MyCRA Specialist Credit Repair Lawyers

Tag: copy of credit report

  • End of financial year an important time for your credit file.

    Media Release

    End of financial year an important time for your credit file.

    16 July 2013

    End of financial yearAs the saying goes….there are two certainties in this world – death and taxes. But there is another certainty in Australia. If you have ever taken out or applied for credit, you will have a ‘credit file’ in your name, and a consumer advocate for accurate credit reporting says the end of the financial year should be the time to include an all-important credit check to your financial repertoire.

    Graham Doessel, CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repair says obtaining a copy of your credit report regularly is an essential component to maintaining good financial records.

    “Most people don’t think about their credit file until they apply for credit, let alone the implications if they should find out they have a default or other negative listing against their name,” he says.

    Mr Doessel believes most people don’t know they should check their credit file, because they are largely unaware of the frequency of credit rating errors, or listings added unlawfully by Credit Providers to Australian credit files.

    “Unfortunately, paying all of your bills on time doesn’t always guarantee a clear credit file – there can be a number of go-wrongs including billing errors, unfair bills, address mix-ups and mistaken identities – and our growing client base is testament to this issue,” he says.

    Credit reporting agency Veda Advantage alone holds over 16 million credit files in Australia, but currently there are no official statistics on the number of Australians with ‘bad credit’ or negative listings – although in the past there have been reports of that figure being around 3 million. Likewise, there are no statistics for the number of credit listings disputed with individual Credit Providers.

    “This makes it difficult for individuals to get any scope for the likelihood that their credit file may contain errors,” Mr Doessel says.

    He says Australians should check their credit file at least once a year with all relevant credit reporting agencies, to make sure they have the all clear.

    “Although it is not well publicised, Australians can access a copy of their credit report every year for free from Australia’s credit reporting agencies,” he says.

    You can apply for a copy of your credit report from agencies Veda Advantage, Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Tasmanian Collection Services (if in Tasmania). A free report will be sent within 10 working days, or you can pay to get an urgent report.

    Mr Doessel says the end of financial year is the best time to order a copy of your credit report – as your financial records tend to be in order if you have just completed a tax return.

    “This way, if there are any items you wish to cross-check on your credit file, you will have all the necessary information at your fingertips,” he says.

    If your report comes back with errors, or you feel a listing is unjust or shouldn’t be there, you do have the right to have incorrect information rectified.

    “Depending on the nature of the dispute, this may be fairly straightforward, or you may find that it requires the help of a third party advocate,” he says.

    You can also order a free copy of your credit report through MyCRA – http://freecreditrating.com.au/.

    /ENDS.

    Please contact:

    Lisa Brewster – Media Relations     media@mycra.com.au

    Graham Doessel     -Ph 3124 7133

    http://www.mycra.com.au/     246 Stafford Road, STAFFORD QLD. Ph: 07 3124 7133

    MyCRA Credit Repair is Australia’s number one in credit rating repairs. We permanently remove defaults from credit files. CEO of MyCRA Graham Doessel is a frequent consumer spokesperson for credit reporting issues and is a founding member of the Credit Repair Industry Association of Australasia.  

    Image: patpitchaya/ www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Inside Secrets for the Best Mortgage

    Can we trust everything we believe to be true about applying for finance? We look at some great information to help you get the best deal on your home loan – and look at why a bad credit is something you should know about before you apply for a mortgage, to avoid being refused credit.

    By Graham Doessel, Founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs and www.fixmybadcredit.com.au.

    Yesterday I read a great article in the Herald Sun titled “Time To Topple Mortgage Myths”. The article uses the information from top finance professionals to debunk five common mortgage myths. We look at the advice of those finance experts, and give you further advice as it relates to your credit rating and risk assesment. Here is the Herald Sun’s article:

    Myth 1: Lowest interest rate loans are best

    Unfortunately many borrowers will judge one home loan against another simply on the interest rate, which can be a big mistake.

    If they make their decision on this “headline” rate, it could cost them tens of thousands of dollars extra, Resi Mortgage chief executive Lisa Montgomery says.

    “Most borrowers don’t look at the comparison rate but they must,” Montgomery says.

