Credit Report - Watch Out for Parking Tickets
The economic downturn of the last five years has affected millions of Americans, but it has also affected the budgets of states, cities and counties. With limited tax dollars with which to work, various government entities have had to try to stretch their budgets to allow them to continue to function. Many government agencies at the state and local levels have turned over debt collection to collection agencies, even for such seemingly small debts as parking tickets or library fines. What does this mean? An unpaid parking ticket could end upon on your credit report.
Credit reports and the associated FICO credit score have become an increasingly important part of the lives of Americans. At one time, the credit report was primarily used by mortgage lenders to determine if a prospective customer should be granted a loan. In recent years, the credit score and report have been used for an increasingly large number of uses by all kinds of companies. Employers use them to avoid hiring financially irresponsible people and landlords use them to determine if a person might be a responsible tenant. As credit reports are used more often, blemishes on your credit report become magnified in importance. In past years, only significant unpaid debts or bankruptcy filings might have inhibited the issuing of credit. But now, with credit reports being used by so many more businesses, something as small as an unpaid parking ticket can prevent someone from obtaining a job or a lease on a good apartment.
This system isn’t all that equitable; not all cities and counties report unpaid fines to the credit bureaus. Worse, while the company that originated the FICO score has adjusted their scoring system to account for small fines, not all lenders use that version of the scoring system. Because of this, whether or not such small things affect your credit score is can be determined by something as simple as where you live or with whom you choose to do business. Fair or not, consumers need to be aware that some small debts may find their way into the credit score and the only way to be sure is to check your credit report regularly.
Most Americans can obtain a copy of their credit report for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. Many people who have had their scores negatively affected by small fines were unaware that they even owed them. This can happen if the debtor has recently moved. Paying the fine can quickly resolve the problem and raise the credit score again, so by all means, check your credit report!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
15acre & 25 Acres Tracts of Beautiful Lkae & Mt Views
Beautiful wooded, rolling property with panoramic lake and mountain views; conveniently located to I-40; adjacent 25 acres also available MLS#551819; development potential
DIR:
I-40 from Knoxville, exit 350 Midtown, L to 70, L on Swan Pond Road (.6 mi), R on Swan Pond Circle (2 mi), access road on left (1 mi), Sign on Property
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
BUILD YOUR MOUNTAIN RETREAT
Forest Ridge Drive, Harriman, 37748
AREA:
(35) Morgan County
(312) Harriman
PRICE
$29, 900
LGL:
150 050.00
LSZ:
177 x 472 Irr.
ACR:
1.53
INSUB:
Yes
SUB:
Forest Ridge
DOC:
Restrictions, Survey
DEV:
Other
SAO:
Will Build, Will Not Divide
UND:
No Garbage Pick Up
Features
TPE:
Single Family
TOP:
Wooded, Steep, Rolling
RDF:
Gravel
ZNG:
No Zoning
IMP:
Utilities on Site
AMN:
Mountain View
EAS:
None
UTL:
Telephone, Water, Gas, Electricity
Additional Information
DVM:
RM:
Panoramic views from this restrited mountain-top subdivision. Heavily wooded with good building spots. Build your dream mountain retreat.
DIR:
I-40, Exit 347 Harriman, right on Hwy 27 through Harriman, bear left on Hwy 27 at the 27/61 split, continue to Morgan County, 1st road to right past county line, right on Forest Ridge Drive, SOP
Agent Instructions
AI:
Agency Information
AREA:
(35) Morgan County
(312) Harriman
PRICE
$29, 900
LGL:
150 050.00
LSZ:
177 x 472 Irr.
ACR:
1.53
INSUB:
Yes
SUB:
Forest Ridge
DOC:
Restrictions, Survey
DEV:
Other
SAO:
Will Build, Will Not Divide
UND:
No Garbage Pick Up
Features
TPE:
Single Family
TOP:
Wooded, Steep, Rolling
RDF:
Gravel
ZNG:
No Zoning
IMP:
Utilities on Site
AMN:
Mountain View
EAS:
None
UTL:
Telephone, Water, Gas, Electricity
Additional Information
DVM:
RM:
Panoramic views from this restrited mountain-top subdivision. Heavily wooded with good building spots. Build your dream mountain retreat.
