textfiles/magazines/NIA/nia-06.phk

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                 %%               N.I.A.                %%
                 %%     Network Information Access      %%
                 %%              28DEC89                %%
                 %%          Guardian Of Time           %%
                 %%              File #6                %%
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:_TRW -- Credit Bureau -- How To Read A TRW Credit Report
:_Written/Typed In By: Guardian Of Time
:_December 28, 1989

INTRODUCTION:

Why would I want to read a Credit Report?  Well for starters everything in
concerning your financial transactions are concerned w/ it, concerning topics
like getting a loan, to get a credit card, to get a house, etc, and etc.

Most if NOT all Credit Unions ( I work for one so I know ), go by your credit
report, some won't even let you open an account w/out first running a credit
report.  Why?  Well based on your previous/current credit report we know if you
been paying your bills, how late you are, if you been sent after by the Repo
Man and all sorts of stuff.

I will go into detail, as simple as I can, so that you can understand
everything you need to KNOW ABOUT CREDIT REPORTS.

LAW:

If you have something on your credit report ( note the word SOMETHING ), say
like Mastercard, and you paid your bill in full, yet they reported you as being
30 days delinquent or late.  You can request from the either Mastercard or if
your Mastercard is through a Credit Union/Bank that the Mastercard reporting is
wrong and you wish it to be resolved.  You show them your check stub, and the
Credit Union/bank believes you, they BY LAW MUST CLEAR IT UP W/IN 30 DAYS, if
they DON'T that ENTIRE REPORTING MUST BE DROPPED.  Meaning if you requested
something be resolved and the Credit Union/Bank doesn't, you can have it erased
off your history, and its as if you never had it!!

Note:  This will not work if you DON'T HAVE CREDIT and you walk into your bank
and request a credit report and say hey "I don't have credit whY?" its not that
simple.  One thing is you can't request a credit report you have to do that
elsewhere.

Also if you are TURNED DOWN BY A CREDIT UNION/BANK you can DEMAND to see the
Credit REort if they don't give it to you, sue, you will win, and if they
turned you down because of your credit reporting, and there is an error they to
must clear up the matter w/in 30 days.

You can call up the credit bureau and just ask for a credit report. Not
that simple, you have to go through your bank.

The law is FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT 615 and REGULATION B, THE EQUAL CREDIT
OPPORTUNITY ACT REGULATION, 202.9(A).

The law above simply means that if you are turned down because of your credit
you are entitiled to know WHY.  You are also ENTITLED to KNOW from WHAT credit
bureau that they pulled your credit report from.

The Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from
discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion,
national origin, sex, marital status, age ( provided that the applicant has the
capacity to enter into a binding contract); because all or part of the
applicant's income derives from any public assistance program; or because the
applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit
Credit Protection Act.

---------

The actual report is to indepth to show you but I'll describe what you'll see.

1. name and address as recorded on automated subscriber tapes, included date of
   most recent update.

 8-88 John Q Consumer
      16055 Birch St
      Burbank Ca 91502

-- This means simply is YOUR Name/Address, and when the tape was last sent in,
this is very important, since say you HAD a loan and paid off in say December
1985, the date last reported was October 1985, you could possibly be denied a
loan simply because the people you deal w/ is NOT Updating their records
monthly, this is quite simple to fix, you simple request a copy of your credit
report from the Credit Bureau, and then check the date last reported column,
simple!  and if its NOT been reported simply contact those people, like
Mastercard, GMAC financing, Visa, etc, note of WARNING, Finance places are
NOTORIOUS FOR NOT UPDATING THEIR RECORDS.  Again same principle if they are not
fixed w/ in 30 days, that TRADE LINE ( henceforth ), will be Deleted.

2.  Employment name/address as reported by a subscriber through an inquiry on
    the date shown.

4-88 Ajax Hardware
     2035 Broadway
     Los Angeles Ca 90019

--  This shows your CURRENT job, sometimes this is not updated properly, this
    is basicaly a free form field every time you request one, you check your
    job on a loan application or something like that, this keeps tabs on your
    current job, and if say you get fired from one job you hate, just keep
    putting down the job you like on everything! hehehee, but if your not
    working there now, that defeats the purpose.  But it will be updated by
    Whatever job you put in.

