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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1998)
S ile tz N ew s Programs Page 6 Credit reports and the loan process LISA BROWN SBIC Business Counselor mportant information is contained in a personal credit report. If you are not sure what is on your credit report, and have been denied credit in the past you may request a free copy of your credit report by submitting the following information to one of the agencies listed below: I Names of Credit Reporting Agencies, TRANS UNION Credit Corp. PO Box 390 Springfield, PA 19064-0390 800-888-4213 EQUIFAX Credit Info. Services PO Box 105873 Atlanta, GA 30348 800-685-1111 EXPERIAN Credit Report Request PO Box 9530 Allen, TX 75013 800-682-7654 The general fee for obtaining your credit file is $8 for a single, or $16 for joint (husband & wife). This cost can vary from agency to agency. Under Federal law you are entitled to a FREE copy of your credit report if you have been: • Denied credit in the past 60 days* * • You are receiving welfare • You are unemployed • Are a victim of fraud "Verification of denial must be included with request., The following information needs to be included with your written request: • Full name - Including middle initial and/or generation, such as JR, SR, II, III • Complete current address including ZIP • Verification of current address - such as photocopy of drivers license, utility bill, etc. • Social Security number . • Date and year of birth • If married - include spouses name, social security number, and date/year of birth • Signature(s) • To ensure accurate credit file/match, include previous addresses for past 5 years • Include current daytime and evening phone numbers If you have received a credit report, and you disagree with the findings, you also have the right to explain adverse credit with any or all creditors by submitting a CONSUMER STATEMENT to the credit reporting agencies. Statements must be 100 words or less. There is no'cost to you. You also have the right to dispute any information in yourcredit file that is not reported accurately, by submitting a LETTER OF DISPUTE to the credit reporting agencies. An investigation will be conducted regarding your concem(s). By law, any unverifiable or inaccurate information MUST be removed. QUESTIONS????? Contact SBIC~Lisa Brown at 444-8255 or 1-800-922-1399 CREDIT & DEBT CONSOLIDATION AGENCIES ________________ The media is loaded with advertisements of these agencies, which make promises to "fix bad credit" or remove detrimental information from your credit report. These agencies usually require a fee, which can run anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, with no actual promise of what they can actually accomplish. You may pay for this service, have several items removed, pay the fee, but still have the most damaging item left on your credit report. The most significant problem with these services is that you as a consumer can usually accomplish the same thing, without incurring a fee! The burden of proof is upon yourself, and it is ultimately the business who reported the information, that has the power to agree with your claim, and have the information removed from your report. You may be able to convince the lending institution to remove the information, by writing a CONSUMER STATEMENT or submitting a LETTER OF DISPUTE. If you need help dealing with your debts, you may want to contact a Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS). This is a non-profit organization with more than 850 offices located in 50 states. CCCS counselors will try to arrange a repayment plan that is acceptable to you and your creditors. These services are offered at little or no charge to you. Try checking the White Pages of yoUr telephone directory, or call 800-388- 2227 to get the telephone number ¿of the CCCS office located closest to your area. A r BUSINESS RESEARCH - WEB SITES American Business Resources, Inc. http://www.vtinet.com/abr/index.htm Business Matchmaker http://www.nbia.org/csa.htm Business @Home Magazine http://www.gohome.com Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.stats.bis.gov Chamber of Commerce America http://www.worldchamber.cbm/america.html Center for the New West http://www.newwest.org Dun & Bradstreet Info Services http://www.dnb.com Family/Coupie-owned businesses http://www.boomer-house-books.com Homeworks Homepage http://www.homeworks.com Information Technology http://www.nist.gov/itl National Association of Counties http://www.naco.org National SBDC Research Network www.sbdc@snycenum.bitnet Native Web Home Page http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/nativeweb Patent & Trademark Office http://www.uspto.gov Rural Economic/Community Revitalization http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ Small Business Administration http://www.www.sbaonline.sba.gov Small Business Advocate (SBA) http://www.sba.cov/ADVO/news/ Small & Home-based Business: http://www.racom/small-business/homebased.html SoHb Central—HOAA Homepage http://www.hoaa.com Stateof Small Business, 1997 http://www.inc.com/vtopic.vts Telecommuting, Teleworking & Alternative Officing http://www.gilgordan.com Telluride<lnforZone> http://www.telluride.co.us/lnfoZone.html The Council of State Governments-West http://www.csg.org/regions/west/index.html US Census Bureau http://www.census.gov US Business Advisor http://www.business.gov USDATA: Local Market Data Resource http://www,usadata.com US WEST Home Office Page: http://www.uswest.com/products/equipment/details/homereceptionist/index