DIR:
I-40, Exit 347 Harriman, right on Hwy 27 through Harriman, bear left on Hwy 27 at the 27/61 split, continue to Morgan County, 1st road to right past county line, right on Forest Ridge Drive, SOP
Agent Instructions
AI:
Agency Information
Monday, November 26, 2007
HOLIDAY SPENDING
Holiday Spending
During the holiday season last year, I really damaged my credit - I saw my FICO credit score drop almost 40 points from October to January! Can you give me some advice on how to avoid hurting my credit this holiday season and help me spot common pitfalls that could lower my FICO credit score?
The holiday season can bring more surprises than a pair of argyle socks or a knitted sweater embroidered with your name - it can also cause the post-holiday blues when you get your credit card statements after the last of the eggnog is gone! Retailers bombard you with special promotions like 10% off of your total purchase by opening a department store credit card with them. These offers are hard to resist when you want to get your family and friends the perfect gifts, so I understand the temptation to charge, charge, charge. I'll give you a few tips and reminders about how to best manage your credit so you don't once again fall down into a FICO® hole that you need to climb out of.
Problem #1 – charging more than you can pay off.It's common to go a little overboard during the holidays – those iPhones that everybody wants this year aren’t cheap! It's easy to rationalize that this is the "giving time" of year and it's okay to charge a little more than usual. This is only true if you're not "giving" so much that you're unable to pay off your credit cards. Receiving credit card bills that you can't pay off can leave you stuck with paying interest on the balances. This is not only money wasted on interest, it's also probably hurting your FICO® score - particularly if you don't typically carry balances on your credit cards. This year, try to budget so that you only charge what you feel comfortable that you can pay off the following month.
Problem #2 – opening new lines of credit for a small savings.Retailers love to tell you how opening a department store card can save you an extra 10% or 20% on your purchases. We've all done the math at the register when the cashier offers to save you 10%; hmmm, so that's $15 bucks off these $150 leather boots by opening this card – tempting alright. The bad news is these department store cards typically charge very high interest rates, so if you carry that $150 balance for even one month, you'll be giving that $15 savings back and then some. Not to mention, each time you open one of these new credit accounts might be dinging your FICO® score. As a general rule, don't accept the new credit offers when shopping; that small savings today, most likely isn't worth it in the long run.
Problem #3 – leaving town and forgetting to pay your bills.If you plan to visit friends or family this year, make sure you pay any bills that are due before you leave town. Traveling during the holidays can exhaust all of your energy and a good chunk of your sanity, so it's easy to forget little things like mailing in your credit card payments. One sure way to hurt your credit is to forget to pay your bills, so this year make sure that you're current with all your bills before heading to grandma's house.
I hope this advice helps you avoid these common holiday credit mishaps.
Taken from: www.myfico.com
During the holiday season last year, I really damaged my credit - I saw my FICO credit score drop almost 40 points from October to January! Can you give me some advice on how to avoid hurting my credit this holiday season and help me spot common pitfalls that could lower my FICO credit score?
The holiday season can bring more surprises than a pair of argyle socks or a knitted sweater embroidered with your name - it can also cause the post-holiday blues when you get your credit card statements after the last of the eggnog is gone! Retailers bombard you with special promotions like 10% off of your total purchase by opening a department store credit card with them. These offers are hard to resist when you want to get your family and friends the perfect gifts, so I understand the temptation to charge, charge, charge. I'll give you a few tips and reminders about how to best manage your credit so you don't once again fall down into a FICO® hole that you need to climb out of.
Problem #1 – charging more than you can pay off.It's common to go a little overboard during the holidays – those iPhones that everybody wants this year aren’t cheap! It's easy to rationalize that this is the "giving time" of year and it's okay to charge a little more than usual. This is only true if you're not "giving" so much that you're unable to pay off your credit cards. Receiving credit card bills that you can't pay off can leave you stuck with paying interest on the balances. This is not only money wasted on interest, it's also probably hurting your FICO® score - particularly if you don't typically carry balances on your credit cards. This year, try to budget so that you only charge what you feel comfortable that you can pay off the following month.
