Category: Credit

A credit card lawsuit can be pesky. It can make your life hell. The legal paperwork, the excruciating trials, attorney fees, etc. can create turbulence in your mind. But above all these things, there is yet another sector that can derail your already unstable financial life. And that is your credit score.

Creditors file a lawsuit against you when you have not shown any sign of making payments on your delinquent debts for almost 180 days. Initially, creditors will send your account to the in-house collection department. You get collection calls from the in-house collection department for several days. Even when you refuse to make payments even then, creditors decide to file a lawsuit against you.

But how does a lawsuit affect your credit score? Delinquent debts have already dropped your credit score by now. A further blow to your credit score could throw you off guard, which can be fatal.

Well, don’t panic. In this post, we will tell you how a lawsuit affects your credit score and what you can do about it. Knowledge is your greatest weapon. It can help you to fight the biggest battles smartly.

How a lawsuit affects your credit score

Well, Equifax and Experian don’t report lawsuits to credit reports. This means they don’t hurt your credit score. However, there is a catch.

If you don’t answer the summons, then creditors can win the case easily. In that case, the judge will issue a default judgment against you, which gets reported to credit bureaus and ultimately to your credit report. This hurts your credit score.

Bankruptcy, tax liens, and judgments can drop your credit score by 150 points or more. So, if your current credit score is 700, then a judgment can pull down your credit score to 550. Jeez! That’s a big drop in your credit score.

What if you respond to the credit card lawsuit? Well, if you give a reply to the lawsuit and attend the court hearings, then your precious credit score won’t drop until the case is resolved.

The judicial system has its way of working. It could take several months or years to resolve a case. There won’t be any effect on your credit score until your credit card lawsuit is resolved successfully. If you lose the case and the judge issues judgment against you, then your credit score will drop by about 150 points. If you win a lawsuit and the court doesn’t issue a judgment against you, then your credit score won’t drop. But that doesn’t mean your credit score will go up either. Your credit score won’t increase until you build positive credit.

How to build positive credit

When your credit score is low due to judgment or delinquent debts on your credit report, you can use the following tips to rebuild your credit.

1. Reduce the credit utilization ratio by paying off debts.
2. Make timely payments on your credit card bills.
3. Remove inaccurate negative information from your credit report.

How to avoid a credit card lawsuit

A credit card lawsuit is not good for you – both emotionally and financially. So you should always try to avoid a credit card lawsuit by all means. Here’s how you can do that

1. Pay your credit card bills on time.
2. Take care of your delinquent debts before creditors file a lawsuit.
3. Use effective get out of debt strategies to save money and avoid a lawsuit.

Conclusion

A judgment affects your credit score and appears on your credit report for 7 long years. That is quite a long time. If a creditor or a collection agency has filed a lawsuit against you, then consult an attorney and give a reply to the summons within 21 days. This may help to avoid judgment for some time and safeguard your credit score.

Hey buddy! Do you remember every store or website where you have swiped your card? I know that this might not be possible for you! But you know what? Thieves and hackers can strike anywhere and at any time!

Yes, you heard it right! I think barely a month goes by without seeing a major data breach hitting the news headlines! By the way, is your financial data safe?

If you have any doubt, then you should be more cautious to safeguard your information to prevent identity theft. And take some concrete steps to take if you are already a victim!

So, here we have listed some of the best possible measures you can take to protect your credit from identity fraud!

Let’s start!

Freeze your credit

A credit freeze can help you protect yourself from identity theft by blocking access to your credit reports. You need to inform all three major credit reporting bureaus to restrict access to your records. As such, new credit lines cannot be opened unless and until you unfreeze your account.

Let me tell you, freezing and unfreezing your credit at each bureau comes free of cost! Usually, you need to provide your Social Security Number (SSN), birth date, etc. that confirms your identity. You can use a PIN or password to unfreeze your credit when you need it!

Go through your credit report at least thrice a year

The baby step to protect your credit from identity theft is to stay informed! You can get a free credit report from each of the credit bureaus once a year.

