of Marcus Aurelius. He was burnt at a stake on the
23d of April, A. D. 167, and many miraculous circumstances are said
to have happened at his martyrdom, which Dr. Jortin gives full credit
to, though some other great men treat them as fabulous, such as,
that the flames divided and for some time formed an arch over his
head without hurting him &c. He wrote some homilies and epistles,
which are now lost, except that to the Phillippians, which contains
short precepts and rules of life. St. Jerome informs us that in his
time it was read in the public assemblies of the Asiatic churches.
(G.)—Cyprian, a principal father of the Christian church, born at

Carthage, about the end of the second or beginning of the third
century. His parents were Heathens, and he himself continued such
till the last twelve years of his life. He applied himself early to the
study of oratory, and some of the ancients, particularly Lactantius,
inform us that he taught rhetoric at Carthage with considerable
applause. Cyprian’s conversion is fixed by Pearson to the year 246.
He was at Carthage, where he had often employed his rhetoric in
the defence of Paganism. It was brought about by one Cecilius, a
priest of the church of Carthage, whose name Cyprian afterwards
took; and between whom there ever after subsisted so close a
friendship, that Cecilius at his death committed to Cyprian the care
of his family. Cyprian was himself also a married man. As a proof of
the sincerity of his conversion, he wrote in defence of Christianity,
and composed his piece De Gratia Dei, which he addressed to
Donatus. He next composed a piece De Idolorum Vanitate, upon the
vanity of idols. Cyprian’s behaviour, both before and after his
baptism, was so highly pleasing to the bishop of Carthage, that he
ordained him a priest a few months after, though it was rather
irregular to ordain a man thus in his very noviciate. But Cyprian was
so extraordinary a person, and thought capable of doing such
singular service to the church, that the usual period of probation was
dispensed with. He consigned over all his goods to the poor, and
gave himself up intirely to divine things. When, therefore, the bishop
of Carthage died the year after, viz. A. D. 248, none was judged so
proper to succeed him as Cyprian. The repose which the Christians
had enjoyed during the last 40 years had greatly corrupted their
manners; and therefore Cyprian’s first care, after his advancement to
the bishopric, was to remove abuses. Luxury was prevalent among
them; and many of their women were not strict in the article of
dress. This led him to draw up his piece De Habitu Virginum,
concerning the dress of young women, in which, besides what he
says on that particular, he inculcates many lessons of modesty and
sobriety. In 249, Decius issued very severe edicts against the
Christians; and in 250, the Heathens in the circus and amphitheatre
of Carthage, insisted upon Cyprian being thrown to the lions.
Cyprian upon this withdrew from Carthage to avoid the fury of his
persecutors. He wrote in the place of his retreat, pious and
instructive letters to those who had been his hearers; and also to
those pusillanimous Christians who procured certificates of the
heathen magistrates, to shew that they had complied with the
emperor’s orders in sacrificing to idols. At his return to Carthage he
held several councils, on the repentance of those who had fallen off
during the persecution, and other points of discipline; he opposed
the schemes of Novatus and Novatianus; and contended for the re-
baptizing of those who had been baptized by heretics. At last he
died a Martyr in the persecution under Valerian and Gallienus, in
258. His works have been translated into English by Dr. Marshall.
(H.)—Hottinger, John Henry, a native of Zurich, in Switzerland. He

was born in 1620, professed the oriental languages and was greatly
esteemed. He was drowned, with part of his family, in the river
Lemit, in 1667.
(I.)—Ireneus, bishop of Lyons, was born in Greece about A. D. 120.

