Why do I have a low credit score?
March 10th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Q: Why do I have a low credit score?
A: Good question, and I'm sure one that many people wonder about. Credit scores were created as a quantifiable way to measure and rate an individual's credit history. There are a number of agencies that create different branded credit scores, and they all use their own secret formula to do so. In general, it's impossible to say exactly how important any single factor is in determining your score, especially since I'm not aware of your credit history. However, most agencies look at the same basic information to create your score, which can be broken down into the following categories:
1. Your payment history. This includes your account payment history (have you been paying your bills on time), the number and degree of past payments that might be overdue, and whether you have any bankruptcies or other public filings in your credit history.
2. The amount you owe. This includes how much you owe, how many accounts you owe on, and your balance ratio (the proportion your balances to total credit limits).
3. The length of your credit history. This includes how long you've had our credit accounts open, the type of accounts they are, and how long it's been since there has been any activity on your accounts.
4. New credit. This includes how many accounts have been opened recently (and the type of account), any recent credit inquiries on your credit file, and whether you've been able to re-establish a positive credit history following past payment problems.
5. Type of credit. This takes a look at how different many types of credit accounts you have. For example, credit cards, mortgages, retail accounts, etc.
If you have issues in any of these categories, it is likely your credit score will be affected. However, I'd like to note that your credit score is not the only factor that creditors look at when determining whether to extend you a loan. See our past blog post to learn what other factors creditors examine prior to issuing a loan.
If you're interested in tracking and improving your credit score over time, consider signing up for a credit monitoring service like IDENTITY GUARD®. Identity Guard provides daily 3-bureau credit report monitoring with email alerts and your credit scores from all 3 bureaus. You'll also have access to Identity Guard's credit analyzer. The credit analyzer lets you try different financial scenarios, like opening a new credit card or paying off your card, to see how your score will change. This is a convenient way to see how the financial actions you take can increase or decrease your credit score. You'll get updated credit scores every 3 months, so you'll be able to see how the efforts you're making improve your score. Right now Identity Guard is offering a free 30-day trial, and then a 15% discount on monthly payments, so it's a great way to test drive the service and see if it's for you.
Can I send a fax to someone who doesn't have a computer, only a fax machine?
March 10th, 2011 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted question:
Q: Can I send a fax to someone who doesn't have a computer, only a fax machine?
A: Yes, you can. The great thing about using an Internet fax service is that the person that receives your fax won't even know the difference. Whether you send your fax via your email account (simply by entering the receiver's phone number as part of the fax service's email address), or using the Internet fax service's web-based interface, it will arrive just like a normal fax. This happens because while the electronic faxes are sent over the 'net, the Internet fax service transmits them to the receiver over the phone lines. All this happens without any special equipment on your part.
For more information about Internet fax services, and to find the one that's right for you, check out our reviews and comparisons.
Do you have to be legally separated to sign up for Match.com?
March 8th, 2011 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted question:
Q: Do you have to be legally separated to sign up for Match.com?
A: Match.com's terms of service simply require you to be "at least eighteen (18) years of age and single or separated from your spouse." There's no specific requirement that one has gone through the legal process. In fact, one of our reviewers had "separated" as their marital status. This is not true of some of the competition; eHarmony does not accept separated individuals, legal or otherwise.
The important thing is to be honest and open in your profile, and your communications with other members. Potential partners will probably want to know not only your current marital status, but how you see it in the future.
You can sign up for a free Match.com membership to try it out. You'll be able to post a profile and see potential matches. You just won't be able to communicate until you become a paid member.
Can you use a Kindle to download books on booksfree or other audiobook services?
March 7th, 2011 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted question:
Q: Can you use a Kindle to download books on booksfree or other audiobook services?
A: Currently the Kindle does not support direct downloading from any of the audiobook subscription sites we've reviewed. You can put audiobooks that you've downloaded onto your PC on the Kindle using wi-fi or USB, however. The best choice is, not surprisingly, Amazon'com's own Audible.com, which has full Kindle support for playing the Audible files. There are specific instructions for that here.
While the MP3 audiobooks from sites like Booksfree can be played on the Kindle, the Kindle's MP3 player is not very advanced, and you won't have the ability to bookmark, pause, or skip forward or back (which would be pretty frustrating).
How do you put a fraud alert on your credit file?
March 7th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Q: Our recently completed taxes have been misplaced or lost. How do we put a fraud alert on our credit file?
A: Placing a fraud alert on your credit files means that the 3 credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian and Transunion—need to use "reasonable policies and procedures" in order to verify your identity prior to opening an account in your name. Typically this means that they will call to confirm your identity and that you requested the account to be opened. Equifax and Experian allow you to place fraud alerts online, however with Transunion you need to call them. The links to each site's fraud alert section are below.
