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Credit-reporting companies know more than they tell you
Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 02/03/2013 | Jeff Gelles

Posted on 02/03/2013 11:52:41 AM PST by Kid Shelleen

--snip-- It's the biggest privacy breach in our time, and it's legal and no one knows it's going on," one critic, who runs an employment-background firm, told Sullivan. "It's like a secret CIA."

As a frequent critic of the credit-reporting system, I'm heartened when others are shocked at disclosures about the industry's practices. But here's the truly scary thing: If you ask some of the lawyers and privacy advocates who pay even closer attention, the Equifax disclosures don't seem so shocking.

"If people are outraged by this, they should be outraged by the whole idea of credit reporting and background checks,"

(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: creditreporting
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1 posted on 02/03/2013 11:52:45 AM PST by Kid Shelleen
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To: Kid Shelleen

Bump.


2 posted on 02/03/2013 11:56:53 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Hope and Change has become Attack and Obfuscate.)
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To: Kid Shelleen

Want to try something totally shocking, try not living in debt. Zero credit rating, nobody can steal your ID and borrow on it.

And, your free...


3 posted on 02/03/2013 11:59:43 AM PST by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: Kid Shelleen

The only people who would be outraged by the whole idea of credit reporting are the deadbeats.


4 posted on 02/03/2013 12:01:17 PM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
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To: Kid Shelleen

Their opinion of my credit-worthiness doesn’t affect me in the slightest. Why would I want to rent somebody else’s money?


5 posted on 02/03/2013 12:04:35 PM PST by LearsFool ("Thou shouldst not have been old, till thou hadst been wise.")
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To: Kid Shelleen

I was turned down for a job because my credit rating was “0”, the banker the company used, told me that most people make the mistake of canceling their credit cards instead of keeping a balance. Interesting.


6 posted on 02/03/2013 12:10:26 PM PST by notted
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To: Kid Shelleen

“What difference does it make?!”

I’ve got too many credit cards, use only two of them, paying them off every month, get offers for others and blank checks all the time, and never think of this “credit rating”, which, if you don’t know, is a “product” invented, when? 20 years ago (?) to sell to worrywarts like you.


7 posted on 02/03/2013 12:16:54 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: BenLurkin

> The only people who would be outraged by the whole idea of credit reporting are the deadbeats.

And the deadbeats usually put down false info on their credit apps anyway so it works to their advantage when people try to catch up with them later. If you take away credit reporting...what are you supposed to just hand out funds just because the applicant looks nice? Conmen and their accomplices are usually attractive people and for some reason most dummies believe what they say and like them (at first until they get conned by them). No. Credit reporting is in place because its consists of historical information on whether that applicant is trustworthy and financially responsible and that’s the type of people you want to lend to - people that will pay you back. Lenders lending money without having it repaid would go out business in no time. Of course, lowering standards is exactly what got us on the current chaotic economic mess we’re in, in the first place but try telling that to a deadbeat liberal and all common sense flies out the window because they just want what they want like a spoiled child that eats sweets all the time then wonders why the weigh 350 lbs when they become an adult. Dumb actions have consequences.


8 posted on 02/03/2013 12:21:55 PM PST by jsanders2001
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To: Kid Shelleen
bought a car last year, my score was 805 and i got a 1.9% loan...

i keep two cards, one i put everything on and pay off monthly, the other i have for segregated use, certain events or vacations etc so i can see everything associated at once and not have to sift through all the other purchases

9 posted on 02/03/2013 12:22:10 PM PST by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: BenLurkin

> The only people who would be outraged by the whole idea of credit reporting are the deadbeats.

And the deadbeats usually put down false info on their credit apps anyway so it works to their advantage when people try to catch up with them later. If you take away credit reporting...what are you supposed to just hand out funds just because the applicant looks nice? Conmen and their accomplices are usually attractive people and for some reason most dummies believe what they say and like them (at first until they get conned by them). No. Credit reporting is in place because its consists of historical information on whether that applicant is trustworthy and financially responsible and that’s the type of people you want to lend to - people that will pay you back. Lenders lending money without having it repaid would go out business in no time. Of course, lowering standards is exactly what got us on the current chaotic economic mess we’re in, in the first place but try telling that to a deadbeat liberal and all common sense flies out the window because they just want what they want like a spoiled child that eats sweets all the time then wonders why they weigh 350 lbs when they become an adult. Dumb actions have consequences.


10 posted on 02/03/2013 12:22:10 PM PST by jsanders2001
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To: Kid Shelleen

I put a credit security freeze in place years ago. It blocks any inquiries into your credit rating. It’s a good way to prevent ID theft, since no one can get credit in my name. I’d have to jump through several hoops to unfreeze it, which is a good thing.


11 posted on 02/03/2013 12:25:25 PM PST by Ken H
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To: American in Israel

I’ve reverted to using cash for day-to-day purchases.


12 posted on 02/03/2013 12:25:37 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Kid Shelleen

In the last few paragraphs there is a puff piece about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - this new federal agency which will be in place to protect us from the evils of those nasty error-prone credit-rating agencies!


13 posted on 02/03/2013 12:32:19 PM PST by Ken522
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To: Ken522

Uh huh or push them out of the buiness and take over it.


14 posted on 02/03/2013 12:36:21 PM PST by jsanders2001
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To: BenLurkin
“The only people who would be outraged by the whole idea of credit reporting are the deadbeats.”

Way over 50% of credit reports are full of misinformation that can cost you a job. It also raises the price of car and homeowners insurance you will pay. Low credit score means you pay more.

Half of the uses of credit reports has nothing to do with getting a loan or credit.

15 posted on 02/03/2013 12:42:20 PM PST by Beagle8U (Free Republic -- One stop shopping ....... It's the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: American in Israel

Yep. Went ot buy a Mercedes 12 years ago on credit.

They wanted to know how I had managed to live without any loans or redit cards, except the loan on a car from 20 years prior, which they noted I paid off early.

Told em I didn’t care for the interest and no one calls me for anything except donations or to sell me credit cards.

They offered me a lease with a serious amount if cash down. I laughed and told them having a mercedes isn’t that important. Besides, I could buy a new car for what they were asking.

Went down to Ford that afternoon and drove off with a new Taraus, cash, debt free....


16 posted on 02/03/2013 12:45:07 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: Kid Shelleen

Of course if you DON’T MAKE A HABIT of borrowing money every time it’s offered to you, there’s really not much that these agencies can do to you.

But then borrowing is the AMERICAN WAY, I guess...


17 posted on 02/03/2013 12:54:56 PM PST by BobL
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To: Kid Shelleen

“Credit-reporting companies know more than they tell you”

Gee, ya think?

I’d like to meet a FReeper who was surprised by this....


18 posted on 02/03/2013 1:08:50 PM PST by Chad N. Freud
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To: American in Israel

Yes live debt free. It can be done and it brings freedom. Debt is a racket and those that engage in lending to create debt are unfortunately in control of a lot of people’s lives.


19 posted on 02/03/2013 1:20:37 PM PST by Hostage (Be Breitbart!)
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To: American in Israel
"Want to try something totally shocking, try not living in debt. Zero credit rating, nobody can steal your ID and borrow on it."

They keep a dossier on you even if you have no debt. If you have bank account, a phone, a utility bill, etc. They sell this info and they share it with government. They are a wing of Big Brother.

20 posted on 02/03/2013 1:27:45 PM PST by UnwashedPeasant
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