He was a disciple of Polycarp, by whom, it is said, he was sent into
Gaul in 157. He stopped at Lyons, where he performed the office of
a priest; and in 178 was sent to Rome, where he disputed with
Valentinus, and his two disciples Florinus and Blastus. At his return
to Lyons, he succeeded Photinus, bishop of that city; and suffered
martyrdom in 202 under Severus. He wrote many works in Greek, of
which there remains only a barbarous Latin version of his five books
against heretics, some Greek fragments in different authors, and
Pope Victor’s letter mentioned by Eusebius. The best editions of his
works are those of Erasmus in 1526; of Grabe in 1702, and of
Massuet, in 1710.
(J.)—Eusebius, one of the most learned men in his time, born in

Palestine about the end of the reign of Gallienus. He was the
intimate friend of Pamphilus the martyr, and after his death took his
name. He was ordained bishop of Cesarea in 613. He had a
considerable share in the contest relating to Arius, whose cause he
and several other bishops defended, being persuaded that Arius had
been unjustly persecuted by Alexander bishop of Alexandria. He
assisted at the council of Nice in 325; when he made a speech to the
Emperor Constantine on his coming to the council, and was placed
next him on his right hand. He was present at the council of Antioch,
in which Eustathius bishop of that city was deposed; but though he
was chosen by the bishop and the people of Antioch to succeed him,
he refused it.
In 335, he assisted in the council of Tyre held against Athanasius:
and at the assembly of bishops at Jerusalem, at the dedication of
the church there. By these bishops he was sent to the Emperor
Constantine to defend what they had done against Athanasius; when
he pronounced the panegyric on that Emperor, during the public
rejoicings in the 30th year of his reign. Eusebius died in the year
338.
(K.>)—Sabellius, who gave rise to the sect of the Sabellians. He

was a native of Lybia, and a philosopher of Egypt. He taught that the
word and the Holy Spirit are only virtues, emanations, or functions of
the Deity; and maintained that he who is in heaven is the father of
all things; that he descended into the virgin, became a child, and
was born of her as a son: and that having accomplished the mystery
of our salvation, he diffused himself on the Apostles in tongues of
fire, and was then denominated the Holy Ghost. He lived and died in
the third century.
(L.)—Arius, who lived in the fourth century, the head and founder
of the Arians, a sect who denied the eternal divinity and
substantiality of the word. At the council of Nice, in 325, the
doctrines of Arius were condemned, and he was banished by the
Emperor, all his books were ordered to be burnt, and capital
punishment denounced against all who dared to keep them.—After
five years banishment he was recalled to Constantinople, where he
presented the Emperor with a confession of his faith, drawn up so
artfully that it fully satisfied him. Notwithstanding this, Athanasius
now bishop of Alexandria, refused to admit him and his followers to
communion. This so enraged them, that, by their interest at court,
they procured that prelate to be deposed and banished. But the
church of Alexandria still refusing to admit Arius into their
communion, the Emperor sent for him to Constantinople; where
upon delivering in a fresh confession of his faith, in terms less
offensive, the Emperor commanded Alexander the bishop of that
church to receive him the next day into his communion, but that
very evening Arius died. The manner of his death was rather
extraordinary: as his friends were conducting him in triumph to the
great church of Constantinople, Arius stepped aside and immediately
expired; his bowels gushing out, owing, as was suspected, to
poison.
(M.)—Constantine the great, the first Emperor of the Romans who

embraced Christianity. Dr. Anderson in his Royal Genealogies, makes
him not only a native of Britain, but the son of a British princess. It
is certain that his father Constantius was at York, when, upon the
abdication of Dioclesian, he shared the Roman empire with Galerius
Maximus in 305, and that he died in York in 306, having first caused
his son Constantine to be proclaimed Emperor by his army and by
the Britons. Galerius at first refused to admit Constantine to his
father’s share in the imperial dignity; but after having several battles,
he consented in 308. Maxentius who succeeded Galerius, opposed
him; but was defeated and drowned himself in the Tiber. The Senate
then declared Constantine first Augustus, and Licinius his associate
in the empire in 313. These Princes published an edict, in their joint
names in favour of the Christians; but soon after Licinius, jealous of
Constantine’s renown, conceived an implacable hatred against him,
and renewed the persecutions against the Christians. This brought
on a rupture between the Emperors; and a battle, in which
Constantine was victorious. A short peace ensued; but Licinius
having shamefully violated the treaty, the war was renewed; when
Constantine totally defeating him, he fled to Nicomedia, where he
was taken prisoner and strangled in 323. Constantine now become
sole master of the whole empire, immediately formed the plan of
establishing Christianity as the religion of the state; for which
purpose, he convoked several ecclesiastical councils; but finding he
was likely to meet with great opposition from the Pagan interest at
Rome, he conceived the design of founding a new city, to be the
capital of his Christian empire. He died in the year 337, in the 66th
year of his age, and 31st of his reign.
(N.)—Socrates, an ecclesiastical historian, born at Constantinople,
in the beginning of the reign of Theodosius; he professed the law,
and pleaded at the bar; whence he obtained the name of
Scholasticus. He wrote an ecclesiastical history from the year 309,
where Eusebius ended, down to 440, and wrote with great
exactness and judgment. An edition of Eusebius and Socrates, in
Greek and Latin, with notes by Reading, was published in London, in
1720.
(O.)—Athanasius, a bishop of Alexandria, and the great opposer of

