Protect yourself (and save money)

We’ve probably all seen the TV commercials with a guy singing about how he should have gotten his free credit report.  Of course, that particular site may eventually cost you some money if you end up signing up for their service, but there are a number of other free sites that will provide you with the copies of the information various financial institutions have stored in their databases on you.  All of the sites mentioned in this post are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and thus allow you to get a copy of your report once a year.  You can also dispute incorrect data within your report by following the process specified on each site.

And correcting these reports can save you money, since adverse information may cause insurance companies to charge you higher rates (or not offer you coverage at all), could stop a landlord from renting you an apartment, or could even cause you to not be offered a job.

Here are some of the various organizations that are covered by FCRA and the websites or phone numbers that you can access to get a copy of your information (including financial, banking, public records, medical related, and insurance).

• www.annualcreditreport.com or 877-322-8228 – The authorized site and phone number for obtaining one copy per year of your credit report from each of the big three credit bureaus.  One suggestion, get one copy of your report from a single one of the three bureaus every 4 months.  That way you can always keep relatively current tabs on your credit report.
• www.choicetrust.com – Information on how to obtain a CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report from ChoicePoint.  Contains claims information reported by insurers.  Too many claims, and your homeowners insurance may be more expensive or even difficult to get.  If you are considering buying a home, ask the seller to obtain the property’s loss-history report for you.
• 800-627-3487 – A-PLUS report, sold by the Insurance Services Office, contains information reported by most insurerers to the Automobile Property Loss Underwriting Service.
• 866-692-6901 – Order your MIB report, which contains information from about 470 US and Canadian life, health, disability income, critical illness, and long term care insurers, including medical conditions reported on individual (not group) insurance applications, as well as test results from medical underwriting exams.  You actual medical records are not reported.
• 877-211-4816 – Order your IntelliScript report which contains information about the perscription drugs you’ve used over the last five years, including dosage, refills, and prescribing doctors.
• 888-206-0335 – Order your MedPoint report which contains information about the perscription drugs you’ve used over the last five years, including dosage, refills, and prescribing doctors.
• www.consumerdebit.com – Click on “Order Consumer Report” to obtain your Chex Systems report, which contains information on mishandled checking accounts, including information about overdrafts and accounts closed by a bank, including information including your driver’s license number, unpaid amounts, and who wasn’t paid, plus information concerning if the party was finally paid back.
• www.firstdata.com/support/telecheck_home.htm – Click on “TeleCheck Consumer Assistance” to get your TeleCheck report, which contains information on mishandled checking accounts, including information about overdrafts and accounts closed by a bank, including information including your driver’s license number, unpaid amounts, and who wasn’t paid, plus information concerning if the party was finally paid back.
• www.choicepoint.com – Click on “Access to Your Personal Information” to see the information this database has on you, including auto and homeowner CLUE reports, pre-employment background checks, an “Esteem” report if you ever admitted to or were convicting of shoplifting, eviction and public-records search results, as well as national criminal search results.
• www.lexisnexis.com/privacy/for-consumers/request-personal-information.aspx – LexisNexis Person reports, which includes non-public and publicly availalable information on all sorts of things.
• www.fadvsaferent.com/consumer_relations/index.php or 800-815-8664 – To obtain your First Advantage SafeRent report, containing information about your rent payment history, references, credit ratings, criminal records, etc.
• www.rentbureau.com – Click on “For consumers” to obtain information about your rent payment history, references, credit ratings, criminal records, etc.

Bernanke, wife hit by identity thieves

Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke was one of hundreds of victims of an identity fraud ring that stole over $2.1 million from individuals and financial institutions, Newsweek magazine reported on Wednesday.

Apparently,  a thief stole his wife’s handbag, taking with it a family checkbook, credit cards and her identification, according to a police report and court documents. Read the full story here.

If even Bernanke and his family are vulnerable to ID theft, it’s safe to say regular folks like you and me are not immune.

But there are things you can do to protect yourself from ID theft. This what the Federal Trade Commission says:

FIGHTING BACK AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft is a serious crime. It occurs when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft can cost you time and money. It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name.

Each year, millions of Americans have their identity stolen. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, wants you to have the information you need to protect yourself against identity theft. This information is summed up in the FTC’s clear and concise message on identity theft:

Deter, Detect, Defend.

DETER identity thieves by safeguarding your information

DETECT suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements

DEFEND against ID theft as soon as you suspect a problem

While there is no fool-proof way to avoid ID theft, there are steps you can take to minimize your chance of becoming a victim, and steps to take to minimize the damage should a theft occur.

Learn more at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

While we’re on the topic, here are some related ‘Grow Your Green’ articles:
Improve your credit score
Find the best credit card deal
Tech CU Learning Center: ID theft