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Credit Repair/Questions Answered by Expert Yan Ross
| Subject | Date Asked |
| short sale | 2/8/2012 |
| Q: if we are planning for a short sale, it sounds like our credit will be affected for 2 to 3 years. if ... A: Dana, There are numerous variables involved in your situation, so I'll identify some of them and ... | |
| Credit Repair | 2/5/2012 |
| Q: My credit has been ruined as a result of job loss after the economic crash. I have a mortgage ... A: Aneika, Unfortunately, your situation is not uncommon, though there is not a single "one size fits ... | |
| "date opened" was 2005 but is now 2011 | 2/5/2012 |
| Q: I'm in the process of correcting my husbands credit report so that we can hopefully buy a house ... A: Andrea, I have a couple of thoughts to suggest. First, since State law determines some of the ... | |
| Bankruptcy? | 1/31/2012 |
| Q: I am 27-years-old and have been irresponsible with my credit in the past. My credit score is 581, I ... A: You've posed two questions, and let me respond in turn: Any positive movement in your payment of ... | |
| Bankruptcy? | 1/30/2012 |
| Q: I am 27-years-old and have been irresponsible with my credit in the past. My credit score is 581, I ... A: Cathy, I've reviewed the information you sent, and have some thoughts about some information you ... | |
| From No Credit History to Building Credit | 1/12/2012 |
| Q: I am almost in my mid 20's and have never used a credit card. I always did things the old fashioned ... A: Samantha, You are on the right track, based on your description of your credit activities. Your ... | |
| Same debt showing up twice on credit reports | 1/5/2012 |
| Q: Good day, I had just pulled my Experian and Transunion credit reports. I had noticed on both of ... A: Stephen, There are two steps I would suggest, in the following order: First, the situation you ... | |
| Cancelling a Credit Card (Canada) | 12/29/2011 |
| Q: I have two credit cards with not much limit. TD bank $1000 limit no fee and Capital one $300 limit ... A: Anna, Regarding the Capital One card, there are two considerations that about cancel each other ... | |
| Negative Credit? | 12/23/2011 |
| Q: Good afternoon, I asked you a question about a month ago and your quick response was very helpful. ... A: Chris, I only have a minute (my wife broke her arm a couple of days ago, and it's put me in a time ... | |
| paid collections | 12/7/2011 |
| Q: My husband and I are planning to buy a home in the next nine months. We will be using his credit and ... A: Melanie, I wish I could give you a firm answer and tell you exactly how many points your credit ... | |
| closing a ole credit card account.. | 11/23/2011 |
| Q: Today when I visited a bank , I got an invitation to open a new credit card account even though I ... A: Heon, The situation you describe, swapping out one credit card for another from the same issuer, ... | |
| Credit score | 11/22/2011 |
| Q: Good afternoon, I have a couple of questions regarding my credit score. I went to ... A: Chris, First, it is normal to experience a small reduction in your credit score when you open new ... | |
| Worst Case Scenario | 11/14/2011 |
| Q: My credit score has dropped considerably over the past 24 months. I have had a foreclosure, lowered ... A: Steve, First, I can't give you legal advice for Nevada law, so I will have to suggest that you seek ... | |
| new roof credit | 11/12/2011 |
| Q: .the roof on the house here is shot, and i am wanting to get a metal roof put on this time. now, in ... A: James, The simplest way to give your roofer access to your credit report would be to temporarily ... | |
| Leaving a credit card out of the Bankruptcy | 11/9/2011 |
| Q: I'm going to file chapter 7 bankruptcy and I share a credit card with my sister. We are joint ... A: Ana, Regarding the issues that depend on interpretation of federal bankruptcy law, I can only ... | |
| Possible Negative item on credit report | 10/29/2011 |
| Q: I had an elderly man back into my vehicle w/o looking. I didn't have damage; he did. My insurance ... A: OK, :o)! Let me start by reiterating that I can't give you legal advice. That said, the only ... | |
| Possible Negative item on credit report | 10/28/2011 |
| Q: I had an elderly man back into my vehicle w/o looking. I didn't have damage; he did. My insurance ... A: Patrice, Let me speak to two issues: the collection matter and the credit report matter. Although ... | |
| Joint credit card account | 10/25/2011 |
| Q: My dad is the primary account holder on our American Express card but I am also a joint cardholder ... A: Jenn, Your father's independent obligations should not have any impact on your credit score under ... | |
| Credit debt help | 9/24/2011 |
| Q: I applied for a loan for a mobile home and my credit scores were very good, all looked good to go. ... A: Barbara, I would suggest a couple of steps to work toward resolving your situation. First, you'll ... | |
| Establishing Credit for non-US citizen | 9/22/2011 |
| Q: I'm a US citizen with good credit, and I live outside the US. My boyfriend and I are planning to ... A: Mary, The short answer to your follow-up question is this: Adding him to your credit card account ... | |
| Credit Repair | 9/22/2011 |