the Arians, was born in Egypt. He followed Alexander in the council
of Nice, in 325, where he disputed against Arius, and the following
year was made bishop of Alexandria; but in 335 was deposed by the
council of Tyre: and by the Emperor Constantine was banished to
Treves. The Emperor, two years after, ordered him to be restored to
his bishopric: but on his return to Alexandria, his enemies brought
fresh accusations against him, and chose Gregory of Cappadocia to
his see; which obliged Athanasius to go to Rome to reclaim it of
Pope Julius. He was there declared innocent in a council held in 342,
and in that of Sardica in 347, and two years after was restored to his
see by order of the Emperor Constance; but after the death of that
prince, he was again banished by Constantius, on which he retired
into the desarts. The Arians then elected one George in his room;
who being killed in a popular faction under Julian, in 360, Athanasius
returned to Alexandria, but was banished under Julian, and restored
to his see under Jovion. He was also banished by Valens in 367 and
afterwards recalled. He ended this troublesome life on the 2d of
May, 373.
(P.)—Theodoret, bishop of St. Cyricus, in Syria, in the fourth

century, and one of the most learned fathers in the church. He was
born A. D. 386, and was the disciple of Theodorus of Mopsuestes,
and Chrysostom. Having received holy orders, he was with difficulty
persuaded to accept of the bishopric of Cyricus, about A. D. 420. He
displayed great frugality in the expences of his table, dress, and
furniture, but spent considerable sums in improving and adorning
the city of Cyricus. Yet his zeal was not confined to his own church:
he went to preach at Antioch, and the neighbouring towns; where
he became admired for his eloquence and learning, and had the
happiness to convert multitudes of people. It is supposed he died
about the year 457. There are still extant Theodoret’s excellent
Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistles, and on several other books of the
Holy Scriptures.
(Q.)—Gregory Nazianzen, from Nazianzum, a town of Cappadocia,

of which his father was bishop. He was born in 324, at Azianzum, a
village near it, and was one of the brightest ornaments of the Greek
church, in the fourth century. He was made bishop of
Constantinople, in 379, but finding his election contested by
Timotheus, bishop of Alexandria, he voluntarily relinquished his
dignity about 382, in the general council of Constantinople. His
works are extant, in two volumes, printed at Paris in 1609. His style
is said to be equal to that of the most celebrated orators of ancient
Greece.
(R.)—Porphyrius, a famous platonic philosopher, born at Tyre in

233, in the reign of Alexander Severus. He was the disciple of
Longinus, and became the ornament of his school at Athens; from
whence he went to Rome, and attended Plotinus, with whom he
lived six years. After Plotinus’ death he taught philosophy at Rome
with great applause; and became well skilled in polite literature,
geography, astronomy, and music. He lived till the end of the third
century, and died in the reign of Dioclesian. He was an enemy to
Christianity, and wrote a large treatise against it, which is lost. The
Emperor Theodosius the Great caused it to be burnt.
(S.)—Saint Jerome, a famous doctor of the church, and the most