    “Check the comparison rate. It’s a great rule of thumb that helps you understand at a glance the true cost of a loan.
    “It includes all the upfront and ongoing fees that need to be paid during the course of the loan.”

    Fees and charges can add several basis points to the cost of the loan. Read the mortgage contract for all the details.

    Whilst it is true the lowest interest rate may not always be the best, a high interest loan isn’t either. I am referring to a non-conforming loan used by people with negative listings on their credit report (or “bad credit”). In terms of saving money, this is seldom a better option. If there is any inkling that the bad credit shouldn’t be there, you will always save money if you can have your credit rating repaired by a professional credit repairer rather than continuing with a non-conforming loan – even if for only three years. For example, on a $300,000 loan – it would cost you $23,000 more in interest over the first three years at 9% interest, versus a more “mainstream” rate of say 7%. If you have bad credit, you should find out if you are suitable for credit repair before entering a high interest loan.

    Myth 2: Bad credit ratings prevent borrowing

    Your credit rating can both help or hinder the type of mortgage you are offered. If you have a poor record, it does not automatically mean you won’t get a loan.

    But it can mean a lender will consider you a greater risk and want to charge a higher interest rate.

    Not all unpaid bills and default histories will stop you getting the best deal.

    Mortgage broker 1300HomeLoan managing director John Kolenda says defaults on utility bills or phone bills can be explained and overlooked.

    “But it is very important to make sure you tell your lender about your history,” Kolenda says.

    “Don’t let them find out when they do your credit worthiness search.”

    It is not always the case that people are refused a home loan if they have bad credit, but it is never ideal. As mentioned above, depending on how high the interest rate will be – it may make more sense to look at those bills or other defaulted accounts that can be “explained” or which were unfair or mistaken and have them negotiated to be removed so as to get the best deal you can.

    If you do want to discuss your options with your lender while knowing you have bad credit, yes it is very very important to be honest with them about your credit file. But where many people come unstuck and are refused credit is when they don’t know about it before they apply. This surprise bad credit can occur for a number of reasons, maybe the Creditor had the wrong billing address, or the default was a mistake, or you weren’t notified. Either way, it looks bad for you and means you fail that credit worthiness test. Surprise bad credit is often worth investigating to ensure the listing was put there lawfully by your Creditor.

    Myth 3: Offset accounts are the best way to cut your interest

    Financial research company Canstar analyst Mitchell Watson says there are much better ways to cut your interest costs than using an offset account.

    “A lot of people will have their wages or salary paid into a mortgage offset account each month but for the average wage earner this isn’t going to be worth much at all,” he says.

    “An offset account for someone on about $65,000 is only going to save about $20 a month interest. Over the life of the loan, however, it does add up to about $14,000.

    “However, if you make fortnightly payments instead, so you divided the monthly amount by two and pay it every fortnight, you will save about $55,000 over the life of the loan and cut your loan term by four years.

    “Better still, do both – use an offset (account) and fortnightly payments.”

    Myth 4: If you pay off your credit card, you’ll be able to borrow more

    Wrong. Even if you owe nothing on your credit card, the limit will still be counted towards your total potential outstanding debt, according to 1300HomeLoan.

    “Your credit card limit affects your maximum borrowing capacity with some lenders. For that reason, you should reduce your limit or cancel the cards you are not using before applying for a home loan,” Kolenda says.

    Even with new information provided for in our new credit laws which are in the process of going through Parliament, your credit limit, rather than the amount owing will be used to assess your debt level.

    Myth 5: Pre-approved loans are pretty much guaranteed money

    This is not true, the experts say.

    Pre-approval is an offer to lend money based on a percentage of the property’s value.

    The price you pay is not necessarily its value, Montgomery says.

    “Always sign a contract of sale ‘subject to finance’ even if you have a pre-approval,” Kolenda adds.

    “Your valuation needs to stack up and you will still need final approval.”

    Are you sure the lender has done a credit check before providing the pre-approval?

    The best course of action is – prior to applying for a home loan, request a copy of your credit report from Australia’s credit reporting agencies yourself. It is free once every year and will be mailed to you within 10 days. This way, you will know whether your credit file will let you down at the mortgage application stage and you won’t accumulate a ‘credit enquiry’ or any black mark against your name by letting the lender do the credit check and find out too late that you have problems that could have been fixed.