| Q: I had no idea I was monitoring my credit score on a FAKO (experian)website, but from that I started ... A: Nelly, First, Experian is a legitimate company, one of the three major credit reporting agencies. ... | |
| Establishing Credit for non-US citizen | 9/21/2011 |
| Q: I'm a US citizen with good credit, and I live outside the US. My boyfriend and I are planning to ... A: Mary, It sounds to me like you have already covered most of the actions you could take while you ... | |
| Apartment lease | 9/17/2011 |
| Q: I am probably going to have to leave my apartment and lose the deposit. There are 10 months more on ... A: Carl, The specific answer to your question is not simple, but let me give it a try. First, if your ... | |
| Credit Debt Advice | 9/13/2011 |
| Q: Greetings, Yan, I'm 39, divorced with no kids. I have $115,000 in student loan debt. A credit ... A: Frank, You have presented a very complicated situation, one that I would be remiss to attempt to ... | |
| Credit dipping? | 8/16/2011 |
| Q: I recently checked my credit scores from the big 3, as I do roughly once a year. What I saw ... A: Matt, You've described (what appears to be) a fairly recent and widespread phenomenon: decreased ... | |
| How early to pay off auto loan? | 8/14/2011 |
| Q: I'll be buying a new car in about 3 weeks. Although I am able to pay for the car in cash, I want to ... A: Lauren, In general, you are correct that you can raise your credit score by using a credit facility ... | |
| Cell Phone Debt Collection | 7/26/2011 |
| Q: In 2007 I recently bought a cell phone for one of my friends in a different state. I never had a ... A: Shannon. I don't see this primarily as a credit repair issue, but it is likely to harm your credit ... | |
| credit score | 7/9/2011 |
| Q: I have a credit score of over 800. how many points will my score drop for non payment of HOA dues. ... A: Fred, There are many variables involved in responding to your question, and I can't give a specific ... | |
| Credit Report | 7/7/2011 |
| Q: I had a credit card in 2007 and 2008. I wrote a check in June of 2008 to pay off the entire account ... A: Kevin, I don't think you should have to pay to get help. There are several things you can do to ... | |
| Credit repair | 6/12/2011 |
| Q: my Bankruptcy was discharged six years ago and I am having much trouble getting approved for credit ... A: Jared, Thanks for your follow-up question and clarification. I have two comments: 1. There must ... | |
| Credit repair | 6/10/2011 |
| Q: my Bankruptcy was discharged six years ago and I am having much trouble getting approved for credit ... A: Jared, Since your BK was done 6 years ago, I'm wondering why you have not been working on ... | |
| Credit-Scoring | 6/5/2011 |
| Q: I have general but confusing question. Qs: Many lenders use credit scoring to assist them in making ... A: Sonia, I'm afraid I can't help you further without the title of your textbook and the language of ... | |
| Credit-Scoring | 5/25/2011 |
| Q: I have general but confusing question. Qs: Many lenders use credit scoring to assist them in making ... A: Sonia, First, it appears you are not in the US, so it's not possible to give you a firm answer on ... | |
| Multiple Reports | 5/22/2011 |
| Q: I pulled my credit report a month and a half ago using freecreditscore. I was at a free Real Estate ... A: Dustin! First, let me advise that "freecreditscore.com" is a proprietary web site, not the official ... | |
| credit repair | 3/13/2011 |
| Q: I am planning a refinance of some rental property, and in the process have found out my credit score ... A: Peter, Thanks for your question -- it's a good one. There are several variables involved, so it's ... | |
| Omission of the Truth | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: I opened a Basic Checking Account with Citibank today but only because I was told that it would ... A: Layla, I don't see this so much as a "credit report" question as a banking relationship matter. I ... | |
| in debt $600 | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: first id like to say im a 21 yr old college student. I have made a big mistake when i was 18 signing ... A: Alex, First, I take it your intention is to pay off the old debt and be done with it. NCO is a ... | |
| Credit Report Questions | 2/25/2011 |
| Q: Good afternoon Mr. Ross, my name is Chris, I'm 25 and I live in Virginia. I've been in the process ... A: Chris, I am traveling & answering from my blackberry so I will be brief. Your description is not ... | |
| Credit Card Offers | 1/21/2011 |
| Q: .. Recently I've received offers to open new credit cards in exchange for receiving thousands of ... A: Jona, Sounds like you have done very well with your use of credit, and that's reflected in your ... | |
| Credit Score | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: My question has to do with our credit score. Our credit score was 714 more or less last year. We had ... A: Nicholas, I'm basing my answer on the facts as you have presented them, and have two suggestions. ... | |
| Credit Repair Software | 10/12/2010 |
| Q: I would like you to recommend a reliable professional credit repair software. Also please advise me ... A: Seajay, I'll try to help, though I can't recommend a specific software to "repair credit." While ... | |
| Insufficient Credit History | 9/4/2010 |
| Q: I recently got a letter from the electricity company saying Insufficient Credit History and I might ... A: Tejas, Although you don't state your location or the name of your local electric power company, it ... | |
