Unfortunately; we live in a day and age of data breaches and hackers which no one is exempt from. The more we become a society of high tech, the higher the risk of having our personal information stolen.  In 2017, Equifax announced a data breach which exposed over 147 million consumers. This data breach opened the doors to your personal information such as social security numbers, date of birth, personal checking accounts, credit cards and more. While Equifax offered their “free monitoring service”, consumers had to sign an arbitration clause stating they will not go after Equifax for any wrong doing. Yep, you read this right. If you signed up for free credit monitoring services through Equifax because of their mistake, then you have to agree to not hold them responsible for anything that could happen to you in the future. Pure ridiculousness and absurdity.

When a data breach of this magnitude happens, the “hackers” will not use or sell your information immediately. It’s like robbing a bank. The bank robber would not use that money right away. They will stash it away for an amount of time before using it. Well, data breaches such as this are not much different. Before the hackers sell it, they will hold on to the data. This could be for months or years. Our guess on something like this is years due to the magnitude of the breach. Which is why it is important to always have your credit monitored.

While you are a customer of your850, we will pay for your credit monitoring. This is done through a reputable third-party company; IdentityIQ. IdentityIQ will notify you of any change that is done to your credit including: newly opened accounts, change of address, public records, and new delinquencies. The monitoring will also keep you informed on updates and the positive impact that your850 is having on your credit. So when you have an account deleted or verified, you will be notified via email from IdentityIQ.

Once we are done with your credit, you will be given the option to continue with credit monitoring. Since you will have been a customer of your850, you will be offered a discount through IdentityIQ. Continuing your credit monitoring service is important as again, we always have the threat of stolen identities. This is a small investment to make for a lot of protection.

There are several reasons consumers have inaccurate accounts reporting on their credit report.

• Trade items get missed that are to be deleted
• Accounts are illegally sold to a third party or third placement collection agency
• Medical collection accounts are still reporting to a credit report due to lack of responsibility of the medical facility or collection agency
• Identity theft
• Accounts that are out of statute of limitations

Plus many more.

During the credit consultation, our credit experts will do a deep dive analysis into your personal credit and tell you what can and should be done to improve your credit. We will work your credit file using the statutes under the Consumer Credit Code to make sure that your credit is complete so you do not have any problems in your future as long as you take care of your credit.

When your file is complete, you will receive notices from your creditors stating they are deleting the account, or marked the account as paid in full. We ask that our customers keep these letters for their files in case the disputed account has gone back on to your credit report or is re-sold (illegally) to additional 3rd parties.

We have helped customers who have had their identity stolen from hackers, thieves, and sometimes even other family members. While it may seem as though this is an easy feat, the fact of the matter it is not. The credit card companies and collection agencies want their money and this is all they care about.

If your identity or credit card numbers have been stolen, first try yourself to see what you can get done as far as removing the negative items. Mail a copy of the police report to your creditors showing them your identity has been stolen. If your creditors refuse to work with you or comply with the laws and statutes, then our credit experts will be happy to help you.

your850 is dedicated not only to helping consumers on an individual basis, but educating as many as possible as well.

Credit is not a subject that is taught in high school or even college, but it should be. With the correct understanding and good knowledge of credit and how to use it, credit can be a powerful financial tool.

We will be conducting workshops and seminars around the country teaching consumers everything they need to know regarding credit and finances. If you are interested in attending a workshop or seminar, please let us know. We will be happy to tell you when we will be in your area so you do not miss the opportunity to attend one of these extremely informative events.