To stay well-informed about your credit reports, you can get a report from one bureau at the beginning of the year, another in the middle, and another at the end of the year.

But why would you do so?

If you check your credit reports often, you can identify any odd activity that might pop up. We have listed some of the identity theft red flags that you should look for in your credit reports:

• Sudden activity on your inactive account
• A new line of credit which you haven’t opened
• Wrong personal information
• The credit inquiry you have not applied for

If you see something odd in your credit report, you need to take immediate action! You have the right to dispute any incorrect information.

Contact the concerned credit bureau along with supporting documents so that they can look into the issue asap!

Enroll in a credit monitoring service

Are you eligible for free credit monitoring?

Well, if you are not, you don’t need to worry! You can purchase credit monitoring! You can find many credit monitoring companies that will charge you a monthly fee of around $30. However, I would suggest you review the services included before signing up with a credit monitoring company.

But what is meant by credit monitoring?

Well, credit monitoring keeps a tab on your credit reports and alerts you of any changes to them. If someone tries to use your data to open a credit account, you can know right there instead of any data breach later on! You can enroll in a credit monitoring service for credit card fraud protection.

Don’t access any unsecured Wi-Fi network

You might be enticed to access the free Wi-Fi while taking a sip of your cup of coffee in a cafe! But you should refrain from using these public Wi-Fi networks because it’s unsecured! Anyone using that same open network can get access to your information.

I would suggest you wait until you get home! But make sure to secure your home WI-Fi with a strong password. Also, anyone can hop onto your network and access your information. Don’t give a fraudster any opportunity to steal your information!

Protect your computer

You can protect yourself from identity theft by doing the following things on your computer or smartphone,:

• Use a firewall and a secure browser
• Don’t download any files from unauthorized sources
• Don’t use a free of cost internet security or antivirus
• Use a separate password for any personal or financial information
• Don’t create a password that is based on your available data (like your date of birth, anniversary date, etc.)
• Stay away from opting for the auto-login process (which stores your login information)
• Most importantly, when disposing of your computer, make sure to delete all your personal information and overwrite the hard drive.

Don’t use your debit cards for online purchases

Do you use debit cards for your online purchases? Now, let’s say that your debit card information is hacked due to your stolen identity. And some purchases are made without your knowledge. If you want to get your money back, you have to take up the issue with your bank. Whereas, with a credit card, the card issuer will fight to get your money back.

There are two laws to protect you if your card information is stolen or fraudulent transactions have been made

• • In the case of debit card transactions, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) is applicable. You will have up to 60 days to report a lost or stolen card under EFTA. After that, you will lose whatever money you have lost!
  • On the other hand, for credit cards, your maximum liability for fraudulent transactions is $50.
    If there is a fraudulent transaction on your credit card, you don’t lose any money.
    You need to report the fraud to the credit card company and they will credit back the amount to your account. Most likely, the issue will never affect your bank account!

However, you need to use your credit cards wisely like making payments on time, keeping your credit utilization ratio lower, etc. Else, you might be vulnerable to falling prey to the debt trap

But what if you are already a victim of stolen identity?

If you are already a victim of identity theft, you can contact the major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit reports. This way, you can give a heads-up to potential lenders and creditors that someone might be trying to use your credit to apply for credit.

A fraud alert is a statement in your credit report that alerts anyone viewing reports that they may be a victim of fraud or identity theft. This alert can lead creditors to perform more thorough vetting before extending the credit line in your name.

Usually, a fraud alert lasts from about 90 days to 7 years and notifies the creditors to confirm your identity before taking action on your credit.

So, what are you thinking?

Check whether or not your data is safe at the earliest! If you think that you are vulnerable to identity fraud, take the proper action immediately!

People normally start building their credit with a disadvantage. Initially, there’s no credit in their pocket, so they’ll use credit to build credit, and with no substantial credit history. But initially, it’s quite hard to get loans or get approved for credit cards….. If you’re under 18 and have zero credit history. You can’t even legally get a credit card in your name.

