as your identity ever been threatened or even stolen? I've recently had a charge appear on my credit card bill that was fradulent but that is as close as I've come to having my identity stolen.
We've met with a client who has had their identity stolen. Our client was applying for a mortgage refinance on their home. Their credit score was affected by derrogatory accounts that they never created. None of this they realized until they applied for credit themselves. Their mortgage process was "on hold" untuil they could get the accounts straightened out. This is why it is so important to check your own credit report once a year. The Federal Trade Commission has set up a way for you to check your own credit for free annually. Your credit score is also available if you want to pay a little extra. It is advisable to check all three credit reporting agencies as each might carry different information than the other agency or accounts that may show up on one bureau and not another. The website to navigate to is : http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ This is the website the government agency has set up for the consumer's use. Other sites may have a similar name and charge fees to obtain your credit report.
Visit the FTC's website for more information about identity theft and how thieves on the prowl retrieve your valuable information. http://www.ftc.gov/
For more information about credit issues and identity theft call our office 321-243-4917 - People's First Financial Services or email me, JoAnn Young at JoAnn@PeopleComeFirst.net