Equifax Fraud Alert
Experian Fraud Alert
Transunion Fraud Alert
If you're worried enough to set fraud alerts, I recommend taking a look at our top rated identity theft protection services, especially since tax forms contain important personal information. The majority of these services monitor for the suspicious or fraudulent use of your personal information, and some even provide credit monitoring and free computer software. Most offer free trials, so you can try them out without risk and see if you find them useful. You also should read our Fraud Alert and Credit Freeze Guide.
As far as faxing a document scanned in, are there 2 steps – the first being to scan to pdf, the second being to attach, or is there 1 step consisting of the MyFax interface actually performing the scan?
March 3rd, 2011 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted question:
Q: As far as faxing a document scanned in, are there 2 steps – the first being to scan to pdf, the second being to attach, or is there 1 step consisting of the MyFax interface actually performing the scan?
A: You're right about the two steps. MyFax can be thought of as similar to a webmail provider like Gmail; it's just there to help you send and receive messages. Simply log in via your web browser, enter the phone number you want to fax to, attach the PDF, and you're ready to go. Of course, there are other options such as cover-letter styles and whatnot, but it's basically a two-step process.
Not to complicate things, but MyFax will also let you send faxes through your regular email client, simply by entering the phone number as part of a special myfax email address. You can even download a special MyFax printer driver for Windows-based PCs that will let you fax right from your scanner's Print menu.
Yahoo! Web Hosting discount: 50% off, no coupon code needed
March 3rd, 2011 - Posted by Kent
We're happy to announce the return of the Yahoo! Web Hosting discount. Get the first three months of hosting for only $4.98 per month. The price goes back to $9.99 afterwards, but it's one of the best web hosts we've reviewed, and is particularly great for beginners. Yahoo!'s interface, site building tools, and customer service are all top notch.
There's no coupon code needed, but you must follow a link from NextAdvisor to Yahoo! to get this discount.
Will an identity theft protection service notify me if someone uses my Social Security number to try to open an account in my name?
March 3rd, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Q: Will an identity theft protection service notify me if someone uses my Social Security number to try to open an account in my name?
A: Our top-ranked identity theft protection services monitor a variety of places, including the Internet and public records, for use of your Social Security number (SSN) and other personal information such as credit cards and bank accounts. You will be notified if any suspicious activity occurs, including the use of your SSN.
IDENTITY GUARD® identity theft protection also includes 3-bureau credit monitoring and free computer software. Identity Guard features a free 30-day trial, and then 18% off the price. You can only get this deal from our site, so if you're interested you can read the review and sign up for the free trial here.
I have 2 Macs and a PC I would like to have back-up for. Would Mozy work for this purpose, or is there a better option?
March 2nd, 2011 - Posted by Kent
The following is an actual user-submitted question:
Q: I have 2 Macs and a PC i would like to have back-up for. Would Mozy work for this purpose, or is there a better option?
A: Mozy does work on Macs, but since it works a little differently, you'll find a separate review for it on our Mac Online Backup review page. However, Mozy may not be the best for your purposes. Mozy is configured to back up one computer only, and while you can add additional computers for $2.00 per month, we haven't yet been able to test how well it deals with both Macs and PCs on one account. SugarSync does a great job of this, because that's what it's built to do. The only drawback with SugarSync is that it's only really set up to back up the basics like documents, music, and photos (but not emails, preferences, etc.); you can have it back up any folder you want, however, you just have to set it up manually. On the plus side, if there are certain files you want to access from each of those computers, SugarSync can keep them all accessible and up-to-date. You might also consider IDrive, though you'll have to move up to the family plan, which is $14.95 per month for 150 GB of online storage for up to 5 PCs.
When you place a fraud alert, do you need to provide your Social Security number?
March 2nd, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Q: When you place a fraud alert, do you need to provide your social security number?
A: Yes, you do. Credit bureaus use your Social Security number (SSN) as a unique identifier for you and your credit file. When you set a fraud alert with a credit bureau, they will ask for your SSN to both confirm you are who you say you are and to locate the your credit report.
If you're concerned enough to want to place a fraud alert on your credit reports, you might want to consider an identity theft protection service. These services help to safeguard your identity by monitoring a variety of places for use of your personal information, including your credit cards, bank accounts and SSN. Some of them even include free computer software. Trusted ID is one of our top-rated services, and will help you set up a fraud alert to boot. Trusted ID has partnered with NextAdvisor to offer an exclusive 14-day free trial, and then 15% discount on their IDFreeze solution. After the the 14-day trial, it's only $7.01 per month (with annual prepay). You can read our independent review and sign up via the Trusted ID page on our site.
Categories
Blog Archives
Popular Services Reviewed:
Credit Monitoring Services |
Find Us On:
Copyright© 2006 - 2012 NextAdvisor.com - All rights reserved.
Disclosure: NextAdvisor.com is a consumer information site that offers free, independent reviews and ratings of online services. We receive advertising revenue from most of the services we review. Our editors thoroughly research and whenever possible test each service we review and offer their honest opinions about each one. We are independently owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own.