But here I am sharing with you some amazing credit building tips that might help you to build credit even if you are below 18. Let’s start building good credit and learn how to maintain it properly.

1. Find a job

Getting a job isn’t directly helpful for building credit. But being employed and earning money is important in qualifying for credit. With long experience in your workplace, your chances are greater to grab a better, higher-paying job in the future. So, it is better to get a job as early as you can.

As per the CARD Act of 2009, students and teenagers, who can show their affordability to repay debts before, can open a credit card account. Having a job will help you with that. When credit card companies find that you have a decent job with a long work history, you are more likely to get a credit card.

2. Start with a checking account

A checkbook isn’t as attractive as you can swipe your credit card. However, somewhere down the line, you know that it can be a great way to learn the basics of budgeting. Teenagers should start with a checking account and a debit card. Keep practicing to become frugal and then use a credit card.

Many banks and credit unions may offer you “minor” or “student” checking accounts. The accounts are offered with lower fees than normal accounts. You may add a debit card to the checking account if your parents feel that you are prepared to handle it.

3. Prepare a budget

You, being a teenager, must learn how to create a budget. It is a very simple method; all you have to do is to prepare a strategy for how to allocate money that is coming. You should also keep in mind that tracking your spending is necessary. This will help you to compare what your budget was and what you have spent every week or month.

4. Being a co-signer

Federal legislation now requires anyone aged 18 or under to have a parent or guardian co-sign their credit card application. If you are now in your teenage years and below 18, ask your parents to be your co-signer. The catch is your parents will also be responsible for people paying off bills.

It is better if both you and your parents trust each other. And it is your duty as a teenager to use and pay the bills responsibly.

5.Get a secure credit card

To build credit as a teenager, kids have another good option – getting a secured credit card. Such a card will need a security deposit which is practically the credit limit of the card. For example, a security deposit of $1000 means you have a credit limit of $1000 to use. This secured credit card can be used as a normal credit card to make payments and improve credit scores.

It’s much easier to qualify for a secured credit card. If you use it responsibly, it can help you to build good credit. Card providers might even increase your credit limit or offer you an unsecured credit card after a while if you use the card responsibly

6. Get a prepaid debit card

It’s not a credit card, but it may act like one. A prepaid debit card will provide teenagers with the ultimate risk-free experience of using a card. As the name says, you have to pay before using the card; your funds will be stored in the debit card account as a deposit, which is practically your spending limit.

A prepaid debit card might charge fees to maintain the account. Prepaid cards also don’t report the user’s spending activity to credit bureaus. They also do not impact your credit score. That’s why it is not helpful for building credit for teens. But, these cards are good for teenagers who have a tendency to overspend. Before using an actual credit card, those teenagers should practice how to use a card responsibly. Prepaid debit cards can help teenagers to control their spending and live within the limit.

7. Set guidelines for credit card use

Using credit cards requires responsibility and proper guidance. It is a long-term responsibility necessary to build and maintain your good credit. So, to build credit, you must set up a few guidelines to use credit cards responsibly. Pay your bills on time, carry a low balance, and pay off your balance in full. Decide on a cap for how much your teen kid spends each month and how you’ll monitor that. Ask your teen to keep a calendar of credit card payment deadlines and try to make his/her payment at least a week before to avoid late fees.

Endnotes

“Do your best not to carry a balance on the card. If you carry a balance and make only the minimum monthly payment, it can take decades or more to pay off the debt,” suggested David Levy, Editor at Edvisors Network. “Late payments result in late fees, and some credit card issuers will increase your interest rate if you’re late with a payment. Making payments on time will help you build a good credit history.”

For many years, dealing with frozen credit accounts was a headache for all credit card users. Fortunately, today if you have somehow frozen your credit, you have a few new options to explore. Yes, you can easily unfreeze your credit. But for that, you may need to follow certain expert advice.

But first, you must know what a credit freeze is and why it is happening.

What is a credit freeze?

