Reporting errors are piling up and consumers are being wrongfully penalized. Here's how to keep your credit healthy.

by Lisa L. Gill

Source: Consumer Reports, March 2021

Excerpt: 

Josh Thomas, a self-employed computer programmer in Port Orchard, Wash., was worried about his job prospects after nearly three months in lockdown because of COVID-19. So last May he signed up online for an offer from his credit card company, Barclays Bank, to defer his monthly payments for up to three months.

But three months later, Thomas discovered that his credit score had dropped after checking his credit reports. Those detailed credit histories produced by the big credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—are used by companies like FICO and VantageScore to calculate a three-digit credit score. And that score is used by lenders when deciding whether to offer credit cards and auto, home, and student loans to consumers, and what interest rates to charge.

Thomas saw that Barclays had erroneously reported he missed a credit card payment in July, during his deferral period. He filed dispute claims with each credit bureau to correct the error but was unsuccessful. He finally sued Barclays in September as part of a class-action lawsuit in an effort to remove the late payment from his reports. The case is still pending.

Having a lower credit score meant that Thomas had to delay starting a nonprofit business he hoped to get off the ground, says Chris Rosfjord, his attorney.

To continue reading, click the link below:

https://www.consumerreports.org/credit-scores-reports/why-the-pandemic-may-be-hurting-your-credit-score/

 

John Cole Gayle, Jr.
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Consumer Law Pioneer and Co-Author of Virginia's Lemon Law