Getting a copy of your credit report is the easiest first step to take control of your finances. A personal credit report contains details about your financial behavior and identification information. It is an easy-to-read summary of your credit accounts and total debt—both existing balances and available limits. Under federal law you are entitled to a copy of your credit report every twelve months. To obtain your credit report go to www.annualcreditreport.com.
Did you know that April is the official month for promoting financial literacy? Being aware of your credit and where you stand is important all year long, but the next 30 days will be dedicated specifically to educating consumers on all aspects of personal finance from managing your credit, paying off debt and saving for your first home or child’s secondary education to how to invest and plan well for retirement. We know how these topics can be overwhelming and intimidating. It’s one of the reasons that our weekly #CreditChat on twitter and Ask Experian column focuses on these subjects all year round. We want to give consumers the right resources and access to experts in an effort to help consumers change their financial behavior – that is part of our commitment. Join us all month long in our special Google+ hangouts, tweet chats (#CreditChat), and visit our blog for some exciting new resources created just for you!
It’s no surprise that cybercrime and data breaches are hot topics for media and bloggers these days.
Unfortunately, because of all the attention paid to these topics, we’ve seen some inaccurate information about Experian circulating in news outlets and other Web sites.
I want to take a moment to clarify the facts and events, including Experian’s involvement in the case involving Court Ventures, a company that collects and aggregates information from public records; US Info Search, a company that provides location and other data for people and companies; and a criminal named Hieu Minh Ngo.