A credit freeze or security freeze gives you the option to restrict access to your credit report. For this reason, identity thieves can’t access or open your credit report to create new accounts in your name. It’s good to freeze your credit if you are experiencing an identity theft issue or fraud. But it also has a negative impact too. Most creditors need to see your credit report before approving a new account. If they can’t access your report, they won’t extend the credit.

Once your credit is frozen, you may still apply for a loan or a credit card. The funny thing is your application practically won’t be approved by lenders or credit card companies. The reason is that as your credit profile is frozen, your credit report will not be accessible by any third party due to the block.

So, without a proper credit check, a potential lender won’t approve your loan application. You might be thinking that it will be treated as a hard inquiry and hurt your score.

No, it won’t hurt your credit. There was no hard inquiry at all as the lender couldn’t get his hands on your credit profile. However, for your future applications, you need to unfreeze your credit and try again.

Here’s how to find out at each credit bureau whether your credit is already frozen or not.

How to check if your credit is frozen

FAQ on freezing and unfreezing credit

Now, once you know that your credit is frozen, the first thing you should do is to contact your credit bureau and ask some questions.

These are the questions and answers that may help you in this situation:

#What are the options available for unfreezing credit?

You can lift your credit freeze for a certain period, after that, it will be automatically reinstated. You have the option to lift the freeze permanently. However, it can make your credit profile vulnerable to criminal activity. Credit expert, John Ulzheimer, suggests that you may unfreeze your credit for 7 days, for most credit card applications and loans. If you are getting approved for a mortgage, unfreeze the credit until your closing date.

#How do you unfreeze the credit?

As I said earlier, once you lift the freeze on a temporary basis, it will again become frozen at the end of the time period. However, if you permanently lift the freeze, it won’t be refrozen automatically. You just need to refreeze your account just like when you were freezing your credit for the first time.

#Is it possible to get approved for a loan or credit with a freeze on your account?

Practically, you will not get approved for a loan or credit card with a freeze on your account. Creditors will fetch your credit report before deciding on your application. So, once they can not reach your credit profile due to the freeze, they won’t approve your application at all.

But there are exceptions. You may choose not to freeze your credit in all three credit bureaus at a time. This way the creditor can check any one of your credit reports where your credit is not frozen. Apart from that, you may also apply for a “no-credit-check” loan or credit line.

#Does a credit freeze affect your credit score?

A credit freeze does not affect your credit score. There are a few other things that
a credit freeze does not prohibit:

• You may receive your free annual credit report.
• You can open a new account after lifting the freeze temporarily. Feel free to lift the freeze and feel free to place it again. As per USAToday on sept. 21,2018 – “a new federal law allows people to freeze and unfreeze their credit at the three major credit bureaus without being charged. Before, it cost consumers in almost half the states $3 to $12 per bureau to freeze or unfreeze their credit reports.”
• You may apply for a new job, rent an apartment, or buy insurance coverage. Your credit freeze won’t impact these cases.
• Credit freeze can’t keep you safe from being a victim of further fraud. A thief or a fraudster can charge your existing accounts if he/she gets all of your data. You still need to monitor your bank accounts, credit cards, and insurance statements regularly to identify any fraudulent activity.

#Can anyone check your credit report when it is frozen?

Certain authorities may access your credit profile even if it’s frozen:

• Your credit report is accessible to your existing creditors and to the debt collectors.
• Federal agencies and government authorities may also access your credit report if they require it. For that, they need to show you proper court orders or administrative orders and a search warrant.

Endnotes

As per consumer.ftc.gov – If you opt for a temporary lift because you are applying for credit or a job, and you can find out which credit bureau the business will contact for your file, you can save some time by lifting the freeze only at that particular credit bureau. Otherwise, you will need to request all three credit bureaus.

This way you may customize when to unfreeze your credit. Freezing your credit is quite effective to prevent criminal activities such as identity theft. You can choose to unfreeze for a specified time period, after which the freeze automatically resumes.

#Why did the credit score drop?