Problem #2 – opening new lines of credit for a small savings.Retailers love to tell you how opening a department store card can save you an extra 10% or 20% on your purchases. We've all done the math at the register when the cashier offers to save you 10%; hmmm, so that's $15 bucks off these $150 leather boots by opening this card – tempting alright. The bad news is these department store cards typically charge very high interest rates, so if you carry that $150 balance for even one month, you'll be giving that $15 savings back and then some. Not to mention, each time you open one of these new credit accounts might be dinging your FICO® score. As a general rule, don't accept the new credit offers when shopping; that small savings today, most likely isn't worth it in the long run.
Problem #3 – leaving town and forgetting to pay your bills.If you plan to visit friends or family this year, make sure you pay any bills that are due before you leave town. Traveling during the holidays can exhaust all of your energy and a good chunk of your sanity, so it's easy to forget little things like mailing in your credit card payments. One sure way to hurt your credit is to forget to pay your bills, so this year make sure that you're current with all your bills before heading to grandma's house.
I hope this advice helps you avoid these common holiday credit mishaps.
Taken from: www.myfico.com
Monday, November 19, 2007
TIPS FOR RAISING CREDIT SCORES
Tips for Raising Scores
Payment History Tips
Pay your bills on time.
Delinquent payments and collections can have a major negative impact on your score. If you have missed payments, get current and stay current. The longer you pay your bills on time, the better your score. Be aware that paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report. It will stay on your report for seven years.
If you are having trouble making ends meet, contact your creditors or see a legitimate credit consultant. This won't improve your score immediately, but if you can begin to manage your credit and pay on time, your score will get better over time.
Amounts Owed Tips
Keep balances low on credit cards and other “revolving credit”. High outstanding debt can affect a score.
Pay off debt rather than moving it around. The most effective way to improve your score in this area is by paying down your revolving credit. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.
Don't close unused credit cards as a short-term strategy to raise your score. Don't open a number of new credit cards that you don't need, just to increase your available credit. This approach could backfire and actually lower score.
Length of Credit History Tips
If you have been managing credit for a short time, don't open a lot of new accounts too rapidly. New accounts will lower your average account age, which will have a larger effect on your score if you don't have a lot of other credit information. Also, rapid account buildup can look risky if you are a new credit user.
New Credit Tips
Do your rate shopping for a given loan within a focused period of time. FICO® scores distinguish between a search for a single loan and a search for many new credit lines, in part by the length of time over which inquiries occur.
Re-establish your credit history if you have had problems. Opening new accounts responsibly and paying them off on time will raise your score in the long term.
Note that it's OK to request and check your own credit report. This won't affect your score, as long as you order your credit report directly from the credit reporting agency or through an organization authorized to provide credit reports to consumers.
Types of Credit Use Tips
Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed. Don't open accounts just to have a better credit mix - it probably won't raise your score.
Have credit cards - but manage them responsibly. In general, having credit cards and installment loans (and paying timely payments) will raise your score. Someone with no credit cards, for example, tends to be higher risk than someone who has managed credit cards responsibly.
Note that closing an account doesn't make it go away. A closed account will still show up on your credit report, and may be considered by the score.
Consumer Credit Facts Consumer Credit Facts What’s In A Score?
