Credit Reporting

I spend a significant amount of time online reading credit and financial articles.  I thought I should keep a list of the ones I've found interest for future reference.  Enjoy!

2003 Changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Important Steps Forward at a High Cost - the FACT Act - free credit reports once a year no matter what state you live in (sans the scores), some identity theft protections and a bunch of other things.  This is something that'll benefit everyone.

Zombie Debt Collectors Dig Up Your Old Mistakes - Rule of thumb:  ask for proof and don't admit to anything.  If it's 7 years, don't pay it, either. 

A Clearer View of Credit Scores - Providian is showing their customers the credit scores that they're pulling every month from TransUnion... on their website!  This is going to be awesome as soon as other lenders wise up and do the same.

Beef Up Your Credit Score in 5 Steps - This article is interesting because it tells a little about the impact of actions in different situations.  It also tells a little more about the reasons behind the tips.  Many articles just say good and bad, which is really unfortunate because good tips can be bad in some circumstances.

Your Credit Card Payment Just Doubled - The new Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 did more than just tighten the belt on bankruptcy filings.  The creditors were gently persuaded to make minimum payments higher so people pay them off faster.  Currently set at 2% for a minimum payment, they're expected to double to 4%.  Also on the docket:  ETAs on your statement that will tell you how long it will take to pay off your current credit card debt if you only pay the minimum payment every month.