#How to improve your credit score quickly

Check for errors

Pay off your credit cards on time

Minimize your hard inquiries

Keep balancing your credit portfolio

Lower your debt ratio

Check credit history length

Ask for a higher credit limit

Become an authorized user

Seniors maintain a different spending pattern based on their priorities and financial needs. This spending pattern is quite different from the pattern that young people normally follow. The reason behind this difference is seniors live on a fixed income throughout their life, practically on their retirement funds, Social Security benefits, etc.

After retirement, seniors still have need of money each month to pay for their critical expenses. To fulfill that need, seniors also require specialized credit cards to make transactions.

If you’re a senior individual and require a specialized credit card, you can check out the below-given list of some of the best credit cards for seniors available in the market.

1. AARP credit card

This one is the best, as per the market review. Andy Misek of the website Finance Guru suggests that seniors can use the AARP credit card from Chase as it is specifically made for seniors.

He also explained that seniors may get 3% cashback on gas, 1% on groceries, and eating out. You also get $100 back after you spend $500 in the first 3 months. The card has a 0% APR for the first year and 16.49% after that. It also charges a 3% foreign transaction fee,

This is the best credit card for seniors who love to dine out in restaurants. Apart from that, each time you use your specialized credit card at any restaurant, 10 cents will be donated as charity to AARP.

2. Chase Slate

This card is specially made for seniors who like big names. The Chase Slate is a big bank, allowing you a 0% APR for the first 15 months for all purchases and balance transfers. And guess what! This will give you the option to transfer balances made within the first 60 days absolutely free.

After the introductory period, the APR maybe 13.24% to 23.24%. Seniors can get a monthly FICO score for free, without any annual fee and/or overdraft fee. Apart from that, this card has a 3% foreign transaction fee.

3. Chase Sapphire Preferred

Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of the best travel credit cards for seniors. It offers the option to earn and transfer points to other loyalty programs. The card is popular among seniors as it can transfer points at a 1-to-1 ratio to airline and hotel travel. This specialized credit card gives you 2 points per dollar benefits for seniors on travel and dining.

4. Blue Cash Preferred From American Express

This card offers a rewards program on your first $6,000 of purchases in the first year. Seniors will get 3% back at U.S. gas stations and selected department stores. All the other purchases earn you 1%.

The card has an introductory 0% APR. Later the rate will be changed. It also has an annual fee of $75 and 2.7% of the balance will be charged as a foreign transaction fee.

5. Capital One Venture Rewards

Do you travel a lot? If yes, then the best option for you to be a senior is the Capital One Venture Rewards card. Seniors can accumulate ‘miles’ on every ticket they purchase using this card. Points can be redeemed on airline travel, except on blackout dates.

This card offers 2x miles for every dollar spent. Seniors may get a 50,000-mile sign-up bonus if they can spend $3,000 within the first three months.

6. Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

Seniors may plan to travel after their retirement. If you are one of them and need a specialized credit card with good benefits to ease up your travel experience, this is the one you are looking for. The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard provides you with 40,000 bonus miles if you spend $3,000 within 3 months. It also gives you 2x miles on all purchases and 5% of your miles back when you redeem the miles.

The card comes with a 0% APR for 12 months if you opt for a balance transfer within the first 45 days. After that, it goes to 16.24% or 20.24%, considering your creditworthiness. The foreign transaction fee is 0%, but after the first year, you have to pay $89 as an annual fee.

7. Citi Double cash card

One of the best credit cards for seniors that takes entry into almost all of the top credit card lists. You’ll get a 1% cashback on every purchase. When you pay off your credit card bill, you’ll receive another 1%.

A 0% APR is applicable for the first 15 months, then the rate will increase between 13.24% and 23.24%. The card has a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Conclusion

Credit cards are the most useful money tool in the present era. If we use it responsibly and skillfully, it can help us get great deals, and also save money. Being a senior you must use it as per your need but remember, if it falls in the wrong hands it can lead to financial hardship. After retirement, it’s not wise to experience financial issues due to your foolishness and irresponsibility. As long as you pay your balance in full each month and spend within your means, you are the happiest guy in the world! Enjoy.