learned of all the Latin fathers, was the son of Eusebius; and was
born at Stridon, a city of ancient Pannonia, about A. D. 340. He
studied at Rome under Donatus the learned grammarian. After
embracing the Christian religion, and being baptized, he went into
Gaul. In 372, he retired into a desart in Syria, where he was
persecuted for being a Sabellian, because he made use of the word
Hypostasis, as used by the council of Rome in 369. This obliged him
to go to Jerusalem, where he studied the Hebrew language, to
acquire a more perfect knowledge of the Holy Scriptures; and
consented to be ordained, provided he should not be confined to any
particular church. In 381, he went to Constantinople to hear Gregory
of Nazianzen; and in 382 returned to Rome, where he was made
secretary to Pope Damasus. He then instructed many Roman ladies
in piety and the sciences, which exposed him to the calumnies of
those whom he zealously reproved for their irregularities; and Pope
Siricius, not having all the esteem for him, which his learning and
virtue justly entitled him to, he returned to Bethlehem, where he
wrote against heretics. He had a contest with John of Jerusalem and
Rufinius about the Origenists; and was the first who wrote against
Pelagius. He died on the 30th of September, 420, about 80 years of
age. His works are voluminous, in eleven volumes folio. His style is
lively and animated, and sometimes sublime.
(T.)—Julian, a famous Roman Emperor, styled The Apostate,

because he professed the Christian religion before he ascended the
throne, but afterwards openly embraced Paganism, and
endeavoured to abolish Christianity. He made no use of violence,
however, for this purpose; but behaved with a politic mildness to the
Christians; recalled all who had been banished on account of religion
under Constantius; and endeavoured to pervert them by caresses,
and by temporal advantages, covered over by artful pretences: but
he prohibited Christians to plead before courts of justice, or to enjoy
any public employments. He even prohibited their teaching polite
literature, well knowing the great advantages they drew from
profane authors, in their attacks upon Paganism and irreligion.
Though he on all occasions shewed a sovereign contempt for the
Christians whom he stiled Galileans, yet he was sensible of the
advantage they obtained by their virtue and the purity of their
manners; and therefore incessantly proposed their example to the
Pagan priests. At last, however, when he found that all other
methods failed, he gave public employments to the most cruel
enemies of the Christians, when the cities in most of the provinces
were filled with tumults and seditions, and many of them were put
to death. Historians mention that Julian attempted to prove the
falsehood of our Lord’s prediction with respect to the temple at
Jerusalem, by rebuilding it; but that all his endeavours served only
the more perfectly to verify it. Julian being mortally wounded in a
battle with the Persians, is said, to have catched in his hand some of
the blood which flowed from his wound, and throwing it towards
heaven, cried, Oh Galilean thou hast conquered. Theodoret relates,
that Julian discovered a different disposition, and employed his last
moments in conversing with Maximus the philosopher, on the dignity
of the soul. He died, however, the following night in the 32d year of
his age.
(U.)—Sozomen, an ecclesiastical historian of the 5th century. He

was born in Bethulia, a town of Palestine; he was educated for the
law, and became a pleader at Constantinople. He wrote an
abridgement of ecclesiastical history, in two books, from the
ascension of our Saviour to the year 323. This compendium is lost,
but a continuation in nine books is still extant. He seems to have
copied Socrates, who wrote a history of the same period. The style
of Sozomen is more elegant; but in other respects he falls short of
that writer, displaying through the whole book an amazing credulity,
and a superstitious attachment to monks and a monastic life. The
best edition of Sozomen is that of Robert Stephens in 1544. He has
been translated and published by Valesius, and republished with
additional notes by Reading, at London, 1720, in 3 volumes folio.
(V.)—Chrysostom St. John, a celebrated patriarch of Constantinople,

and one of the most admired fathers of the Christian Church, was
born of a noble family at Antioch about A. D. 347. He studied
rhetoric under Libavius, and philosophy under Andragathus: after
which he spent some time in solitude in the mountains near Antioch,
but the austerities he endured having impaired his health he
returned to Antioch where he was ordained deacon by Meletius.
Flavian Meletius’ successor, raised him to the office of presbyter five
years after; when he distinguished himself so greatly by his
eloquence, that he obtained the surname of Chrysostom or Golden
mouth. Nectarius, patriarch of Constantinople, dying in 397, St.
Chrysostom, whose fame was spread throughout the whole empire,
was unanimously elected by both clergy and laity. The Emperor
Arcadius confirmed his election, and caused him to leave Antioch
privately, where the people were very unwilling to part with him. He
was ordained bishop on the 26th of February, 398. He differed with
Theophilus of Alexandria, who got him deposed and banished; but
he was soon recalled. After this, declaiming against the dedication of
a statue erected to the empress, she banished him to Cucusus in
Armenia, a most barren and inhospitable place; afterwards as they
were removing him from Petyus, the Soldiers treated him so roughly
that he died by the way, A. D. 407. The best edition of his works, is
that published at Paris in 1718, by Montfaucon.
(W.)—Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the religious order called