Payment History – 35% Account payment information on specific types of accounts (credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts, mortgage, etc.) Presence of adverse public records (bankruptcy, judgments, suits, liens, wage attachments, etc.), collection items, and/or delinquency (past due items) Severity of delinquency (how long past due) Amount past due on delinquent accounts or collection items Time since (recency of) past due items (delinquency), adverse public records (if any), or collection items (if any) Number of past due items on file Number of accounts paid as agreed
Amounts Owed – 30% Amount owing on accounts Amount owing on specific types of accounts Lack of a specific type of balance, in some cases Number of accounts with balances Proportion of credit lines used (proportion of balances to total credit limits on certain types of revolving accounts) Proportion of installment loan amounts still owing (proportion of balance to original loan amount on certain types of installment loans)
Length of Credit History – 15% Time since accounts opened Time since accounts opened, by specific type of account Time since account activity
New Credit – 10% Number of recently opened accounts, and proportion of accounts that are recently opened, by type of account Number of recent credit inquiries Time since recent account open-ing(s), by type of account Time since credit inquiry(s) Re-establishment of positive credit history following past payment problems
Types of Credit Used – 10% Number of (presence, prevalence, and recent information on) various types of accounts (credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, mortgage, consumer finance accounts, etc.)
Please note that:
A score takes into consideration all these categories of information, not just one or two.
No one piece of information or factor alone will determine your score.
The importance of any factor depends on the overall information in your credit report.
For some people, a given factor may be more important than for someone else with a different credit history. In addition, as the information in your credit report changes, so does the importance of any factor in determining your score. Thus, it's impossible to say exactly how important any single factor is in determining your score - even the levels of importance shown here are for the general population, and will be different for different credit profiles. What's important is the mix of information, which varies from person to person, and for any one person over time.
Your FICO score only looks at information in your credit report.
However, lenders look at many things when making a credit decision including your income, how long you have worked at your present job and the kind of credit you are requesting.
Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report.
Late payments will lower your score, but establishing or reestablishing a good track record of making payments on time will raise your score.
Information collected with the help of
www.myfico.com
Payment History Tips
Pay your bills on time.
Delinquent payments and collections can have a major negative impact on your score. If you have missed payments, get current and stay current. The longer you pay your bills on time, the better your score. Be aware that paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report. It will stay on your report for seven years.
If you are having trouble making ends meet, contact your creditors or see a legitimate credit consultant. This won't improve your score immediately, but if you can begin to manage your credit and pay on time, your score will get better over time.
Amounts Owed Tips
Keep balances low on credit cards and other “revolving credit”. High outstanding debt can affect a score.
Pay off debt rather than moving it around. The most effective way to improve your score in this area is by paying down your revolving credit. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.
Don't close unused credit cards as a short-term strategy to raise your score. Don't open a number of new credit cards that you don't need, just to increase your available credit. This approach could backfire and actually lower score.
Length of Credit History Tips
If you have been managing credit for a short time, don't open a lot of new accounts too rapidly. New accounts will lower your average account age, which will have a larger effect on your score if you don't have a lot of other credit information. Also, rapid account buildup can look risky if you are a new credit user.
New Credit Tips
Do your rate shopping for a given loan within a focused period of time. FICO® scores distinguish between a search for a single loan and a search for many new credit lines, in part by the length of time over which inquiries occur.
Re-establish your credit history if you have had problems. Opening new accounts responsibly and paying them off on time will raise your score in the long term.
Note that it's OK to request and check your own credit report. This won't affect your score, as long as you order your credit report directly from the credit reporting agency or through an organization authorized to provide credit reports to consumers.
Types of Credit Use Tips
Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed. Don't open accounts just to have a better credit mix - it probably won't raise your score.
Have credit cards - but manage them responsibly. In general, having credit cards and installment loans (and paying timely payments) will raise your score. Someone with no credit cards, for example, tends to be higher risk than someone who has managed credit cards responsibly.
Note that closing an account doesn't make it go away. A closed account will still show up on your credit report, and may be considered by the score.
Consumer Credit Facts Consumer Credit Facts What’s In A Score?
