Many individuals overlook the importance of regularly reviewing their credit report. Your credit report contains far more than a simple credit score number. You may be surprised what landlords and potential employers may discover about you through a simple glance at your credit report. You may also be surprised at the number of inaccuracies you find on your credit report regarding accounts you settled, paid off, or never even opened. Everyone should take the time to review their credit report from each of the main credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.

Your credit report is essentially a map of your life and typically contains the following information: (1) all loans you ever received, (2) all credit cards you ever used, (3) any and all mortgages you have ever been liable for, (4) each and every reported debt (which can even include rental payments you missed), (5) liens on property you own, (6) judgments against you, (7) any bankruptcy petitions you have filed, and (8) any criminal convictions against you. For each and every debt, the credit report will even state that status of the account, i.e. whether or not the account is up-to-date, overdue, paid in full, included in bankruptcy, or in collections/charged off by the lender as uncollectible. For any overdue accounts, the credit report will even state whether or not the account is 30, 60, 90, or 120 days or more past due!

First off, any potential future employers or landlords can take a look at your credit report and decide right off the bat, without ever meeting you, what type of employee or tenant you likely would be. Although it is unlawful for them to discriminate against you based on what they find in your credit report, let’s be real. What they see in your credit report will ultimately shape their thoughts and even first impression of you. What is even more disturbing is the fact that credit reports often times contain errors. Past due accounts you never had or paid off may still be haunting you.

Moreover, many people never take the time to review their credit report and ensure its accuracy until they are being called by debt collectors or sometimes even being sued. Remember that your credit report contains the names of all of your creditors, any debt you owe, and the dates on which you incurred each debt. One of the major problems facing American consumers today is the fact that many are not even aware, no longer recall, or were never informed that they are liable for a debt, whether it was incurred by an authorized user, a debt they thought they settled, or a debt they co-signed for. Many people remain unaware of the debt until they are sued or dealing with the wicked debt collector.

Many times, when a debt collector is calling you, they do not care if you were the victim of identity theft or that you believe you are not the individual liable for the debt. They will harass you all the same. If you wait until you are a named Defendant in a collections lawsuit, you will be forced to hire a lawyer to clear things up.

If you or your loved one is being harassed by debt collectors, call our Orange County Bankruptcy and Collections Defense Attorney today for a free consult. We can help you explore all legal options available to you and make the best possible decision for you and your family.

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