Dominicans. He was born at Calaroga in old Castile, in 1170. He
preached with great fury against the Albigenses, when Pope
Innocent 3d made a croisade against that unhappy people, and was
inquisitor at Languedoc, where he founded his order in 1215. He
died in 1221, at Bologna and was canonized.
J. Perkins, Printer, Bowlalley-Lane, Hull.
Transcriber’s Note
The system of footnotes is sometimes complicated.
Several longer footnotes are themselves supplied with
footnotes. On occasion, the traditional placement after
the annotated text is reversed, and the note precedes.
Finally, the endnotes are themselves somewhat
disorganized. Each is referred to in the text by an
unnumbered (asterisk or dagger) footnote referring to an
endnote, e.g.:
* See note [B] at the end of the volume.
However, there are a number of errors. The endnotes
for Tertullian (B), Tactitus (C), and Herodotus (D) are
referred to incorrectly as C, D B in the text. Notes U and
V (for Julian and Sozomen) are reversed in the endnotes.
Note U (Sozomen) is referred to as [X] but Note X
describes Dominic de Guzman. However, the footnote in
the text for de Guzman refers to [Z], which does not
exist. The endnote for Chrysostom (W) is referred to the
the footnotes as Y, which does not exist. J also does not
exist, either in the endnotes or in footnotes.
To avoid the many confusions, these footnote
references to the endnotes as well as the endnotes
themselves, have been resequenced from A to W, in the
order of their appearance in the endnotes and the
footnote references have been corrected to direct the
reader to the correct place. This means that the
corresponding footnotes may not occur in sequence.
This table summarizes the various errors regarding the
endnotes.
Name Endnote Footnote
Tertullian B C
Tactitus C D
Herodotus D B
Julian V U
Sozomen U V
Chrysostom W Y
Dominic de X Z
Guzman
The endnotes have been resequenced as follows:
A Socrates
B Tertullian
C Tacitus
D Herodotus
E Justin Martyr
F Polycarp
G Cyprian
H Hottinger
I Irenus
J Eusebius
K Sabellius
L Arius
M Constantine
N Socrates (of
Constantinople)
O Athanasius
P Theodoret
Q Gregory Nazianzen
R Porphyrius
S Saint Jerome
T Julian
U Sozomen
V Chrysostom St. John,
W Dominic de Guzman
On p. 149, a footnote (note 245 here), referring to the
Buckley edition of Jacques de Thou’s Historia du
temporis had no reference in the text. One has been
placed at the beginning of the extended quotation
beginning on that page, which seems the most likely
referent.
On p. 288, the third footnote (note 300 here) had no
reference in the text. It most likely refers to the final
sentence in the section, regarding the Langrave of Hesse
Cassel, and has been placed there.
On p. 317, the fifth footnote (note 325 here) had no
reference in the text. It most likely introduced the final
paragraph of the page, and has been placed there.
On p. 395, the fifth footnote (note 403 here) contains
two separate references to verses in Romans 14, and for
some reason is referred to twice in the text, each to one
of those verses.
On p. 396, the fifth footnote anchor (412 here) was
not present in the text, but matches correctly the
reference to 1 Corinthians, 13.1, and has been added at
the beginning of the quotation.
Footnotes have been moved to the end of each
“Book”, with hyperlinked references for ease of
reference.
Lapses in punctuation of the editorial apparatus have
been corrected without notice here.
There are copious quotations, some of which were not
properly opened or closed. Where it was possible to
determine their scope by consulting the sources,
punctuation has been added and noted below.
Given the publication date, latitude in spelling was
