Building up credit history

[JoeCanuk 3]

As well as the US, Experian has operations in most European countries, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, China, Japan and Australia. Also in Canada

Equifax is in the USA, Canada, and the UK.

TransUnion operates in 24 countries.

FICO score uses all three of the above. I had credit scores from all three in Canada yet nothing in the US. Basically what I'm saying is that your credit score should be able to be transfered from one country to another but it doesn't.

But in Canada they go off of your SIN number and in the states they go off your SSN. There is no way it can be transferred. Besides, it's two different countries. One has no right to access your credit rating in the other. Honestly, I'm glad about that.

Question for anyone: can you be arrested when you return to your home country if you haven't (weren't able to) pay your bill?

Answer to my own question: No. You can't.

[Jeraly 4]

Still waiting to hear back on my application for an Amex card - anyone know how long that normally takes? Hopefull not as long as this visa process

[JaEnglishGirl 34]

Being added to your USC spouse's credit card will give you 'fake' history. Meaning, the score will partially attach to the foreign spouse's name, but a quick pull of the credit will show it's an authorized user and not the acct holder, which essentially means bubkus.

not anymore....rules changed Jan 1st - no more piggybacking

[reeses16 8]

Being added to your USC spouse's credit card will give you 'fake' history. Meaning, the score will partially attach to the foreign spouse's name, but a quick pull of the credit will show it's an authorized user and not the acct holder, which essentially means bubkus.

not anymore....rules changed Jan 1st - no more piggybacking

Any one where know of a link where I can read more about this change? Is it to "authorized user status" only or "joint account holder" as well?

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah - that would be interesting to know

[athena_ny 1]

Being added to your USC spouse's credit card will give you 'fake' history. Meaning, the score will partially attach to the foreign spouse's name, but a quick pull of the credit will show it's an authorized user and not the acct holder, which essentially means bubkus.

not anymore....rules changed Jan 1st - no more piggybacking

Any one where know of a link where I can read more about this change? Is it to "authorized user status" only or "joint account holder" as well?

If you're joint account holders, both of you own the account, and it's not piggybacking, as the card would lead to a true history and not a fake one gleaned from someone else's score.

[bora bora 1]

anyone know how long that normally takes? Hopefull not as long as this visa process

hahahahaha

[brtlmj 0]

Any one where know of a link where I can read more about this change? Is it to "authorized user status" only or "joint account holder" as well?

Here: http://www.blackenterprise.com/cms/exclusi...en.aspx?id=4030

So, apparently only the FICO scoring system will not take an "authorized user" status into account. All three credit bureaus offer their own FICO alternatives. In other words, adding your SO as an authorised user to your credit card accounts might still be worthwhile.

By the way, getting a decent credit score is surprisingly easy. It took me just a year to get above 700.

[Jeraly 4]

I don't even know what my credit score is here...

[reeses16 8]

brtlmj,

Thank you for this link. Its pretty interesting, I didn't know that companies used/paid people with good credit to help with credit repair. Makes me think its probably those debt consolidation companies and not the consumer credit counseling companies.

My hubby just got his first credit card in his own name. We're really excited. We wanted to make sure we had access to credit/a score that was not in my name. In the last 3 months, I have received letters from organization saying that my name, address, and SSN has been lost. One of the organizations, filed a police report because their data was lost due to a break-in. I took the police report and placed a security freeze on my credit. I already had a fraud alert because of the first incident, but it was due to expire this month.

FYI for anyone curious, a security freeze prevents (1) anyone from looking at your credit score (except yourself, companies that already had access to your scores, and employment checks) and (2) new credit from being issued (loans, cards, etc). You have to contact each of the 3 credit bureas in writing, its free if you have a police report (rules vary by states, some places a letter or e-mail saying your infor has been "lost, misplaced" etc. will qualify for the free freeze.) Each credit bureau will give you a special code to temporarily suspend the freeze if you would like (to buy a car, home etc). Of course you can still use your credit cards....I think I read that they're may be problems using them for online transaction...I'm not sure if its true, but I'll let y'all know how that turns out.

[reeses16 8]

My hubby's credit card came in the mail on Saturday. He got a card through WaMu. Its a pretty nice deal, with a $100 or more transfer ($0 transfer fee) he gets 0% interest on NEW purchases until August 2009 plus he's able to view his FICO score for free. I'm not sure if WaMu gives all 3 scores, currently we can only see his TransUnion score. Maybe the others have updated? Who knows. Anyway, I did contact WaMu and they said that when we check his FICO while logged into their system its a "soft inquiry" and not reflected in his credit history/score.

Credit Bureaus recieved my security freeze last week. We were still able to use our joint card to buy phone cards online over the weekend.

[tom&tata 2]

I'm not sure if WaMu gives all 3 scores, currently we can only see his TransUnion score. Maybe the others have updated? Who knows. Anyway, I did contact WaMu and they said that when we check his FICO while logged into their system its a "soft inquiry" and not reflected in his credit history/score.

Wamu usually give once a month credit score - for free - of the agency they used when they approve for the card (it could be Transunion, Experian or Equifax). The score is FICO score but it is bank enhanced score.

[Jeraly 4]

Haha - think Jeremy just got a card with WaMu as well I just got an Amex card which will be helpful hopefully when I move

[Captain Oates 910]

Most of the secured credit cards are a huge rip off so you have to dig !

I got a secured credit card from fifth third bank

No annual fee

no set up fee

no admin fee

I was going to keep 25k in their money market account anyway , so all they do is mark the bottom 5k as reserved for my card credit limit - it just means you cant take out the bottom 5k while your card is active..

you get interest on all the money in the account

I also begged a GM card -unsecured- because i had a gm card in the uk - they finally gave me one with a 500 limit

So now i have 2 credit cards and they cost me NOTHING

banks dont advertise secured cards much (not the free ones ), so you need to look very hard

alan

[Collie 122]

I started to build my credit history by applying for a credit card at Wells Fargo where we have our joint accounts. I was approved for a $2000 limit unsecured cc and I paid on it regularly but kept a small amount on it. I was advised by several credit agencies that its always better to keep a small amount on the card but to make regular payments.

After that, my husband and I got utilities in both names and in August 2007 we bought our new house. It took me about a year to get a credit score of well over 700 on each bureau and ironically my scores are now better than my husbands