Q&A Home

• 1. I paid off a debt in early June and now in September, three months later, it still hasn’t showed on my credit report. How long does it take for credit bureaus to report this action and update my credit score?
• 2. If I apply for a car loan with two different lenders, will that lower my credit score?
• 3. How hard is it going to be to get an auto loan after getting repossessed?
• 4. How will a settlement listed as “not paid as agreed” affect my credit score if I have other accounts in good standing?
• 5. I applied for a car loan and was denied because they said I had “write-offs” on my credit. I’ve checked my credit report every year and I have never seen anything about write-offs there. What are “write-offs” and how will I know if I have any on my credit report?
• 6. I filed for bankruptcy 8 years ago; does it still affect my credit score?
• 7. If unable to pay off a credit card, how long until company will charge the debt off?
• 8. I have like 8 credit cards in debt and I want to pay it off all together, but I wanted to know where I can go to see if someone can pay it off for me and if it would cost me?
• 9. Is it a good idea to close unused Credit Cards?
• 10. I got my credit score from CreditXpert, Freecreditreport.com, and Credit Karma and all three had different credit score; what gives?
• 11. Can I do anything about derogatory credit marks on my report that are a result of being listed as an co-signer on another person’s credit card that has defaulted a few times?
• 12. My girlfriend has some credit troubles and, as a result, has a very low credit score. I have a great credit score. If I marry her, will her credit troubles affect my credit score?
• 13. How can I get detailed information on my credit report, such as a list of credit cards and loans in my name or how much debt I owe and to whom?
• 14. My credit score has dropped due to actions on my credit history that I didn’t do, such as loans that I never took out, debt that I already paid off, and late payments on bills that I’ve paid on time. What can I do to fix these errors on my credit report?
• 15. Will checking my credit score via credit karma show up in my credit report and will this negatively affect my score?
• 16. My credit score used to be 819 before buying a house and now its 766, is it normal?
• 17. Which credit bureau and credit score does Credit Karma use for its data?
• 18. I have a bill in collections and I am looking to purhase a home in about 2 1/2 years from now, is it better to pay off this debt or not?
• 19. I have a "thin" file. How will this affect me qualifying for a mortgage loan?
• 20. I believe the credit bureaus have me listed as making less money than I do. How can I get them to accurately report my yearly earnings?