given except where it seemed obvious that the errors
were most likely to be the printer’s. These have been
corrected, and are noted below. The references are to
the page and line in the original. Where are third number
is found, the reference is to the line within the nth
footnote on the page (e.g. 116.3.2 refers to the 2nd line
of the 3rd footnote on p. 116.).
iii.14 the grand [sourses] of sic
persecution
iv.15 the names of those Replaced.
noblem[a/e]n and others
8.8 “in favour of church power Added.
and authority,[”]
15.1 the Earl of Fin[d]later Inserted.
40.22 Persecutions by Antiochus Removed.
Ep[h]iphanes
45.17 He tell[s] us Added.
78.2.1 Theod. E. H. l. 1. c. [3]. Unclear.
104.1 subject to other Added.
punishments.[”]
130.17 [“]Hunnerick,[227] the Arian Removed.
king of the Vandals
134.25 the blood of the martyrs of Replaced.
Jesus[./,]
223.29 w[h]ere, according to the Inserted.
custom
226.3 Some penances are Replaced.
hon[a/o]rary
226.27 the[ y/y ]are avoided by all Corrected.
231.35 to be charged with a lie?[”] Added.
233.33 pronou[u/n]ced Mark Inverted.
Anthony
235.20 the most horrible [b/h]abits Replaced.
250.29 [re/ac]cording to the Replaced.
custom of a triumph
251.36 they begin with Inserted.
c[e]lebrating
258.21 seriou[s]ly and gravely Inserted.
admonished
259.16 they should be[c]ome Inserted.
irregular
264.13 Pro[s/t]estant and Catholic Replaced.
families
264.33 the boundaries of the Replaced.
British Empire[,/.]
268.1.5 again[s]t whom the Inserted.
Europeans made war.
268.2.1 Monsie[u]r Dellon Inserted.
268.2.3 at which he walked Replaced.
barefoot[,/.]
275.1.70 who had ass[s]embled Removed.
275.1.82 summo[u/n]ed forth those Inverted.
miserable victims
276.1 [‘]I had already discovered Added.
278.3 [“/‘]That a greater number Replaced.
278.5 were before necessary;[”] Added.
278.8 within the walls of the Replaced.
inquisition[,/.]
279.8 it was not permitted to any Replaced.
pe[s/r] to see
281.28 in the cells of the Added.
inquisition?[’]
290.1 and he calls God to Added.
witnes[s]
293.35 was sup[p]orted by Inserted.
Servetus’s complaint
296.8 the punishment he Added.
deserves.[”]
301.13 in his pen[e/i]tential habit Replaced.
306.1 as would be zealo[n/u]s Inverted.
even to blood
309.9 who violated the laws of Added.
God.[”]
328.4 opinions of Mr. Montague; Added.
[”]
339.14 upon pain of eternal Added.
damnation;[”]
317.13 rendered it a public Added.
grievance.[”]
318.2 the rubbish of the people. Added.
[”]
319.23 so that he may gain by Inserted.
it[.]”
321.6 “[a/A]t the bishop’s Capitalized.
approach
322.18 he received the Added.
[s]acrament
324.34 to cry him up for their Added.
proselyte.[”]
325.27 [“/‘]Doctissimi eorum, Replaced.
quibuscunque egi.[”/’]
325.32 [“/‘]It were no hard matter Replaced.
to make a reconciliation, if
a wise man had the
handling of it.[”/’]
328.30 more than I.’[”] Added.
329.19 the lewdest men in the Replaced.
kingdom[,/.]
332.1.1 Com. Hist. p.[?] Page missing.
332.9 [“]Comines was looking on Removed.
the sepulchre
338.13 and branding the other Added.
cheek.[”]
338.19 the illegal and arbitrary Restored.
mea[ ]ures
341.26 cont[r]ary to their former Inserted.
settlement
343.15 Upon the restoration of the Added.
“royal wanderer,[”]
349.9 the tolerating of Replaced.
d[s/i]ssenters
354.28 “on penalty of the house of Added.
correction.[”]
354.32 a judgment upon the Added.
land[.]
368.7 there was a difficul[t]y yet Inserted.
remaining
368.34 [“]doting about questions sic: spurious?
370.25 or for want of [?/t]hese, Replaced.
anathemas
377.2 of any other persons Inserted.
whatso[e]ver.
379.31 And this is the more Inserted.
un[n]ecessary
384.7 they immedia[i/t]ely Replaced.
subscribed