Payment History – 35% Account payment information on specific types of accounts (credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts, mortgage, etc.) Presence of adverse public records (bankruptcy, judgments, suits, liens, wage attachments, etc.), collection items, and/or delinquency (past due items) Severity of delinquency (how long past due) Amount past due on delinquent accounts or collection items Time since (recency of) past due items (delinquency), adverse public records (if any), or collection items (if any) Number of past due items on file Number of accounts paid as agreed
Amounts Owed – 30% Amount owing on accounts Amount owing on specific types of accounts Lack of a specific type of balance, in some cases Number of accounts with balances Proportion of credit lines used (proportion of balances to total credit limits on certain types of revolving accounts) Proportion of installment loan amounts still owing (proportion of balance to original loan amount on certain types of installment loans)
Length of Credit History – 15% Time since accounts opened Time since accounts opened, by specific type of account Time since account activity
New Credit – 10% Number of recently opened accounts, and proportion of accounts that are recently opened, by type of account Number of recent credit inquiries Time since recent account open-ing(s), by type of account Time since credit inquiry(s) Re-establishment of positive credit history following past payment problems
Types of Credit Used – 10% Number of (presence, prevalence, and recent information on) various types of accounts (credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, mortgage, consumer finance accounts, etc.)
Please note that:
A score takes into consideration all these categories of information, not just one or two.
No one piece of information or factor alone will determine your score.
The importance of any factor depends on the overall information in your credit report.
For some people, a given factor may be more important than for someone else with a different credit history. In addition, as the information in your credit report changes, so does the importance of any factor in determining your score. Thus, it's impossible to say exactly how important any single factor is in determining your score - even the levels of importance shown here are for the general population, and will be different for different credit profiles. What's important is the mix of information, which varies from person to person, and for any one person over time.
Your FICO score only looks at information in your credit report.
However, lenders look at many things when making a credit decision including your income, how long you have worked at your present job and the kind of credit you are requesting.
Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report.
Late payments will lower your score, but establishing or reestablishing a good track record of making payments on time will raise your score.
Information collected with the help of
www.myfico.com
Saturday, November 17, 2007
WATTS BAR LAKE FISHING REPORT
WATTS BAR FISHING REPORT
Conditions: Most of the lake is murky, with some muddy areas. Surface temperatures range from the low-to-high 50s.
Species: Bass - Fair to good. Smallmouth are being caught in better numbers. Points 8 to 18 feet deep are holding good numbers of fish, with crankbaits, jigs and pig'n jigs working best. Largemouth fishing is good, especially on shallows where they are chasing shad. Crappie - Fair to good. Creek channels with submerged brush or other structure is a good place to start. Minnows fished as shallow as 4 feet or as deep as 20 are catching fish, usually the deeper the bigger. Striped bass - Fair. Fishing is so-so on the lower third of the lake, better from the steam plant upstream. At the steam plant live bait is catching a lot of small stripers. Sauger - Improving. The area below the steam plant is producing a few sauger on jigs tipped with minnows or plain minnows.
Species: Bass - Fair to good. Smallmouth are being caught in better numbers. Points 8 to 18 feet deep are holding good numbers of fish, with crankbaits, jigs and pig'n jigs working best. Largemouth fishing is good, especially on shallows where they are chasing shad. Crappie - Fair to good. Creek channels with submerged brush or other structure is a good place to start. Minnows fished as shallow as 4 feet or as deep as 20 are catching fish, usually the deeper the bigger. Striped bass - Fair. Fishing is so-so on the lower third of the lake, better from the steam plant upstream. At the steam plant live bait is catching a lot of small stripers. Sauger - Improving. The area below the steam plant is producing a few sauger on jigs tipped with minnows or plain minnows.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Beautiful Lakefront Home on Henley Point
