The Terrorists in Your Wallet and the Seal Team 6 in your Mind.
Like many Americans I’ve been the victim of identity theft. Twice. And while it is upsetting it isn’t quite the daunting task that most people believe. Ill help you get started.
-Paperwork and Phone Calls.
Beating credit theft is imminently doable. America has a recent overhaul that helps or hurts depending on perspective. For now though we will focus on the other parts.
So your card gets declined. Now you’re embarrassed. And your credit is ruined.
Nope it isn’t. You can fix this. You can reclaim everything. It all starts with a simple phone call. Call the company issuing your credit card. Alert them to the issue and list every transaction that is questionable.
Write out the name of who you spoke with and their title. Get an id# of they have one. I always ask for a manager. Go to the top. It gets things done faster. Print and highlight the thefts. Staple all this together. As well as any correspondence you get from them.
Also make sure your card is canceled- as in the number not the account. You can close the account but your credit score will drop as your debt to credit ratio will drop.
-Check your Accounts weekly or better.
All of them. Every type. Without Fail. Get it done. No excuses. No lies. There is always time to secure ones future. Your credit is in your hands.
Setup email and text alerts. Its free at many banks if not all. I personally check my bank accounts and credit accounts every 2 to 5 days. Why wait for free help when you can be proactive? Manage your finances like you do your itunes.
-Get Your Free Credit report Every Year. The government has set aside a permanent website and free credit reports from the 3 major credit companies- Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. In my experience Experian holds the most weight. But all can effect your credit scores et al.
Here’s a nasty secret though: there are 6 credit bureaus. Ouch right. I used to have info on 4 out of 6 but that’s it. I will suggest though that you folks get your fico aka fair isaac score. This one holds a lot of weight. You need it more than you think. Pay if you have too. Now at the bottom of this post ill have the links to the 3 big boy sites and the government secure site to get your anual credit reports. So now that I’ve done the leg work you are free to simply monitor the reports. Once you get them- peruse them with extreme prejudice. Anything that is even 4 cents off must be questioned. Call, write, email. Whatever. Get responses, get answers.
And those boiler plate, pre-fabricated letters all over the net- skip them. The big credit companies have robotic programs that know the format and even the type fonts. Scary in a way but efficient and innovative. Beat them by being starkly real.
Till then my folks:
#findyourfuel
Equifax: 1-877-576-5734; http://www.alerts.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742; http://www.experian.com/fraud
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; http://www.transunion.com
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
#thriveorsurvive
Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
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Changeinadvance 