| repairing bad credit | 7/27/2010 |
| Q: I really need your advice regarding my financial situation. I am a 24 year old male, currently ... A: Ignacio, In response to your specific questions: 1. Yes, in general, your credit score will ... | |
| Credit dispute | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: My son had a problem paying on his credit card through Best Buy. It was a few months of not paying ... A: Suzanne, That was a good move on your son's part -- to call the customer service number on the ... | |
| Credit dispute | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: My son had a problem paying on his credit card through Best Buy. It was a few months of not paying ... A: Suzanne, The situation you describe has the earmarks of a possible scam. It occurs to me that the ... | |
| Reporting / Disputing Items | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: I live in Ohio and have a few questions. Questions 1 & 2 are tied together. Question #1. I just ... A: Amy, You appear to have many issues -- I'll do my best to answer the ones where I think I can be ... | |
| Credit Score | 6/16/2010 |
| Q: My son is 23 and has been an authorized user on two of my credit cards since he is 18. He graduated ... A: Lawrence, Your son's inclusion as an authorized user on your card should be a positive factor in ... | |
| Annual Free Credit Reports | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: Yan One is allowed annually one free copy of their credit report from each of the three credit ... A: Dave, A brief update -- I have gotten responses from two of the CRAs, one of which asked for your ... | |
| Annual Free Credit Reports | 5/21/2010 |
| Q: Yan One is allowed annually one free copy of their credit report from each of the three credit ... A: Dave, Thank you for your interesting inquiry. I have generally counseled consumers to obtain their ... | |
| Balance Reduction Service | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: Recently we've all heard the ads which tell us that the advertiser knows how to get our credit card ... A: Frank, Thanks for your further comments -- and it's good to know someone else is out there paying ... | |
| Balance Reduction Service | 5/16/2010 |
| Q: Recently we've all heard the ads which tell us that the advertiser knows how to get our credit card ... A: Frank, I am informed that several companies are misusing the word "federal" in their advertising ... | |
| Credit Report | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: I live in Ohio. I am calling creditors and paying off some amounts. They all have sent me Letters of ... A: Jeff! In general, the BK and related information will remain in your credit files for 7 years ... | |
| Judgement | 5/6/2010 |
| Q: If a collection agency gets a judgement on my son in California for an $8000- debt, 1. is there a ... A: Carl, You would have to check with a California attorney on the answer to question 1. Unless the ... | |
| Credit repair | 5/6/2010 |
| Q: I have three negative items on my credit report -- all generated by my ex-husband. I'd like any ... A: Mary, You have a very complex situation, but all in all, I think the best single thing you can do ... | |
| Opening a New Credit Card and its Effect on my Credit Score | 4/24/2010 |
| Q: I want to sign up for a Fry's Credit card so I can make a 12-month interest payment on a laptop. ... A: Michael, In general, opening the Fry's card could potentially tend to raise your credit score over ... | |
| Credit Repair | 4/4/2010 |
| Q: I am from Ohio first off. I have used this site for home buying advice. My Credit score and the fact ... A: Jeff, Recapping, yes, if they will accept being paid out over time, use of a Land or Purchase ... | |
| How many credit cards to have | 3/27/2010 |
| Q: In all my credit reports over the last 2 years, they list negative factors regarding my score, one ... A: Randy, As you might have guessed, there is no single optimum number of credit cards to have. But I ... | |
| Deed in Lieu VS Short Sale - Credit Damage | 3/6/2010 |
| Q: For the last year and a half I have been struggling reaching above to pay my mortgage. Fourteen ... A: Robert, The best and most direct guidance I've been able to find is to ask for a letter from the ... | |
| Deed in Lieu VS Short Sale - Credit Damage | 3/5/2010 |
| Q: For the last year and a half I have been struggling reaching above to pay my mortgage. Fourteen ... A: Robert, I've been fortunate enough to have gotten a further response to my own inquiry. Here it ... | |
| debt | 2/20/2010 |
| Q: My wife has some very old debt from 1998 that her ex-husband that she married in Idaho was shown to ... A: PM, I think you are going to have to consult with an Idaho attorney, since this looks to me like a ... | |
| Charge off | 2/4/2010 |
| Q: I had an auto loan the car was repossessed I worked out an agreement with the ban for a lower amount ... A: Kim, First, did you get the agreement with the original lending bank in writing? Did it specify ... | |
| Possible Identity theft | 1/31/2010 |
| Q: I recently ordered a copy of my credit report and discovered in the personal information section of ... A: Ashley, Sorry this will be brief, as I'm jammed today, but do want to get you a response. First, I ... | |
