Are you a Junior? Merged Files may be giving you a Bad Credit Score…
Bad credit information can get on your credit report in many ways. This post will examine the issue known as “merged files” - which is what happens when your credit reports contain inaccurate or incomplete information, such as:
- an incomplete address
- you have a jr. at the end of your name - you could be confused with your namesake father
- a very common firstname and surname, such as a John Smith etc
The possibility of suffering from Merged files is very great if you have a common name, because the credit bureaus could easily insert credit information that doesn’t belong to you in your credit file. Of course you could correct the information with the credit bureaus, but the time lost could cost you in more ways than one. The credit bureaus would like to have you believe that the possibility of file mergers are rare - but this couldn’t be any further from the truth.
That’s because the credit bureaus do not verify information, they simply report what they have on file whether that information is accurate or not. When you apply for credit, a snapshot of your credit history is collected - such as loans and credit cards. The credit bureaus may only provide your first name, or the first seven digits of your social security number. Guess what happens if there’s another person in your area with the same first name or first seven ssn digits?
You can protect yourself by reviewing your credit reports periodically. If you have been denied credit when you know you have a decent score, ask to see the information used to qualify you.
Get a free copy of your credit report (minus the credit score) from annualcreditreport.com - remember to say no to all the stuff they try to get you to sign up for.
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