The Scoop, the Poop, the Truth about those FREE Credit Reports
Let’s keep this short and sweet as it is very simple.
Companies that offer a FREE credit report are offering you a report that is already by federal law FREE to you. They charge you for such things as a membership, credit-monitoring services or some other services. That is how they make their money and in most cases the service they are offering is not needed or can be obtained free as well by the consumer.
Below is information of the federal law, the link, the phone for that 100% FREE Credit Report. This site is sponsored by all 3 bureaus. You can get 1 FREE REPORT ANNUALLY from each bureau. There are 3 bureaus, so order one every 4 months and you have now just covered the full year.
“THIS NOTICE REQUIRED BY LAW. Read more at FTC.GOV. You have the right to a FREE credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228, the ONLY authorized source under federal law.”
I told you it would be short and sassy. If you still have questions or need help with a credit issues, please visit us at Marshrobert.com. MRG provides a suite of Credit Building Tools.
New Credit Score Guidelines for FHA Loans
Richard Van Dyke
MRG Credit Consultant
FHA loans can still be a great deal but there are a few credit related changes for 2011
* Minimum credit score at or above 580 are eligible for maximum 97.5% Loan to Value for FHA financing (3.5% down-payments required with purchases).
* Minimum credit score between 500 and 579 are restricted to 90% Loan to Value for FHA finance options (10% down-payment required).
* Minimum credit score of less than 500 are not eligible for FHA- mortgage loans insured by the government.
* FHA borrowers with a non-traditional credit history or insufficient credit are eligible for maximum financing if they otherwise meet FHA guidelines.
* Borrowers using 203(h), Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Victims, are eligible for 100% mortgage financing and no down-payment is required. However, FHA borrowers must have at least a 500 credit score to be eligible.
Richard Van Dyke , Credit Consultant with MRG, has been a credit specialist for over 15 years with such companies as, Far West Credit, Inc., Land America – Credit Division, Credit Plus, Inc. Richard has also been a successful Real Estate Agent and an owner/operator of a mortgage loan processing center and loan origination division.
High Demanding Jobs of 2011 and Beyond
After three years of being hampered by a recessionary economy, job seekers are tired of guessing which positions are in demand, while hiring managers are sick of turning people away.
In an effort to help the millions of job seekers, Robert Half International (RHI), a staffing firm with a Naperville office, created a cheat sheet detailing the top 11 most sought-after positions for the coming year.
“This list is based on the positions we are filling for our clients,” said Fran Liontakis, regional vice president for RHI’s Naperville office. “These are the jobs that were cut during the economic downturn. Now that businesses are seeing an uptick in business, they are not prepared to go into 2011 and are scrambling.
“These positions enable companies to save money and improve profitability. They improve efficiencies and identify revenue opportunities.” After three years of being hampered by a recessionary economy, job seekers are tired of guessing which positions are in demand, while hiring managers are sick of turning people away.
In an effort to help the millions of job seekers, Robert Half International (RHI), a staffing firm with a Naperville office, created a cheat sheet detailing the top 11 most sought-after positions for the coming year.
“This list is based on the positions we are filling for our clients,” said Fran Liontakis, regional vice president for RHI’s Naperville office. “These are the jobs that were cut during the economic downturn. Now that businesses are seeing an uptick in business, they are not prepared to go into 2011 and are scrambling. “These positions enable companies to save money and improve profitability. They improve efficiencies and identify revenue opportunities.”
Financial analyst
“This is a person who evaluates financial plans, assists with forecasts and budgets and identifies opportunities to boost budgets,” Liontakis said. “At first glance, they can identify an area in the company that is lagging and advise senior management on how to increase revenue flow.” According to RHI, salaries will range from $72,750 to $95,000 per year for mid-sized companies and from $81,500 to $109,750 for large companies.
ERP technical developer
“ERP stands for enterprise resource planning, a function that enables companies to improve efficiency and cut costs by effectively managing resources,” said Liontakis, adding salaries will range from $72,250 to $109,500 per year.
“Companies are moving to ERP systems to make sure they are utilizing every piece of the business efficiently. An ERP developer is someone who customizes the system for the organization, based on the company’s needs.” Read more »
80 Percent of Credit Reports Contain Errors
Your credit report can impact your ability to get good rates on loans, as well as the ability to get a job, keep one and higher home and auto insurance rates.
Since errors may be reflected by some but not all reporting agencies, you should examine reports from Equifax, TransUnion and Experian closely.
Below is information of the federal law, the link, the phone for that 100% FREE Credit Report. This site is sponsored by all 3 bureaus. You can get 1 FREE REPORT ANNUALLY from each bureau. There are 3 bureaus, so order one every 4 months and you have now just covered the full year.
