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Hello everyone!
So I am a fairly recent legal immigrant to the U.S. and I opened a secured Bank of America credit card last May to start to build my credit score. Today I checked all of my reports and scores and while Transunion and Equifax both show the card and all the information, as well as actually giving me a score, Experian does not show the credit card and therefore they are telling me I have no score. This is preventing me from getting credit anywhere else as everyplace that I have tried so far seems to pull only Experian (I live in California).
What can I do here to get my credit card to report to Experian? Do I go through Bank of America or do I go through Experian? Or is there nothing I can do and just hope I eventually apply for something that checks only TU or EQ but will report to EXP?
Speak with someone at B of A. They might not be reporting it correctly.
Creditors are not required to report to any of the bureaus, but if you call them up and ask nicely you might be surprised
Several questions....
Do you have a credit report from Trans Union or Equifax? If so is the credit card reporting on those credit reports?
If no
When you first immigrated to the US the INS gave a number that could begin with a 9 usually. Between that time and now have received a social security card?
I am not being nosy with these questions your answers will figure why it is not showing on your credit report.
@Anonymous wrote:Hello everyone!
So I am a fairly recent legal immigrant to the U.S. and I opened a secured Bank of America credit card last May to start to build my credit score. Today I checked all of my reports and scores and while Transunion and Equifax both show the card and all the information, as well as actually giving me a score, Experian does not show the credit card and therefore they are telling me I have no score. This is preventing me from getting credit anywhere else as everyplace that I have tried so far seems to pull only Experian (I live in California).
What can I do here to get my credit card to report to Experian? Do I go through Bank of America or do I go through Experian? Or is there nothing I can do and just hope I eventually apply for something that checks only TU or EQ but will report to EXP?
I have a number of BoA accounts and have faced this issue many times over the last ~15 years or so... Quick little trick, if you are like me and hate talking to CSRs (though I was one for BankONE/JPMorgan Chase in a past life)... Log on to the BoA website to see your account, navigate to the update contact information option, and just retype your zip code or address or name or anything (can "change" it to the exact same thing, just have to appear to have altered it), then submit. It triggers BoA to update the account info to all three bureaus overnight for an address/name change, and IME has led to non-reporting accounts suddenly showing up, inclusive of full history.
YMMV, but good luck!
To answer Andy, yes I do have a credit report from TU and EQ and it reports on those. And I have a social security card. I got it almost immediately as I immigrated based on marriage to a citizen.
I am going to try calling them up right now I got a special phone # from another CSR so let's see how that goes!
If not I will try the updating the address suggestion. Very creative, wish I had thought of that, thanks!
@Corvidae wrote:Creditors are not required to report to any of the bureaus, but if you call them up and ask nicely you might be surprised
They are required if they advertise it.
@LS2982 wrote:
@Corvidae wrote:Creditors are not required to report to any of the bureaus, but if you call them up and ask nicely you might be surprised
They are required if they advertise it.
I agree with you though, this is not the key discussion here, we all know for fact that BofA (infact all prime lenders) reports to all 3 bureaus. The problem with the OP is that due to some oversight or some kind of error, his card is not reported to experian.
I will go with 2 advices that other posters have given in a strategic way.
First, call BofA backdoor and talk to a analyst and explain them that the card is not appearing on experian and softly emphasize how important it is for a person building/rebuilding and request them to help you fix this. (There is a good chance that they can fix it)
If that doesn't work, the second trick of changing something with the account details might help.
Third option IMO is to try changing credit limit (probably add another 100$ if you can)
I was thinking it may the social security number on file ofr that account is different than the social security number the credit report(s) were pulled wtth. I like to know the results of your call if possible.
@jausanka wrote:
I have a number of BoA accounts and have faced this issue many times over the last ~15 years or so... Quick little trick, if you are like me and hate talking to CSRs (though I was one for BankONE/JPMorgan Chase in a past life)... Log on to the BoA website to see your account, navigate to the update contact information option, and just retype your zip code or address or name or anything (can "change" it to the exact same thing, just have to appear to have altered it), then submit. It triggers BoA to update the account info to all three bureaus overnight for an address/name change, and IME has led to non-reporting accounts suddenly showing up, inclusive of full history.
YMMV, but good luck!
Excellent advice, jausanka! A nice workaround, and without the hassles of dealing with CSRs or the bureaus!