390.7 Away with this folly and Removed.
[super-]superstition
390.10 of human frailty and Replaced.
ignorance[,/.]
391.13 love thy neighbo[n/u]r as Inverted.
thyself.
394.15 by my sufferings and Added.
death?[”]
396.6 [“]Wherefore receive ye Added.
one another
397.11 against which there is no Added.
law:[”]
398.10 [“]Put off all these Added.
398.24 [“]The wisdom that is from Added.
above is pure
400.7 God hath a[ ]right to Spaced added.
punish frauds
400.12 to tempt the spirit of the Added.
Lord?[”]
408.27 and him crucified,[”] Added.
410.32 “be had in double honour Added.
for their work sake,[”]
448.33 two tho[n/u]sand Inverted.
signatures
407.27 and perem[p]torily say Inserted.
407.28 b[n/u]t because they were Inverted.
to preach
410.19 “over us in the Lord[”] Added.
416.3.1 Ibi[b/d] ... vol. 27, page Replaced.
95.
416.5 other adjacent places in Added.
Staffordshire.[”]
417.1 and has always Inserted.
perem[p]torily refused
418.4 An act to pr[e]vent Inserted.
preaching
420.28 should be executed upon Added.
them.[’]
427.31 of which which [I] here Restored.
insert.
431.32 at the general session Replaced.
o[t/f] the peace
446.34 has never been Transposed.
impu[ng/gn]ed
448.18 three members be Removed.
competent to act.[”]
449.10 bring the subject forwards Inserted.
for d[i]scussion
452.20 w[h]ere the nature of the Inserted.
Bill
453.28 might far prepond[e]rate Inserted.
459.30 We are not at liberty to Inserted.
with[h]old
464.24 members of the Added.
establish[ed] Church
469.37 [(]Hear!) Added.
471.1 gave a bond to a Replaced.
clergym[e/a]n
477.3 [“]In May last the General Removed. No
Committee closing quote.
486.17 the dissem[m]ination of Removed.
Divine truth
494.12 one thousand eight Added.
hundred and _________.
[”]
503.23 I am a Christian and a Removed.
Pro[s]testant
505.9 horrid Edic[ t/t ]recently Space moved.
issued
508.4 If they find Europeans Removed.
within their territor[it]ies
508.27 whose kingdom is an Inserted.
everlasting kin[g]dom
510.7 the 96th Ol[my/ym]piad Transposed.
510.25 T[u/e]rtullian lived to a Replaced.
very great age
511.6 He then b[e]gan Inserted.
512.1 On his embracing Inserted.
Chri[s]tianity
514.1 a native of [T/Z]urich, in Replaced.
Switzerland.
515.35 that his father Inverted.
Co[u/n]stantius
520.5 a celebrated pa[r]triarch Removed.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF
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The three national credit reporting agencies (CRAs)—Equifax,

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mation collected and stored in their computerized databases, who has

WHAT ARE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES?

Credit reporting agencies, also known as credit bureaus, are in the

Three corporate giants dominate the consumer credit reporting indus-

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THE INFORMATION IN YOUR CREDIT HISTORY

Your credit history includes four basic types of information:

1. Information about how you’ve managed your credit

2. Public record information. If you’ve filed for bankruptcy,

3. Inquiries. This section of your credit history lists the creditors,

4. Identifying information. Your name and any names you may

Chapter 2 provides more detail about the various types of information

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What’s Not in Your Credit History

WHERE THE CRAs GET THEIR INFORMATION

The information in your credit history comes from several different

Some creditors, however, only provide the CRAs with information

If any public record information, such as a bankrupcty, tax lien, or

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WHO CAN LOOK AT YOUR CREDIT HISTORY AND WHY