Description
The world of credit is fraught with peril. First, there's the enormous and growing risk of
identity theft, which victimized nearly 10 million Americans in 2003 alone. But the
quieter risks are just as real: inaccurate credit reports that drive up your interest
rates or prevent you from getting loans, fine print in credit agreements that can cost you
hundreds or even thousands of dollars, 'credit repair' services that only make matters
worse. In 25 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your Credit, consumer finance expert and
nationally syndicated radio host Steve Weisman tells you exactly what to watch out for,
and how to keep credit disasters from happening to you. Writing in plain English, Weisman
reveals how criminals gain access to your credit, bank, or brokerage accounts, open new
accounts and take out loans in your name, and how to use the law, technology, and common
sense to protect yourself. You'll learn how to recognize 'phishing' scams and dishonest
credit counselors, how to understand and eliminate the hidden costs of credit, and much
more. Weisman's checklists tell you what to do right now, before you're victimized. And if
you've already been attacked, Weisman presents step-by-step techniques, form letters, and
affidavits you can use to help restore your credit -- and your good name.
Contents
Introduction.
1. Identity Theft.
2. Making Yourself Less Vulnerable to Identity Theft.
3. Danger on the Computer and What to Do if You Are the Victim of Identity Theft.
4. Your Social Security Number - An Identity Thief's Lucky Number.
5. Criminal Identity Theft, Taxes - And More Arresting Problems.
6. Technology, Business, and Government Fight Identity Theft.
7. Financial Privacy Please: The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
8. Credit Cards.
9. Fine Print.
10. Protection from Credit Discrimination.
11. Credit Reports.
12. Credit Counseling and Credit Repair.
13. Congress Deals with Credit Reports and Identity Theft: The Fair and Accurate Credit
Transactions Act.
14. Steve's Rules.
15. Form Letters.
256 pages, Paperback