    If you would like help to fix bad credit before applying for a home loan, contact a Credit Repair Advisor on 1300 667 218 or visit our main website for more information www.mycra.com.au.

    Image: Stuart Miles/ www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Refinancing plans could be ruined by errors showing bad credit history

    Consumers have been urged to move their mortgage away from the ’big four’ banks  as a response to the raising of home loan rates this month, despite record profits. But any home owner looking to refinance needs to consider they could have a surprise bad credit history. It is important for them to check their credit history prior to making any finance application, even if they think their repayments have always been met on time.

    By Graham Doessel, founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Repairs and www.fixmybadcredit.com.au.

    This month all four of the big banks – ANZ, Commonwealth, Westpac and NAB – raised their interest rates despite the Reserve Bank of Australia keeping the official rate on hold.

    Consumer watchdog ‘Choice’ launched a  campaign ‘Move your Money’ recently, urging Australians to change from the big four banks to save money and drive competition.

    “The CHOICE Move Your Money campaign is about consumers standing up and saying ‘enough is enough’, sending the big four bank CEOs a message in a language they understand,” says Christopher Zinn, CHOICE director of campaigns and communications.

    “The major banks rely on perceptions that switching is too much hassle or that there are no better deals out there. But experience shows that consumers can save by also ‘thinking small’, and moving your money is now easier than before,” says Mr Zinn.

    But rushing in to refinancing may not be sensible for everyone in today’s market.

    Home owners need to calculate the in and out fees that may be present on any new loan prior to making the switch.

    Also prior to making a re-financing application, home owners should check their credit file, as their credit history could contain inconsistencies they aren’t aware of.

    Regardless of whether people have been diligent payers, creditors can and do sometimes make mistakes with credit files and they can end up with black marks against their name that just shouldn’t be there.

    Sometimes people don’t know their good name is compromised until they apply for finance or in this case re-finance and are refused.

    The reason home owners should perform a credit file check prior to finance application, is because sometimes too many credit ‘enquiries’ can also hinder finance approval.

    If a credit enquiry from a lender finds a default against a person’s name, warranted or not, they will be refused finance. That lender’s ‘enquiry’ now shows up on the credit file for 5 years along with the default, creating two negative entries instead of one.

    A bad credit rating can result when a bill or repayment goes unpaid past 60 days. After this time, a creditor has the right to list that non-payment as a ‘default’ on the person’s credit file.

    In the current finance market, any black mark generally results in an automatic decline with the major lenders.

    The volume of credit file errors on Australian credit files is uncertain.

    A Veda Advantage spokesperson recently estimated 1% of the 250,000 credit reports they give out as a credit reporting agency to Australians every year contain a material error on the credit file.

    But the Australian Consumer Association (now Choice) survey from 2004 revealed that 34% of the credit files surveyed in their small scale study contained errors or inconsistencies.

    Approximately 63% of the clients who request credit repair have defaults, writs or Judgments which are listed in error on their credit file.

    We have clients who are facing identity theft; some are caught in issues over separation from their spouse; some have been disputing the bill which went to default stage and many people are just victims of the fallout from inadequate billing procedures – wrong names, wrong addresses, human and computer errors.

    Under current credit reporting legislation, consumers are entitled to obtain a copy of their credit report from the credit reporting agencies once a year. A person requesting their own credit report does not generate a ‘credit enquiry’ on their credit file.

    People need to contact all the credit reporting agencies to request their report – as creditors have access to 3 agencies within mainland Australia and 4 in Tasmania. The report must be provided to them in writing within 10 days of the request.

    Listings are not removed by creditors unless the file holder can provide adequate reason and lots of evidence as to why the listing should not be there.

    Credit repair requires knowledge of the legislation, lots of evidence and perseverance. But for those people whose financial freedom is hindered because their credit file contains errors, it is a point worth fighting for.

    People can contact MyCRA for help with getting a free copy of their credit file on 1300 667 218 or visit www.mycra.com.au.

    Image: Salvatore Vuono/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net