3.  A Code designating the TRW or Credit Bureau office nearest the consumer's
    current acddress, for your use in consumer referals.

CONSUMER - TCA1

--  You must contact the Bureau and ask what the hell TCA1 means to YOU, for
    that to be the closest place to you, its a code see? and just say that the
    report is TCA1, where is the closest place that I can visit.  That number
    will be different around the state.

4.  Consumer's Social Security Number

SS# - 111111111

5.  Three Columns indicating positive, nonevaluated, and negative status
    comments.


ACCOUNT PROFILE
---------------
|POS|NON| NEG |  Don't you just hate Text Graphics?
---------------

--  Ok, had to look around for these, took me a while to figure what the hell
    they where talking about, but this is what they mean.

    Positive      -  Good Standing w/ the Credit Bureau
    Negative      -  BAD Status w/ the Credit Bureau
    Non-Evaluated -  Special Comments that is reported.

    There are special codes that go into each of these colums.  These colums
    are for a quick glance to tell you that you the consumer are in good
    standing w/ your credit.  The Non-Evaluated is a little confusing, I'm
    under the impression that its for special cases, like court judgements and
    such, but then I could be way off, the example I'm looking at doesn't seem
    to refer to much on the NONEVALUATED STATUS.  They are also a few codes that
    make it Public Status, that seems to be what the Nonevaluated status is most
ly
    for.

6.  A(Automated) M(Instant Update or Manual Form) indicate the method by which
    the credit grantor reports information to TRW

A or M -- These go in the above #5's colums 1 per Trade Line.

7.  Name and Number of reporting subscriber

MOUNTAIN BANK - 1139999

--  This is what institution is reporting you, the number is how the Credit
    Bureau can easily track down eactly where Mountain Bank is, for Contact
    purposes and such.  Very handy to know.  That number can give you the
    exact name/number/address of what bank that is. Again I believe the Bureau
    can tell you this, but I'm not sure.  Also that line is also called a TRADE
    LINE by some other credit bureaus, each line is a TRade Line.  The number
    means this (1139999) the FRIST # (1)139999 means that it is a BANK, the
    SECOND # 1(1)39999 means that it is a BANK, all Banks are a #1.  List
    below:

    0 - Public Record/Associations
    1 - Bank
    2 - Bank Credit Card
    3 - Retail
    4 - Credit Card
    5 - Loan Finance
    6 - Sales Finance
    7 - Credit Union
    8 - Savings & Loan
    9 - Service & Professional

   The last digits I'm not aware of at this time ( 28DEC89)

8.  Association code describing the legal relationship to the account.

2

--  This tells you the status of the account list below:
    0 -- Undesignated  : REported by TRW information services only
    1 -- Individual    : This is the only person associated w/ the account
    2 -- Joint Account : This individual is expressly obligated to repay
         Contractual     all debts arising on this account by reason of
                         having signed an agreement to that effect.
    3 -- Authorized    : This individual has use of this joint account
                         for which another individual has contractual
                         responsibility ( your not responisble for the
                         bills!! )
    4 -- Joint Account : This individual participates in this account.
    5 -- Co-Maker      : This individual has guaranteed this account and
                         assumes responsiblity should maker default.
    6 -- On Behalf of  : This individual has signed an application for the
                         purpose of securing credit for another individual
                         other than spouse.
    7 -- Maker         : This individual is responsible for this account,
                         which is guaranteed by a co-maker.

9.  Account or Docket #

3562401973

--  This # here is extremely important!!  This number represents your loan
    number or a CREDIT CARD NUMBER.  This is why only banks and the credit
    bureau are allowed to see this and not your every day joe blow, because
    this shows your credit card, balance, name/address, everything!!

10.  Status comment reflecting the payment condition of the account as of
     the status date.

9-88

--  In english this simply means the DATE REPORTED.  If the date is realy
    old, then you should request that that particular trade line be updated.

