Find Answers to Your Credit Questions
Search the Ask Experian advice column. If you don't find the answers you're looking for, you'll have the chance to ask your specific question.
Ask Experian
Do you have a question about consumer credit? You may find an immediate answer by using the search engine. If you can't find what you're looking for, please fill out the form, being as specific as possible.
Please note: The Ask Experian team cannot respond to each question individually. However, if your question is of interest to a wide audience of consumers, the Experian team will include it in a future column.
Credit Reports and Scores
Having a good credit history is vital in today's economy. A strong credit history enables you to obtain a credit card, home and auto loans and many other valuable credit services. Lenders use credit reports and credit scores to gauge the likelihood that you will pay back a loan. The more you know about credit reports and credit scores, the better prepared you will be to make the right financial decisions.
Learn about the basics of credit reports and credit scores, and pick up some useful tips for building your credit history.
- “Foreclosure” worse than “paid for less than full balance” but not much
- A joint checking account will not influence credit history or scores
- Authorized users and credit scores
- Being turned down for credit does not hurt credit scores
- Broken apartment lease contract can affect your credit report
- CDs, other bank accounts are not part of credit reports
- Car accidents don’t affect your credit report
- Consider entire financial picture, not just credit scores, when deciding whether to close accounts
- Credit reporting account as “Joint” rather than as “Cosigner”
- Credit scores aren’t affected by who closed the account
- Deciding whether to cancel credit cards you don’t use
- Deciding whether to close paid off accounts
- Declination for young adult may be result of federal law but won’t hurt scores
- Effect of short sale and mortgage modification on credit scores
- Explaining what a credit report is and why it is important
- Getting reports from a credit monitoring service won’t hurt your credit scores
- How to find out who has requested your credit report
- Impact of having a repossession reinstated
- Impact of inquires from utilities, cable TV, rent, and cell phones on credit scores
- Inquiry for employment will not affect credit scores
- Insurance inquires do not affect credit scores
- Is it better to pay off one credit card or reduce the balances on two?
- It is wrong for a lender to change accurate, negative information
- Join Experian in live Facebook chat this Friday, April 13
- Late payments in Brazil won’t affect U.S. credit report
- Limited credit history could be preventing mortgage qualification
- Listed as authorized user on mother’s delinquent credit card
- Not paying utility bills and insurance could hurt credit scores
- Paying off all debts will help scores in the long run
- Potential consequences of cosigning an apartment lease
- Repossession remains seven years and can affect credit scores for the entire time
- Score didn’t improve after bankruptcy removed
- Settling a debt will hurt credit scores
- Sharing a merged report with a mortgage customer
- Tax liens and credit scores
- The difference between the three national CRAs and credit scores
- The meaning of “derogatory public record”
- The meaning of “satisfied” and its affect on credit scores
- Unpaid hospital bills can affect your credit
- You don’t need a textbook to learn how to read your credit report