| Credit repair | 1/30/2010 |
| Q: Is it ethical/legal to use the loop hole of disputing an item only for the purpose of hoping the ... A: Gene, Your asking the question indicates a sensitivity and awareness of the issues involved. I ... | |
| Foreclosure/Refinancing | 1/7/2010 |
| Q: I tried to refinance my mortgage last fall(with FHA) and was turned down since I have a foreclosure ... A: Ron, Under the circumstances you describe, I would suggest the following: Exercise your right to ... | |
| Helping my wife's credit score | 12/27/2009 |
| Q: Through a combination of my mother's knowledge and my research/work, I started early and have built ... A: Justin, Nice to see you looking toward the new year with such thoughtful questions. While there is ... | |
| credit | 12/1/2009 |
| Q: when I turn 18 how can I start making good credit? A: Yasmin, From your question I assume you are near to but not yet 18. Do you know whether you ... | |
| credit report disputes | 11/28/2009 |
| Q: I recently obtained my credit report and noticed a few things that I think should not be under " ... A: Andy, It sounds like you are taking steps to clean up inaccuracies and possible duplications in ... | |
| Credit Score | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: This is a very long, drawn out situation, so please bare with me if you can :) In 1989, when I was 3 ... A: Kim, You pose a question that appears to be a situation in which credit reporting agencies and ... | |
| free credit score | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: I must be naive but I thought a consumer could get a free credit report annually and with that would ... A: Bill, You are not naive, just another consumer disappointed by learning that the FACTA law that ... | |
| paid of my car loan is it a negative thing om my credit | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: am sonia from US, am worried about my credit i paid my car loan and they put that it on my credit as ... A: SOnia, and thanks for your question. You are correct -- paying off your car loan (assuming it was ... | |
| Charge-offs that have been sold | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: I had numerous accounts that I fell behind on as a result of an auto accident that left me unable to ... A: Mery, The situation you've described is a bit of a moving target. The charge-off by the original ... | |
| variable APR...Chase Bank | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 credit cards, a visa and mastercard. The Mastercard is with Chase and I just got notice ... A: Lee, I expect the "customer service representative" was reading from the script or talking points ... | |
| variable APR...Chase Bank | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 credit cards, a visa and mastercard. The Mastercard is with Chase and I just got notice ... A: Lee! This is a time of great change in the credit card industry -- there are no easy answers to ... | |
| "charge off" plan of attack | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: To simplify, I have struggled personally and professionally for five years. Recently started to get ... A: Dee, You certainly have a lot of moving parts in your financial situation. As you might expect, it ... | |
| Fraudently opening a joint account | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: My husband got a credit card and added me as a joint account holder without my knowledge. I tried ... A: Tina, You still have the right to send a written statement of up to 100 words to each of the credit ... | |
| Same Student Loan Reported Twice on Credit Report | 10/7/2009 |
| Q: I have a $28,221 student loan with ACS. This appears TWICE on my credit report, the same opening ... A: Tiffany, Although you did not mention which of the credit reporting agencies carries the duplicate ... | |
| secured card | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: ross! in 2007 i was the victim of a crime called kidnapping by false pretenses. during this time, ... A: James. To respond to your specific question, I am not aware of any particular secured card issuer ... | |
| DECEPTIVE PRACTICES | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: MY CREDIT CARD COMPANY SOLICITED ME TO BORROW MONEY AT A LOW RATE OF 3.99% AND AT 2.99% FOR THE LIFE ... A: Wynn, Unfortunately, you are experiencing a common problem with the practices of credit card ... | |
| credit report problem | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: My credit beacon score has fallen from a 750 for around 9 years to a 656 as of the last quarter due ... A: Camille, You are indeed experiencing a frustrating set of circumstances. First, are you satisfied ... | |
| Credit Cards After Marriage | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: I am hoping you can answer a couple simple questions. First, I am a 26-year-old female who just got ... A: Emmy, It sounds like you have a good handle on your own use of credit. The three questions you ... | |
| eviction on credit | 7/16/2009 |
| Q: If I pay an eviction from 2005 will it come off my credit or will I have to do something The ... A: Ciseley, 1. The record of your eviction, which probably shows up on your credit report as an ... | |