“THIS NOTICE REQUIRED BY LAW. Read more at FTC.GOV. You have the right to a FREEcredit report from AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228, the ONLY authorized source under federal law.”
NEED HELP
Need help building or rebuilding your credit score we at MRG can help: Personal Credit Solution Center
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10 Tips to a Better Credit Score
1. Clear up any errors on your credit report. Incorrect credit limits, late payments, or collection items that aren’t yours may be silently wreaking havoc on your credit score.
2. Always pay your bills on time. Delinquencies have the biggest negative effect on your credit score.
3. Reduce your overall debt. If you don’t have the funds to pay down debt, consider taking a loan from a family member or friend. That doesn’t reduce what you owe.
4. Don’t close unused credit cards accounts. Canceling a card can actually lower your score because it leaves you with less available credit relative to your total debt. It may also shorten your credit history, which will ding your score.
5. Never max out your credit cards. A good rule of thumb is to keep your balances below 30% of your credit limit – even if you pay your accounts off in full each month.
6. Do your loan shopping quickly. Having lots of credit inquiries can decrease your score.
7. Get a Secured Credit Card. You’ll have to dish out an upfront security deposit of at least a couple hundred dollars, which the card issuer holds as collateral. IMPORTANT; Card needs to report to ALL 3 Bureaus monthly. This cards does: Secured Credit Card.
THE BLOOM BOX – Power in a Box
New energy technologies may change the way our homes and offices are powered
Bloom Energy, which was founded in 2002 has already sold its stationary, solid oxide fuel cells to some of the most prominent U.S. companies, including Google, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, eBay, and Fedex. What is just as exciting as the Bloom Box is that the big power companies are too late to buy and hide the technology. Our hats off to Bloom for not selling out and to the companies who were the first in line. They maked a clear statement that they represent a new way of thinking and caring for our big blue ball.
Finding Mr. Right- Picking the Right Merchant Service
MRG provides a suite of business products so it would seem natural that we would want to offer merchant services. Most every merchant has to have the ability to accept credit and debit cards, right? With a good business plan, and a little research we have a good starting point. Working with our client base we peppered them with a few questions like; “how do you like you current service, what kind of fees are you paying and would you be open to looking at a few other options”? I have to say; we were more than surprised as most everyone we spoke with was confused… to the point they were really unclear just what fees they were paying for the services they had. Most were also unhappy with the service in general and felt trapped by the lack of understanding and the fact they were in some cases locked into an agreement.
Read more »
Why Your Business Needs Social Media
What if you could speak directly to your target audience and get them to repeat your messages to everyone in their community? You’ve probably heard that you already can with Social and Digital Media. Think that there isn’t time to engage these type of fads? In actuality, you don’t have time not to do it and your competition already is. What is referred to as “Social Media” is now the #1 activity on the web, spreading information faster than any news organization.
The good news on that front is that it’s not too late to get started. Social and digital media are still in their infant stages and getting started now means being able to evolve with it, as a business owner, community member and even as a consumer. Read more »
Lenders make big money foreclosing on you!
Now I know why Indy Mac/One West Bank would not work with me and foreclosed. This is a must see and please pass on. A lot of good people lost their dream as lenders made a killing. PLEASE VIEW AND PASS ON!
Credit Score Determine Insurance Rates
Important Issues with Realistic Solutions
This Week: Credit Score Determine Insurance Rates
So you lost that career job, or home, had a medical or other emergency that drained your savings or affected your credit score. Just when you thought it could not get any worse, SURPRISE! The latest, here we go; if you have a low credit score you will pay higher insurance rates, sad but true. People who have a lower credit ratings pay an average of 25-35 percent more for home and auto insurance coverage, than those with good credit – even when driving records and recent damage claims on homes are identical.
Rates submitted by the 35 largest auto insurers show that all but two use credit history to help decide whom to sell insurance to and how much to charge. Some companies double the rates for those with poor credit scores. Among home insurers, 19 of the 26 largest companies charge higher rates for low scores, including some who charge 2 ½ times as much. Read more »
Make 2010 a GREEN year
It’s time to do your part and get GREEN in 2010. So much is riding on us all to start taking better care of our environment and do our part. Volunteer your time or at the least simply support your favorite group. MRG is a proud supporters of the American Evergreen Foundation’s “Conservation through Participation” young and community education hands on program. We must all do our part to help so let’s start the NEW decade off the GREEN way and volunteer or support our environment. American Evergreen Foundation usagreen.org
Buying a home/investment, Top five Tips for 2010
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