Profile:
The meaning of “derogatory public record”
Dear Experian,
My credit score states “time since derogatory public record or collection is too short.” What is a “derogatory public record”?
- JTR
Discharged bankruptcy will still affect credit scores
Dear Experian,
Once a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is discharged, will it still affect my credit score?
- ADZ
“Foreclosure” worse than “paid for less than full balance” but not much
Dear Experian,
Which has a more negative effect on my credit score, “Account Paid In Full For Less Than the Full Balance” or “Foreclosure”?
- ZPT
Revolving accounts paid in full and closed but still showing on report
Dear Experian,
All my credit cards are paid in full and closed but still showing revolving on my credit history. I want to clean up my credit history. What steps do I need to follow?
- SHS
Account reported for first time shows it is 90 days late
Account reported for first time shows it is 90 days late
Dear Experian,
In what instance does a credit profile reflect a 90 day late when it never reflected a 30 or 60 day late? Is it possible to just be 90 days delinquent without first being 30 or 60?
- ADC
It is possible to owe debts not on your credit report
Dear Experian,
Everything shows on the credit report right? Every debt you owe? I currently have two debt collectors harassing me claiming I owe them money and threatening to sue me. But when I look on my report, there is nothing that is open against me. How do I get them to send me actual proof that I owe?
- JYG
Actions to take after receiving a security breach notification
Dear Experian,
I work for a school district and its information has been hacked. They advised us to contact the credit companies. What I should do to protect myself? They are not sure how much information was stolen, and the hackers are threatening to release the information to the public. Please tell me what I need to do.
- AAD
Notifying other credit reporting companies about dispute results
Dear Experian,
I used your system to dispute an error on my credit report. I received the confirmation back that the error has been deleted. Do I now have to go to the other credit reporting companies to dispute or will Experian notify them so they will remove the error?
- JPH
Qualifying for new credit when you have no credit history
Dear Experian,
I have no credit score and am unable to get credit for a car loan. How do I get a credit score? I have my own apartment and am paying all utilities. Will that help? If so how long does it take, or where should I start?
- KNY
Secured credit card application denied, but not by Experian
Dear Experian,
In order to establish credit, I recently deposited $500 into a checking account and applied for a secured credit card. I received a letter from Experian stating that the secured credit card application was denied based on my past credit history. If the credit card is secured by the money in the account, why is my past credit history being considered by Experian?
- KDH
Employers, credit scores and freezing your credit file
Dear Experian,
Can a prospective employer get a credit score on me if I have a security freeze, or do I need to remove the security freeze?
- ARJ
Deciding whether to close paid off accounts
Dear Experian,
I have four accounts that have a limit of $300 each. I have had these accounts for years. I would like to know if I should close them once I pay them off. I am concerned that having credit cards with low credit limits is negatively affecting me.
- JLD
Removing an Active Duty Alert
Dear Experian,
How do you remove an Active Duty Alert? I am not on active duty and have never been in the service, but I have an Active Duty Alert on my report and it is preventing me from getting a mortgage.
- MZN
How a settled judgment appears in a credit report
Dear Experian,
I settled a judgment with a creditor. Is it still showing as judgment, or is reported as settled?
- KDH
Experian Connect tool ideal for small property management companies
Dear Experian,
We are a property management company looking for a monthly credit report service. Where do I get that info?
- ARJ
There are different credit scores, but not different “levels” of credit reports
Dear Experian,
My Experian report says my score is 781. A credit card company said my score from Experian was 720 five days earlier. They said I may be receiving a different level of reports. Does Experian report different scores with a wide range of numbers?
- JLD
Checking your own report will not hurt your credit scores
Dear Experian,
Will checking my own credit report through Experian lower my score?
- MZN
Reporting a judgment against a former tenant
Dear Experian,
I have an eviction and financial judgment against a former tenant. Do I need to report it to Experian in order for it to appear on his credit report?
- JNS
Adding an authorized user who has declared bankruptcy
Dear Experian,
If I add an authorized user who filed bankruptcy to my credit card, will that affect my credit scores?
- SDY
The meaning of “too few accounts rated current”
Dear Experian,
What does “too few accounts rated current” mean?
- TJM
Removing closed accounts in good standing from your credit report
Dear Experian,
How do I go about getting old, closed in good standing, credit card accounts off my credit report?
- GRB
Unpaid doctor bills appearing in credit report
Dear Experian,
I am seeing that each time I go to the doctor and I do not pay those bills on time, the bill ends up on my credit report. This has resulted in 10 or more delinquencies, some of which are less than $50 each. How do I consolidate all these bills into one?
- JDY
Ensuring charges sent to collection in error are not in credit report
Dear Experian,
I disputed a charge off on my credit report and have a letter from the company stating the “charges were sent to collections in error,” how can I get this letter to you?
- KLB
Impact of balance transfers on credit scores
Dear Experian,
I have a question about balance transfers. I have a credit card with a balance that I am paying interest on. My husband has an existing credit card balance transfer offer at 0% for 12 months. That card is under his name and it has no balance. If I transfer my balance to his offer, how will that affect our credit score? Also, do any balance transfers affect your credit scores as long as you do not utilize any of the accounts after the transaction?
- STN
Owner-financed mortgage not reported on credit report
Dear Experian,
I purchased a home in November 2011. The owner is carrying the note. I would like to get my payment history reported to you. What does he have to do in order to report my payments so they reflect on my credit report?
- TML
About Ask Experian
Welcome to Ask Experian, hosted by Maxine Sweet, Experian's Vice President of Public Education. The blog responses draw on the knowledge of Experian's experts in credit reporting, credit scoring, direct marketing, automotive history, identity theft and other areas from across the company to answer readers' questions about these and other important topics.