| bankruptcy creditor recording charged off vs included in bankruptcy | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: My husband filed bankruptcy-$30,000-in 2000. Owner operator truck driver, excellent credit, ... A: Pam, Please excuse my delay in responding. I had answered your question a few days ago, but ... | |
| deceiving credit card application | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: My husband received a credit card from Barclays and had no idea why he received it. After much ... A: Pam, I share your frustration with the lack of accountability for the unethical behavior engaged in ... | |
| deceiving credit card application | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: My husband received a credit card from Barclays and had no idea why he received it. After much ... A: Pam, If the Barclay's credit card account was open for any length of time, it will still appear on ... | |
| Bad Credit Mortgage | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering if you can please help me out. A long time ago, i had problems with my credit. Its ... A: Elizabeth, You really have two sets of questions here: credit issues and personal ones. Let me ... | |
| Charge offs due to fraud | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: I had dated this girl for a while and she had opened up about 4 credit cards in my name. I first ... A: Dan, Please excuse my delayed response, as your question did not reach me until just now. I would ... | |
| Credit card limit reduced. Will it affect my score | 6/26/2009 |
| Q: My bank has drastically reduced my credit limit due to economic slow down. How will it affect my ... A: Gladwyn, First, please excuse my delay in responding, as my DSL connection was down. If you are ... | |
| Please help w/ credit | 6/24/2009 |
| Q: I have been repairing my credit for the past few years and when I finally paid off what I thought ... A: April. First, please excuse my delay in responding, as my DSL connection was down. First, ... | |
| minimum payment | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: I have a question regarding minimum payments on credit cards. Recently, Capital One increased my ... A: Debra, Your question comes at a time of pending changes in the way in which credit card issuers are ... | |
| Equal Credit Opportunity Act question | 5/29/2009 |
| Q: From my understanding, "under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, (ECOP) reports to credit bureaus ... A: Michael, You've posed an unusual question, one with no all-encompassing answer. Without re-stating ... | |
| Credit Score and Mortgages | 5/26/2009 |
| Q: Yan; My husband and I are trying to refinance. On our present mortgage, we are both listed, on the ... A: Kristen, On your first question, assuming that the refinance will remove your name from both the ... | |
| Debt elimination by use of tax credits | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: I recently became acquainted with a group which claims to be able to eliminate all debt that has ... A: Denise, Thanks for your interesting question. I am not familiar with the debt elimination program ... | |
| Cancelling a credit card | 5/23/2009 |
| Q: I pay my credit cards in full every month and have a pretty good credit rating. About two years ago ... A: Kevin, As I suggested in the earlier response, the "utilization ratio" -- the amount used divided ... | |
| COLLECTION | 5/23/2009 |
| Q: I have a medical collection hospital bill on credit report that is 5 years old. I tried contacting ... A: Karen, On disputed accounts, you are entitled to have a 100-word written statement included in your ... | |
| Credit Report and Forcloser | 5/21/2009 |
| Q: Before my husband and I got married he defaulted on a home loan. The property went into foclosure ... A: Andrea, First, I applaud you efforts to get this straightened out, and I hope your circumstances ... | |
| Removing Items | 5/18/2009 |
| Q: On my credit report I have a collection that I recently paid. Understanding that the "ding" will ... A: Bob, Yes, you can request that the collection agency communicate with the credit reporting agencies ... | |
| credit card | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: are the advertisements that credit card debt can be reduced true or are they fraud - - - the ones ... A: Joseph, There are legitimate credit counselors and debt advisors out there, and bad ones as well. ... | |
| Old repo being re-aged and how to dispute | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: I have been working diligently for the past three years trying to rebuild my credit after years of ... A: Doug, While I can't give you a legal opinion on the issue of a possible "illegal" attempt to re-age ... | |
Credit Repair
Answers by Expert:
Yan Ross
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions on credit reports and dealing with credit reporting agencies, including disputed items, credit scores, and other consumer-related issues.
Experience
In addition to being an attorney and accredited educator, I have dealt with credit reporting issues for over 25 years.
Organizations
Currently an AllExperts Expert on Identity Theft and Reverse Mortgages
Education/Credentials
Certified Credit Report Reviewer (Institute of Consumer Financial Education, nationally prominent non-profit educational organization).
Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist (ICFE)
JD, Yale Law School
BA, Princeton University
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