Sunday, April 6, 2008
Not So Free - Your Annual Credit Report - Hot Tips and FAQ's
Free Your Annual Credit Report - Hundreds of millions of victims in past five years. The fastest growing crime in America, One in four American citizens have been affected. You need to protect yourself against Identity theft - Obtaining a Credit Report be a bad experience, know the dangers.
Do you know the current scams out there? such as Triangulation, Impostor Websites.
Do you know the best way to protect yourself?
Identity theft - or ID theft is the process when a criminal steals your name or identity. Your contact information and other personal information to commit fraud and crimes. ID theft has become the fastest growing crime in the United States and elsewhere.
This is due to the increasing growth and spread of the Internet which has provided new opportunities to collect money by stealing the identities of others.
Know the Credit Report Scams
Trangulation - Be wary of email forms
How it works:
By using email forms the criminal will trick you into handing out your credit card details and personal information. They might even use an internet link embedded in the email which takes you off to a website where you put your information into a form.
How they trick you:
This type of scam tricks so many people as like the best scams out there you have little evidence a scam has occurs, you will only discover it when you check your credit card statements and credit reports and see fraudulent activity.
It works by you purchasing a credit report from a website - the criminal will then go and purchase a credit report for you but by paying for it using someone else's credit card details - they will then most probably email you the report and get you to pay for it by asking you put your credit card details in an email form. They will then use your credit card details to go off and purchase another report form someone else.
How to defend yourself against credit report fraud:
Try and defend yourself before something bad happens by using services of a credit monitoring and identity theft protection. Use Credit Monitoring and ID theft protection services. They are all fairly competitively prices so do your research and compare a few websites - you should not have to spend more then $5 - $20 per month - you can get one for 90 days or seven years for total peace of mind.
Free ways to protect yourself against credit report theft.
- Review bank/credit card statements for fraud
- Shred/destroy credit card receipts/other financial papers
- Check credit reports
- Never give out social security number
I hope you know know what you can expect and be on the lookout for it when searching for Free Your Annual Credit Report
For more helpful information and tips be sure to check out www.credit-reporter.net
Get your totally free credit report today - follow Credit Report, and check out www.credit-reporter.net.
0% APR Credit Cards: Use Them To Your Advantage!
The era of 0% APR credit cards is still with us. Yes, you can obtain a spanking new credit card featuring a very low introductory interest rate and take advantage of what amounts to "free money" for you for up to one year. You can use your new card to your advantage, but you must be careful that you fully understand how a 0% APR credit card works to order to maximize its effectiveness. I will show you how, so please keep reading for all the informative details!
Soon after the new millennium started, interest rates began to drop to historically low levels. By 2002, loan rates for government funds dipped to just less than one percent, pushing consumer loan rates down with it as well. Credit card providers, seeing a terrific opportunity unfolding, immediately began to offer 0% APR credit cards to new card holders and even extended the offer to their current customers.
Today, interest rates have been climbing for two years, but 0% APR credit card offers are still available to you. Quite frankly, the entire lending business is very competitive and credit card providers are willing to forego interest for up to twelve months in order to get your business.
To maximize the effectiveness of 0% APR credit cards, there are a few things that you must know:
Limited Time Offer. 0% APR credit cards contain an introductory period lasting typically from six to twelve months. This means that anything you charge during that time will not accumulate interest. Go ahead and spread out your payments over several months: If you purchase something for $1000, you can make four equal payments of $250 interest free. Keep earning interest on your savings and let the credit card company fund your purchase!
Transfer Balances and Save Big! Many 0% APR credit card offers will allow you to transfer balances from your existing credit cards to your new card and waive transfer fees. If you owe $3000 on your current credit cards and are paying 19% interest on your balances, you could save nearly $600 in interest payments over twelve month's time!
Pay On Time. Do not be lulled into thinking that a 0% APR credit card doesn't require monthly payments. If you miss a payment or are late, you could find that your remaining balance is subject to interest charges and penalties as your card shifts to a default rate. Pay on time or kiss your 0% APR credit card rate goodbye!
Pay It All Off. In some cases, you must pay off your balance before the introductory rate period expires. If you don't, the default rate kicks in. Make certain that you clearly understand your card's terms.
Clearly, a 0% APR credit card has strong advantages for the person seeking to make new purchases as well as someone who wants to transfer their balances. Use a 0% APR credit card to your advantage and put some money back in your pocket!
Copyright 2006 Ed Vegliante. Free online reprints of this article are allowed provided the resource box remains intact with a live link back to http://www.credit-card-surplus.com
Ed Vegliante runs the website http://www.Credit-Card-Surplus.com, a well organized credit card directory enabling the consumer to compare and apply for a variety of credit card offers including 0% APR Credit Cards. View more Credit Card Articles.
