Are you looking at a low credit score and wondering how you can improve it? Perhaps you are being denied credit because your credit history is limited. Either way, you probably would want to do what you can to boost your credit rating and score as much as possible.

This has probably got you thinking whether or not you can weave in your rental history to your credit score. So, if you are asking the question “Can I add rental history to my credit report?” the answer is yes.

Well, actually, you would not be the person adding it to your credit score. When you ask “Can I add rental history to my credit report?” it would actually be the landlord that adds the rental payment history to the credit score.

That means you would have to ask them to do this for you. Don’t worry. It is not a difficult process at all. Your landlord could probably do it in a few minutes.

When you wonder if you can add rental history to your credit report, you are probably wondering why the landlord did not do it in the first place. Generally, landlords will not report anything to a credit agency unless you have a lease or other agreement and default on it. More on Can I Add Rental History to My Credit Report?

By James Keegan (Guest writer)

Are you looking to dispute items on a credit report? If so, you have probably noticed something on the report that is completely inaccurate. More than likely, you are probably stressed and upset over the presence of inaccurate information on your credit report.

Well, it would be best not to get upset. The ways to deal with disputing items on the credit report are fairly straightforward and easy. For those wondering how to go about it, here are a few steps to follow: More on Ways to Dispute Items on a Credit Report

In today’s world our credit score is everything. Creditors and bankers approve or disapprove loans based on your credit worthiness. It is also something that will determine your credibility to certain employers or landlords.

If you have a good credit rating you will be able to apply for loans and/or credit cards easily. And, ultimately, isn’t that the goal? It will also mean that you will have more chances of getting certain jobs. You will be able to pay your bills on time.
More on How to Deal with Bad Credit Reports

You may find them cute or annoying. Either way, it’s okay. I personally find them both cheesy and annoying. But this post is not about that. It is about the truth, or more appropriately, the lies behind free credit report commercials.

As you probably know, the “free” could come attached with something else: a catch if you like to call it that. But it can be a little tricky when it comes to a credit report, as you can actually get this for free. So what’s the catch? We’ll get to that in a moment.

More on Free Credit Report Commercials Lying to You – Plus How to Get Your Free Credit Report

The credit reporting system as it stands is inherently corrupt and flawed. It is also unfair and prone to errors. Abusive practices continue, despite the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) that was meant to protect consumers.

The credit system was never created to help you, but to make money for the lenders. It is driven by one motive, profit.

Imagine this. Two individuals need drugs. One of them is sick and the other one is addict just looking for a “fix”. The former needs drugs to stay alive; the other uses them to ruin it (most of the time affecting many others).

Now, let’s say both have accumulated debts that they simply cannot pay. Both will equally get their credit files damaged. Is that unfair or what?

Did you know that it took intense pressure from congress and interest groups for Fair Isaac (the creators of the FICO credit scoring system) to disclose its credit scoring model? You were not supposed to know something that has such a heavy impact on the quality of your life.

Lenders and the bureaus don’t care about you. Lenders have one thing on their minds; to find as many excuses possible to charge you more for loans and credit cards. Meanwhile the bureaus make a great deal money selling the lenders information about you.

Some of the tactics lenders use so as to hit you with higher interests rates include “universal default” clauses and failing to report your true credit limit(s).

Universal default is simply means that a lender can increase your interest rates when you get late on another non-related item (even if you’re on time on all other payments!).

Now, by increasing your interests rates (sometimes doubling or tripling it), the creditor has just made it difficult for you to keep your payments up, or worse, made you likely to default or declare bankruptcy. How brilliant is that?

Some creditors fail to report your limit. Others report your balance as limit so as to keep your balance to limit ratio high, which brings down your score. In turn this keeps your credit rating at “sub-prime” level, which means high interest rates.

Another nasty practice that continues unabated, despite being against the law, is re-aging of derogatory accounts. This is mainly done by collectors, whereby they re-set the date of your last transaction to a later date.

Re-aging extends it beyond the seven year statute of limitations (after which it should cease to show on your report except in certain special circumstances).

Credit bureaus also allow debt collectors to place hard enquiries (the type dings your score) on your report. Cases have been reported where deleted accounts were re-inserted into credit reports, without the consumer’s knowledge (which is against the law).

What’s even worse is when paid-off accounts get reported as delinquent many years later, such that the consumer may have long forgotten the respective account.

What should you, the consumer, do? The answer is knowledge. An educated consumer is the bureaus’ and lenders worst nightmare. Armed with the right knowledge, you can use the law and lenders’ (including debt collectors) to your advantage.

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Discover how you can legally make creditors, credit bureaus and collectors clean up your credit file by turning the tables in your favor. Check out The Credit Secrets Bible now.