110 Henley Point, Kingston, 37763
AREA:
Roane County
SUBAREA:
Kingston
LP:
$410, 000
PIN:
096P A 001.0
LGL:
096P A 001.0
LSZ:
107.5 x 136 IRR
ACR:
LTD:
Lake Access, Mountain View, Lake View, Rolling, Lake Front
SUB:
Henley Point
HOAFEE:
$0
WAT:
public
SEW:
septic
CTX:
$1, 363
General Information
RMS:
7
BR:
2
BTH:
2
HB:
1
SQF:
2550
UPR:
0
MAN:
1225
DWN:
1225
YB:
1993
AGE:
14
UC:
No
NFRP:
FRPL:
None
FLO:
Tile, Vinyl, Hardwood, Carpet
BAS:
Finished
SB:
Yes
RES:
Yes
Room Dimensions
LR:
18 x 16
KT:
14.5 x 11
DR:
18 x 10
BON:
FAM:
30 x 17
RR:
MBR:
16 x 11
BR2:
14 x 10
BR3:
10 x 11.5
BR4:
BR5:
LAU:
Yes
STG:
Yes
Features
TPE:
Basement Ranch
STY:
Contemporary
CNS:
Vinyl, Brick
GAR:
Main Level, Garage Door Opener, Detached, Two Car
FUE:
Electric
HEA:
Heat Pump, Central
COL:
Central
FEA:
Master Bdrm Main Level, Self Cleaning Oven, Walk-in-Closets, Microwave, Burglar Alarm, Smoke Detector, Washer/Dryer Connections, Disposal, Refrigerator, Range/Oven, Dishwasher, Great Room
EXF:
Vinyl Windows, Cable Available, Professional Landscaped, Insulated Windows, Porch - Covered, Deck, Boat Dock, Screened Porch
Mortgage Information
FCL:
No
TRM:
Cash, Conventional
POS:
At Closing
Additional Information
RM:
Enjoy year-round deep water with 127 ft. of shoreline complete with covered dock w/boat lift. The main floor of the house has a great room with french doors leading to a large deck with screened porch. Master on the main level with private bath. Lake views throughout the house. Professionally landscaped with an oversized detached garage. The septic permit is for two bedrooms. Jack and Jill bath downstairs between bedroom and office. Lower deck has a hot tub.
DIR:
From Kingston, take Hwy 58 South , bear R on River Rd, R on Henley Point, first house on right, SOP
Agent Instructions
AI:
TWO INDOOR CATS - do not let them out or leave exterior doors open. Must give advance notice to show. Call listing office.
Agency Information
OLP:
$410, 000
A Little Info About Watts Bar Lake
Watts Bar Lake provides 783 miles of shoreline for fishing, boating, swimming, camping, hiking and skiing. Boat docks and ramps are numerous throughout Roane County as well as TVA and commercial campsites for year round pleasure. Area marinas provide 500 boat slips, large and small boat rentals, houseboats, cabins, and supplies.
Watts Bar Lake unlimited coves and islands with natural sand beaches make an idea lake for all water sports. It is fed by three major rivers and at least six large creeks. Anglers may choose from wide-open flats to narrow winding river channels in which to fish. There are plenty of jumbo crappie as well as lunker largemouth and small mouth bass and trophy stripers. The abundance of most types of fresh water fish will provide lasting memory for the avid fisherman. Watts Bar is particularly suited for family vacations with numerous commercial resorts and boat docks.
Watts Bar Lake provides an abundance of fresh water fish. Largemouth, (April-June) daytime, (July-Aug.) at night. Smallmouth, (Oct-Dec.). Bluegill (summer, willowfly in July) Crappie, (spring and fall), Catfish, (June-Aug.) June when spawning. White Bass (Aug.-Sept.) Strippers, (Oct.-Nov.) at Moon Island, spring and fall at Thrift Neck Island and below dam. Sauger, (below dam Nov.-Feb.)
Watts Bar Lake provides an abundance of fresh water fish. Largemouth, (April-June) daytime, (July-Aug.) at night. Smallmouth, (Oct-Dec.). Bluegill (summer, willowfly in July) Crappie, (spring and fall), Catfish, (June-Aug.) June when spawning. White Bass (Aug.-Sept.) Strippers, (Oct.-Nov.) at Moon Island, spring and fall at Thrift Neck Island and below dam. Sauger, (below dam Nov.-Feb.)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
As the sun sets over Watts Bar Lake
I get to see this or something like this every day.WATTS BAR LAKE
IT'S A LIFE STYLE
Any day on the lake is better than most days somewhere else!!!
I live on Watts Bar Land and I make a living selling lake properties. I'll post a few interesting and possibly informative blurbs from time to time. I've not tried this venue before....who knows????
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)