11.  Date the account was opened.

12-87

12.  Scheduled monthly payment amount.

SCH MONTH PAY $132

--  This means that the person must pay $132.00 per month or he will become
    delinquent and or a bad debt.

13.  Estimated monthly payment amount.

EST MONTH PAY $44.

--  They don't realy have a firm payment set forth or the person is just paying
    as much as he can afford.

14.  Date last payment was made.

LASTPAY 8-88

--  Means the last payment the Credit Union/bank received money from you.

15.  Type and Terms of the account.

CHG -- REV

--  This means the type of an account Checking, Revolving, Loan, etc, etc,
    and the description, most if not all checking accounts and or Charge
    Accounts are Revolving.

16.  The original loan amount ( ORIGL ), credit limit ( LIMIT ), historicial
     high balance ( HIBAL ), or original amount charged to loss ( C/OAM),
     represented in dollar amounts.

ORIGL -- $2200

--  This realy is quite easy, it realy just says that if its a loan its the
    Original loan amount, and how much he has paid, LIMIT, simply means the
    Hi-Credit, like acredit card, has a maximum of say $200 balance, that would
    be the LIMIT, HIBAL, the historical high balance, realy nifty good for late
    loans, or a guy thats scipped.  C/OAM, is if the account was charged off
    it shows how much money was lost.

17.  Balance owing, balance date, and amount past due, if applicable.

$1400 -- 9-17-88  -- $425

--  This is basicaly quite self explanatory, the Balance being owed, the
    Balance date and how much past due!

18.  The applicants payment history during the past 24 months the code reflects
     the status of the account for each month, displayed for balance reporting
     subscribers only.

    C -- CURRENT
    N -- ZERO BALANCE REPORTED/CURRENT ACCOUNT
    1 -- 30 DAYS PAST DUE
    2 -- 60 DAYS PAST DUE
    3 -- 90 DAYS PAST DUE
    4 -- 120 DAYS PAST DUE
    5 -- 150 DAYS PAST DUE
    6 -- 180 DAYS PAST DUE
    - -- Dash --  No History Reported for that month
      -- Blank - No history maintained; see status comment.

321CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

-- This is the important section, you see? this means that they will glance at
   this section of the report if your current and are all paid up, you have
   either a bunch of C's or a bunch of N's, the above table is in order from
   GREAT to WORST, the lower you go down the table, the worse your reporting
   is.  People that are lazy, just pull the report and glance briefly at this
   column, on the report its located on the far right-hand side.  Obviously
   if you havn't paid a bill w/-in 180 days that does NOT reflect very kindly
   on your status to get money!!  So the C's or N's are the best, 1 and 2 are
   Ok, by our Credit Union Standards but not the rest, tisk tisk, clear up
   your history and you'll be ok!!

19.  Inquiries indicate a request for the applicant's credit information
     Inquiring subscriber; date of inquiry; and type; terms and amount if
     available.

HILLSIDE BANK -- INQUIRY 11-18-87 AUT 48 - 6300

--  This is the trade line again, it shows the banks name, and if it has
    a credit card, well it shows the card number, and the inquirys show up
    as to whom it was that wanted to view your history.

20.  Public REcord:  Court name, court code, docket number, type of public
     record, filing date, amount, and judgment creditor.  This information
     may include bankruptcies, liens, and/or judgments against the applicant.

CO SPR CT SANTA ANA -- 30149999 -- JUDGMENT -- 10-19-86 -- $1200 07606865
aLLIED COMPANY

-- This is very bad, its again the trade line, but noticed the word Judgment,
   that is horrible on a credit report, it will list who you got the $$$ from
   and who the copmay is that you where charged off by, some people send their
   collections to a compay and they do the actual work.  The trade line again
   shows the Credit Union/Bank, Your loan, credit card #, and how much you owe
   and such, also, some banks send thier collections to another office which is
   in another state, like Allied Company in the above transaction...

