Tag: Credit Score

This one is also about credit, namely how to raise your credit score by asking your creditors for a favor.

Our credit scores are based on the information in our credit reports.  If your overall payment history with a company is good and you make one glaring mistake, you may be able to get the bank or credit card company to delete it from your credit report. Your chances are best if you’re a longstanding customer and it’s clear that the late payment or other blunder was out of character. All you do is call up the company and ask. If the first low-level operator says no, ask for a supervisor.

Simply explain that your overall history with the company is good, point out you are a loyal customer (especially if they make a lot of money off of you), and ask if they would do you the courtesy of removing the offending item from your three credit reports. Creditors have the leeway under the law to perform favors like this.

While you’re on the phone with your new call center friend, ask why the company isn’t reporting positive information about your account that could help your score. Some card companies don’t report credit card limits. Others only report to one of the three credit bureaus. If your account is in good standing, it would be a tremendous benefit to your score if that bank reports the account to all three bureaus. Some of the bureaus may not even know it exists! Scan your three credit reports for discrepancies like this and politely ask –on the phone and in writing—if the bank will delete out-of-character negatives and report helpful positives.

Having a high credit score helps you save money by snagging low interest rates on everything from credit cards to cars to a house.