Thinking of Buying or Selling Real Estate in Tillamook? Think About This...

Before you buy or sell real estate, know where your credit stands and know what to do if you have problems.

Check your credit with the links below. You do not want a nasty suprise in the middle of negotiating a contract. You are allowed to get a free credit report annually*.

Click here to learn about debt from the Federal Trade Commision.

Here are the links to the three major credit reporting agencies:

You can get your annual report from all three agencies at no cost or adverse reactions to your credit score* just click here.

* Per the website: This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Transunion

Equifax

Experian

Free Annual Credit Reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

A couple of other noteworthy tips:

Run your own credit check yourself prior to looking for a home.
Be sure to order the credit score, too.
Get pre-approved for your loan prior to looking for a home.
Don't buy anything large on credit, like a new car, while looking for a home.
Don't let mortgage brokers run your credit score until you are done "shopping around" for one.

Here is some consumer financial news from the government:

Money News From Pueblo
New Overdraft Rules for Debit and ATM Cards	7/28/2010 6:54 AM
On July 1st new rules went into effect concerning overdrafts on your debit or ATM cards. You now get to choose in advance what happens when you make a charge on your debit or ATM card and don’t have enough money in your account to pay for it. Read more...
4 Tips to Protect You From ATM Thieves	7/19/2010 7:08 AM
ATMs are under siege more than ever from skimming. Skimming, where ATM thieves steal your PIN and account number using remote devices, is increasing dramatically. Often done by sophisticated crime rings from the Eastern bloc countries, ATM skimming is becoming a high-tech art that's hard to detect. Read more...
IRS Provides Tax Help, Guidance to Gulf Oil Spill Victims; Special Assistance Day Planned for July 17	7/9/2010 12:58 PM
To help people in the Gulf Coast area dealing with tax issues, the IRS announced a special assistance day on July 17 in seven cities. Taxpayers and tax preparers will be able to work directly with IRS employees to resolve tax issues, including specific topics related to the oil spill. The IRS will hold the Gulf Coast Assistance Day in four states: * Alabama: Mobile * Florida: Panama City and Pensacola * Louisiana: New Orleans, Houma and Baton Rouge * Mississippi: Gulfport Read more...
Federal Reserve Announces Final Rules to Protect Credit Card Users from Certain Practices	6/18/2010 7:36 AM
The Federal Reserve Board approved a final rule to protect credit card users from unreasonable late payment and other penalty fees and to require credit card issuers to reconsider interest rate increases imposed since the beginning of last year. The new rules require that late payment and other penalty fees be assessed in a way that is fairer and generally less costly for consumers. The provisions of the Act addressed in this rule will generally go into effect on August 22, 2010. Read more...
Latest Airline Fee? Early Boarding	6/18/2010 7:35 AM
Do you like to be one of the first people to board a plane, avoiding crowded aisles and getting your pick of overhead bin space? There's a fee for that. Read more...