| Experian offers credit freeze facility from November 1
Consumer credit reporting bureau Experian has announced that it will be offering its customers in 50 states and the District of Columbia, the chance to freeze their credit histories starting November 1. Experian is the second firm after TransUnion to offer consumers the option of freezing their credit histories. By freezing histories, consumers can block access to their reports by new creditors. The company said that it would be charging $10 every time a consumer wants to freeze his/her history temporarily or permanently. "It will be one option among a broad range of fraud-assistance tools we already provide to consumers so that they may make the choice best suited to their situation," said Kerry Williams, group president of credit services and decision analytics business at Experian. "Now that a national model for file freezing has emerged, Experian is offering this option to help prevent consumer confusion." TransUnion was the first company to offer this option, which will come into effect starting October 15.
Experian Consumer Direct With FamilySecure.com Sponsors the Joyful ...
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian Consumer Direct(SM), the leading provider of online direct-to-consumer credit reports, scores and monitoring products including FamilySecure.com, today announced its support of The Joyful Feast, a fundraising event designed to celebrate The Joyful Child Foundation's accomplishments and raise funds to expand its efforts to prevent predatory crimes against children. The event takes place Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. at The Grove of Anaheim, Calif. and features a live, half-hour acoustic performance by Grammy-winning artist Cyndi Lauper. The Joyful Child Foundation is a nonprofit, for public benefit organization dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse and abduction through programs that unite and uplift communities. The foundation was inspired by the life of Samantha Runnion, whose life was cut short after being abducted in front of her Orange County, Calif.
Chartered to protect the henhouse, has the FTC turned into a fox?
I rarely get e-mail from the USA Today's Byron Acohido (who from time to time interviews me for my opinions on tech). But today, Acohido drew my attention to a story that he has co-authored with Jon Swartz under the headline FTC under fire as credit bureaus sell consumers' data. The story draws attention to a complex Web of potentially conflicting interests involving Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras, the law firm she used to work for, her husband who still works for it, how that law firm represents one of the big three credit reporting bureaus, and whether or not the FTC has morphed into an agent of the credit reporting bureaus' success from the consumer guardian that The People have entrusted it to be. While the targets of this follow-the-money like inquest deny any impropriety, I can certainly understand the position of Robert Kuttner, author of The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity who, who in response to the USA Today inquiry, said: Federal agencies that are supposed to be looking out for the consumer are really protecting the companies that do bad things the agencies were set up to prevent.
10 Tips: Fix credit-report errors
Have you ever been horrified to discover errors on your credit report? Such inaccuracies can and should strike fear into any conscientious consumer's heart because of their punishing consequences. What consequences, you ask? Well, they can result in higher interest rates whenever you borrow money, and they can even affect your ability to qualify for credit, insurance, employment or rental housing. To avoid such ominous scenarios, consider these tips for fixing mistakes on your credit report. .
Cut back on your credit cards
Do you ever feel like the statements and credit-card offers just keep coming? Consumer Reports' Money Adviser says cutting down on your credit cards is one of the simplest ways to streamline your financial life.
Most people only need one or two credit cards. If you carry an American Express or Discover card, you might want to consider adding a MasterCard or a Visa because they're more widely accepted. .
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