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Credit Basics |
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Debt Management |
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Buying Power |
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Privacy and ID |
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Watch out for credit card scams
With so many different credit cards being marketed these days, it can be difficult to determine if an offer is legitimate or not. There are some good tip-offs for scams, however, such as:
- Offers of easy credit or credit without a credit check. No one can guarantee to get you credit. Before deciding whether to give you a credit card, legitimate credit providers examine your credit report.
- Instructions to call a "900" number to apply for a credit card. You pay for calls with a "900" prefix --and you may never receive a credit card. (The operators, of course, make their money from the telephone calls.)
- Offers that promise a credit card if you send in an application fee. These are "advance fee loan scams" and are illegal.
- Credit cards offered by "credit repair" companies or "credit clinics." These businesses also may offer to clean-up your credit history for a fee. However, you can correct genuine inaccuracies or outdated information yourself by contacting the credit bureaus directly. Remember that only time and good credit habits will restore your credit worthiness.
- Any offer that sounds too good to be true. It almost certainly is. When you consider a legitimate credit card offer, it is always helpful to study the card offer closely, checking the annual fee (if any), the interest rate, term penalty charges, and billing methods. Make sure you agree with all the terms before investing any time in further research.
You never know when identity theft may happen to you. Protect yourself by scanning your report for fraudulent activity before it further affects your credit.
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Credit report monitoring
does not lower your
credit score!
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