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8 Awarer From Staff Reports Whenever you apply for a loan, credit card, or even to lease an apartment, it is likely that the potential creditor will check your credit history. Virtually no loan or credit is issued in today's society without a thorough check of the applicant's credit record. However, important rto ona'f rvircAno 1 rroH 1 f hictAnr to unt- o [A/i^uiiai wivAiii iiioiv/i j most Americans have never seen their credit reports. ^ "It's important to stay on top of your credit information, especially if you're turned down for credit," Max Haynes, former executive director of the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs and spokesperson for Citibank MasterCard and Visa's "Money Matters for College Students" program, said. "Credit reports provide creditors with most of the information they will ever know about you ? for this reason, it's important that you know how your payment patterns and credit habits are being reported." What do you need to do to get a look at your credit record, and how can you make sure that it is an accurate reflection of vour behavior? Haynes offers the following tips: Understand what a credit report is. A credit report is simply a compilation of facts and information reported by creditors to credit bureaus regarding major credit accounts held under your name. Credit reports list major accounts such as department store accounts, bank cards, bank loans, student loans, etc. They show the amount of credit you have, the amount outstanding on each account and a summary of how regularly you pay your bills. Credit reports don't "score" consumers, or provide a "credit ratmTTTKTATn* Th* nr, "ROCK THE BOAT" Dm munchies, your favorite bev dancing on the moonlit Lido the Strand's ONLY floating views on scenic Ocean and FISHING: 1/2 Day, We take the storyti DIVING: Excitin Equipment rental, RESERVATIONS REQ U.S.C. s This coupon good for Dance, Mid-Day Watt Coupon good f< less of c ing" ? they simply list objective ii financial facts for evaluation fj purposes. d Find out which bureaus your c creditors report to. There are t< three national credit bureaus, Equi- y fax, Trans Union and TRW. A few a simple calls to your bank or lend- t ing institution, credit card issuer, i etc., will tell you to which credit y bureau they report. v Get a copy of your credit re- ^ port(s). Call your local credit bu- c reau (they're listed in the Yellow p Pages), and they will be able to | explain their procedure for obtain- c ing your bureau file. It's a good p idea to review your credit record ^ every two years to be certain infor- ^ mation is accurately reported. Check your report right away if i you've been denied credit. Fees for providing this information range from $5 to $25. How ever, uy taw anyune ueuieu eieuu is entitled to look at his credit report free of charge within 30 days of notification of credit denial. Take the time to go through the report carefully. Don't be intimidated by its appearance. At first glance the report may seem overly complicated, but the key sent with the report will serve as a helpful guide. If there is an error, deal with it quickly. Errors do appear on credit reports from time to time. Consumers have the right to challenge any inaccurate information on their reports. To do so, com plete the dispute form, which accompanies your credit bureau report and send it along with any verification that the information is innaccurate. Send it registered mail to the credit bureau. The credit bureau is required to investigate the dispute with the creditor. If the creditor cannot verify the WE Highway 17 & 11th Avenue North Vereen's Marina, N. Myrtle Beach, SC Telephone: 249-3571 rise ship "HURRICANE7 nee Cruises: complimentary erages from our cash bar and deck! Dinner Cruises: we're restaurant. Enjoy spectacular Waterway Cruises. all uay & Lruij stream elling out of fishing! g diving adventures! sales and service too! UIRED FOR ALL TRIPS SPECIAL! $2.00 discount on any envoy or Ocean Cruise >r up to 2 people. redit cr nformation, it will be removed ou rom your file. However, if they lo verify the information, you may sta ontact the creditor directly to de- y? ermine on what basis they find ma our information is inaccurate. If do' fter this step, the creditor insists f?r heir report is accurate, you may an( nclude a 100-word statement on d? "mi Knrcoii rpnnrt rpnrPQPnlinu U1C ww wwxvww X vpvy. V, X G 'our side of the story. After 30 cre lays, check to make certain that all orrections and your statement ap ear on your current bureau report. I Keep your record credit re- i ord clean. The one sure-fire way cre 0 ensure that your credit report is issi lealthy and unblemished is to take der 'our credit responsibilities seri- frei 1 You've cc 1 Congratulations & Mother, R EME 1 AMSTERDAM 9 ATHENS 9 BRUSSELS 9 FRANKFURT 9 HELSINKI 9 ISTANBUL 5 All above h Ask About Oth ucial sly starting now. Remember \s/\ ?se student loans; you'll need to rt making payments soon after /" **? u graduate, and your perfornee will be reported. Sometime wn the road, you'll be applying i ^ ^ i a car loan or aparuneni lease, i you don't want past indiscrens to stand in your way. Rein ber, credit is a privilege, and :dit can make life a little easier, { t only if handled responsibly >"* m the beginning. r^\ free booklet on responsible idit use and other financial ues of concern to college stu- - * its is available by calling tolls (800) 669-2635 . Shirley me a long way, b r^nnrl T iipH Wa QfA r VJUUU JUUVllt T ? v urn v |ena, Angie, Vic and J< >370 LONDON >440 LUXEMBURG (370 MILAN (385 PARIS 1992 Graduation Tab Si" aby! i^" >roud of you. imes $325 $370 $430 $370 $430 $430 Atlanta. Norld Wide 5440 ROME 5440 STOCKHOLM 3res with British Airways from \er Destinations to/from USA [ (?W* [*M f?] 11* [?Wzl llTJ *