Credit Report - Active Duty Alert

[Rugger]

If you are on active duty and going to be away from home for a prolonged period of time, you can have an "active duty alert" put on your credit report which requires creditors to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. If a business sees this alert on your report, per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, it has to contact you or your representative prior to issuing your credit. These alerts can last upto one year.

Info link
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dutyalrt.shtm

Checking your credit report at least yearly isn't a bad idea either - you can get yours for free from each of the national consumer reporting agencies.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com

Cheers -
Rugger

 

[kmac]

Checking your credit report at least yearly isn't a bad idea either - you can get yours for free from each of the national consumer reporting agencies.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com

One word on that... if you're going to get a free credit report, don't pay the extra $$$ to get your credit score. More than likely, it is not the FICO score that would be used by a lender. Also, it can take up to 45 days for a dispute to be cleared (assuming it shouldn't be there). I recently had two lines of my credit report removed which will likely increase my FICO score by as much as 100 points.

Also know that regardless of an active alert, a collection cannot occur while you are deployed. Of course, that would be a big pain in the rear to deal with once you arrive home (as was my case too).

 

[MasterBates]

Also know that regardless of an active alert, a collection cannot occur while you are deployed. Of course, that would be a big pain in the rear to deal with once you arrive home (as was my case too).

Should have paid your bar tab at the strip club..

 

[kmac]

Should have paid your bar tab at the strip club..

Or CPL Retail in Corpus shouldn't have charged me after I moved out of there.

 

[MasterBates]

ooooh.. CPL.. I hate them..

Good thing MWR pays my light bill..

 

[MSkinsATC]

yeah those CPL B@stards got me too!!

 

[MasterBates]

I used TXU my last 2 places in Corpus.. No BS yet.

Although the guys that came in behind me that I left the power on could not be bothered to switch it to their name, and ran me up a $80 electric bill in 12 days.. So I had them turn them off.