Comments on: How I got my credit scores and credit report for free http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/ Personal finance blog for college students, recent graduates and everyone else -- including entrepreneurship -- for getting rich. Featured in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:17:37 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Eddie http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2664 Eddie Tue, 31 Oct 2006 01:10:18 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2664 What i know, consumers can request a credit report from any credit bureau once a year. And what i know with Citi's identity monitoring, even if you cancel on the first month, you arer entitle for the 3in1 credit report and scores from the three major credit bureaus. What i know, consumers can request a credit report from any credit bureau once a year. And what i know with Citi’s identity monitoring, even if you cancel on the first month, you arer entitle for the 3in1 credit report and scores from the three major credit bureaus.

]]> By: John http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2663 John Sat, 19 Aug 2006 10:03:03 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2663 "But Ramit," I said, "why do I need my credit score?" I schedule a reminder to get my free credit report from one of the three providers every four months. This is to catch identity crooks as fast as possible. (No problem yet.) But my credit score is as meaningful as my net worth, which I also don't track, even though it would be easy. So long as you aren't about to buy a mortgage, or possibly finance a car, your credit score does not matter. If you pay your bills on time and keep your debt-to-credit ratio below 75%, your score won't go much below 700. But what's the use of knowing it at all? And frankly, what's the point of maximizing it? An example: I have an enormous amount of credit. Sometimes I'll borrow huge sums of cash at a low rate and invest it at a higher rate. During the period when I have the borrowed cash, my FICO score might drop... but who cares? At that time, I have an enormous pile of cash, and more credit is the last thing I need! When I pay all the cash back, then my FICO score shoots back up, and my access to new credit is restored. So why do I need to know what this number is? I wouldn't give a cent to know. Ok, sure, I'd give a dollar to know, just like I'd give a dollar to watch two minutes of good porn. But it's not meaningful information. It's trivia and amusement. Once you have enough credit to meet your own needs, you don't ever have to think about FICO again. “But Ramit,” I said, “why do I need my credit score?”

I schedule a reminder to get my free credit report from one of the three providers every four months. This is to catch identity crooks as fast as possible. (No problem yet.)

But my credit score is as meaningful as my net worth, which I also don’t track, even though it would be easy.

So long as you aren’t about to buy a mortgage, or possibly finance a car, your credit score does not matter. If you pay your bills on time and keep your debt-to-credit ratio below 75%, your score won’t go much below 700. But what’s the use of knowing it at all? And frankly, what’s the point of maximizing it? An example:

I have an enormous amount of credit. Sometimes I’ll borrow huge sums of cash at a low rate and invest it at a higher rate. During the period when I have the borrowed cash, my FICO score might drop… but who cares? At that time, I have an enormous pile of cash, and more credit is the last thing I need! When I pay all the cash back, then my FICO score shoots back up, and my access to new credit is restored. So why do I need to know what this number is? I wouldn’t give a cent to know. Ok, sure, I’d give a dollar to know, just like I’d give a dollar to watch two minutes of good porn. But it’s not meaningful information. It’s trivia and amusement. Once you have enough credit to meet your own needs, you don’t ever have to think about FICO again.

]]> By: Pete http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2662 Pete Thu, 17 Aug 2006 06:52:52 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2662 Citi has a $40 Credit Protector rebate. The details are found here: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ry7s4" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/ry7s4</a> Is this worth doing? Citi has a $40 Credit Protector rebate. The details are found here: http://tinyurl.com/ry7s4

Is this worth doing?

]]> By: Kevin Franklin http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2661 Kevin Franklin Tue, 15 Aug 2006 07:18:50 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2661 seeker and manseta: he's using the racial stereotype that Indian people (not Native American) are constant hagglers. He's poking fun at himself. seeker and manseta: he’s using the racial stereotype that Indian people (not Native American) are constant hagglers. He’s poking fun at himself.

]]> By: manseta http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2660 manseta Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:30:56 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2660 Ramit, I don’t see any connection between being an Indian and getting/asking something free or promotional offer Ramit, I don’t see any connection between being an Indian and getting/asking something free or promotional offer

]]> By: David Robarts http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2659 David Robarts Wed, 09 Aug 2006 20:13:33 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2659 Providian gives me my credit score for free every month - noting to cancel. Of course this is just one of the agencies, but it's nice to have. It's pretty much the only reason I keep the card - I actually use my rewards card from Citi. Of course if I can't use my Citi card for some reason, Providian gets some business. Providian gives me my credit score for free every month – noting to cancel. Of course this is just one of the agencies, but it’s nice to have. It’s pretty much the only reason I keep the card – I actually use my rewards card from Citi. Of course if I can’t use my Citi card for some reason, Providian gets some business.

]]> By: Stephen Correia http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2658 Stephen Correia Wed, 09 Aug 2006 12:50:30 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2658 I just recently did this as well at www.freecreditreport.com, you can get the Experian report for free, but I chose to pay $24.95 to get the 3-in-1 report. I found that my credit report was 30 pages, that seems too big to me, so I'm going through it now to see if there are any accounts I don't recognize, and if some closed accounts are still listed as active to get that corrected. Thanks for the article. I just recently did this as well at http://www.freecreditreport.com, you can get the Experian report for free, but I chose to pay $24.95 to get the 3-in-1 report. I found that my credit report was 30 pages, that seems too big to me, so I’m going through it now to see if there are any accounts I don’t recognize, and if some closed accounts are still listed as active to get that corrected. Thanks for the article.

]]> By: Graydon http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2657 Graydon Wed, 09 Aug 2006 06:40:02 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2657 Not sure how it affects the overall credit score and such... but if you suspect any type of fraudelent activity (for whatever reason) you can flag your credit record with a fraud alert and all 3 agencies are required to give you your report for free. It also puts a flag up if someone access your credit report because Joe Blow is using your info to finance a car / house / boat. Worth remembering... but I don't know if you would want to do it just to get the free reports. Not sure how it affects the overall credit score and such… but if you suspect any type of fraudelent activity (for whatever reason) you can flag your credit record with a fraud alert and all 3 agencies are required to give you your report for free. It also puts a flag up if someone access your credit report because Joe Blow is using your info to finance a car / house / boat.

Worth remembering… but I don’t know if you would want to do it just to get the free reports.

]]> By: seeker http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2656 seeker Wed, 09 Aug 2006 04:28:05 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2656 ramit.....can you expand on the "Because I'm Indian...." remark ? seems like a rather glib generalisation. ramit…..can you expand on the “Because I’m Indian….” remark ? seems like a rather glib generalisation.

]]> By: Parag http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free/comment-page-1/#comment-2655 Parag Wed, 09 Aug 2006 03:25:23 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-i-got-my-credit-scores-and-credit-report-for-free#comment-2655 "How I got my credit scores and credit report for free"- Ramit I have to admit your are loosing your value as well as the purpose of your Blog by such a LOUSY topic. It is such stale topic.We all receive such offers through phone or mail, so it seems like you made "GREAT" acheievement by writing. Seriously Ramit spend time wisely and educate the readers with something useful and what your Blog says. Sorry for being little harsh, but TRUTH hurts. :) “How I got my credit scores and credit report for free”-
Ramit I have to admit your are loosing your value as well as the purpose of your Blog by such a LOUSY topic. It is such stale topic.We all receive such offers through phone or mail, so it seems like you made “GREAT” acheievement by writing.

Seriously Ramit spend time wisely and educate the readers with something useful and what your Blog says. Sorry for being little harsh, but TRUTH hurts. :)

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