21.  Profile report messages alert the subscriber about a credit applicants
     social security number, name, address, generation, or year fo birth.

CHECKPOINT SS$ IS 054860338/OTHER FILE IDENT: MID INIT IS 0
1-86 JOHN Q CONSUMER
6613 SADDLEBACK ROAD
ORANGE CA 92708

-- This just means that if your pulling a report on Jon Jones JR, you might
   have accidentaly pulled up Jon Jones Sr, so this is a quick warning to tell
   you that "HEY DUMMY THIS IS NOT FOR THIS PERSON CORRECT IMMEDIATELY!!"

---------

The next section here is some common error messages that are reported on your
credit report:

CHECKPOIINT SS# NOT ISSUED AS OF 08/87

This Message appears on the profile report if the applicant's social security
number has not been issued as of the date displayed in the message.  In
general, Check point messages alert you to pertinent information about specific
applicant identifiers.  When you see a Checkpoint Message, you may want to
further investigae the information supplied by the applicant.

CHECKPOINT AKA PRESENT ON FILE.  MORE DATA MAY BE AVAILABLE UNDER AKA

When this message appears on the Profile report, it indicates that there may be
additional information under the name FOLLOWING the message.  Another inquiry
should be made.

CHECKPOINT SS# IS 524479971

A Checkpoint Variation Message will appear when the information in TRW's file
relating to the applicant's social security number, generation, or year of
birth does not correspond to the informatioon entered in the subscriber's
inquriy. It is possible that the information MAY NOT PERTAIN TO THE INDIVIDUAL
INQUIRED UPON.

CHECKPOINT *** AKA *** LASTNAME IS SMITH

The AKA Serach enhancement is designed to automatically retrieve and dsiplay
additional consumer data associated w/ alternative surnames - such as aliases,
misspelled names and maiden or previous surnames -- that contain the same
social security number and first name characters.  It is possible that the
information MAY NOT PERTAIN TO THE INDIVIDUAL INQUIRED UPON.

CHECKPOINT *** NICKNAME SEARCH ***

The Nickname Search enhancement includes a Nicname Table containing alternative
first names which may be used by an individual.  This Nickname Table is
auotmatically referenced for each inquiry and searches w/ both the given name
and the nickname to retrieve additional credit information on an individual.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE INFORMATION MAY NOT PERTAIN TO THE INDIVIDUAL INQUIRED
UPON.

FILE IDENT: MID INIT IS Q

A file ident message will appear when information is not given on input, but
exists on file.

* CAUTION * THE ABOVE REPORT MAY CONTAIN ITEMS FOR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SAME
FAMILY

This message may appear when names and addresses are similar.  It means that
closer checking of the application or w/ the applicant may be necessary.  IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT THE INFORMATION MAY NOT PERTAIN TO THE INDIVIDUAL INQURED UPON.

**** AUTO-FILE_CONTAINS AUTOMATED SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION ONLY ****

This message indicates geographic areas which, in general, contain data
received from natinal companies.  Local credit grantor and public reord
information is not yet available.

* CONSUMER STATEMENT *

TRW Information Services will accommodate statements on the Profile report in
accordance w/ the FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT and state reporting laws.

---------

Thats it guys, to read a credit report its not that difficult, you just got to
pay attention to the actual report and don't be afraid to ask questions!!  The
only stupid question is one not asked or one that is asked to a group that does
not care to listen to you.

Just some tibit facts about TRW, they are NATIONAL, which means that if you
fuck up your credit in Texas, going to Washington and still using your real
name and such, will not keep you hidden.

We are in the age of Big Brother, and TRW is Big Brother, you can NOT hide from
them.

BUT there is something you should know, TRW is not solid, meaning, they have
been sued several times by people ( you the consumer ), because of wrong credit
information.  Remember if there is something wrong w/ your credit and you don't
report it, and you think you can just blow it off, don't get it corrected, that
mistake will carry w/ you the rest of your adult life!!

                   N.I.A. - Ignorance, There's No Excuse.
                  Founded By: Guardian Of Time/Judge Dredd.

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