No access to any credit reports: "Not availlable" or other denial phrase

[Anonymous]

I am retired, and have been living in Mexico for 12 years. Have had nothing except US bank debit cards since 2002, when i had to declare a personal bankruptcy.

However, medical issues may soon force me to move back to the US so I can access more convenient VA medical care.

Since I will probably have to rent, I suspect my credit score, or lack of one, may become an issue. I have tried a few times in the last 10 years to access a 'free' credit report through various entities, but always get the "not available" or other turn-down.

Is this simply due to my not having any credit cards since 2002, or a result of bankruptcy records still lingering after all these years?

I can live just fine w/o credit cards, so really don't want to pursue a high interest rate card simply to 'build up' a credit score, if indeed that is the problem. And, since I have been living out-of-country since 2008, my local rent/landlord references will be worthless.

Any ideas on how to approach this issue so I can integrate back into a somewhat normal financial situation in the US?

Thanks!

MontyJ

[SOGGIE]

@Anonymous I wish you well with your health needs. Perhaps once you have a U.S. address, and a U.S. Government-issued ID with a U.S. address on it you could:

1) Open a savings account at a credit union for as little as $5.00 to get you into the ChexSystems Banking database.

2) Open a Chime Cash Back Visa (no credit check) to get your credit profile generated.

3) Get a no credit check Self, Inc. credit builder loan with Lead Bank with payments of approximately $25/Month for 2 years.

Best of luck!

[Horseshoez]

@Anonymous, here's my concern, you'll be in a Catch-22 situation, you may not be able to get approved for a lease on an apartment without a credit rating, and without an address in the States, you may not be able to get a credit rating.  One thought would be to call Navy Federal and see if they have the ability to open accounts for ex-Pat veterans.

Regarding "high interest credit cards", I would argue why do you care?  Most credit cards charge zero interest if you pay your full balance by the due date.

[Anonymous]

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Welcome to the MyFICO forums, @Anonymous 

Here are the conditions that must be met in order to have a credit score:

• At least one account opened for six months or more, and
• At least one account that has been reported to the credit bureau within the past six months, and
• No indication of deceased on the credit report (Please note, if you share an account with another person this may affect you if the other account holder is reported deceased)

Since you've had no credit activity since 2002 your credit records would have been purged around 2012-2013.  And since you don't have an account that is at least 6 months old, or has reported to the credit bureau(s) within the last 6 months no records exists to be used to generate a credit score.  The good news is that the bankruptcy would also have been deleted from your credit report.

The credit bureaus would still retain your personal information such as name, social security number, etc. but the absence of recent activity means a score cannot be generated.  So while you can't currently get a "credit score" you should still have a "credit report."  Have you tried pulling your credit report(s) from the Annual Credit Report website?

[Anonymous]

@SOGGIE,Thanks for the pointers! Looks like a few mountains will need climbing

[Anonymous]

@Horseshoez, Great points. I do have a mailbox I have used for 10 years in the states and even have a valid drivers license in that state. However, when someone does a thorough zip+4 lookup on it, they see it is a UPS store in a shopping mall; some don't care or don't check, some do. And of course I have a US passport for ID purposes.

Fortunately, there are a few "no credit check" monthly rental places where I can park while I get some semblance of credit built up.

Thanks for the comments!

MontyJ

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous, It had been a couple of years, so I tried this morning to get a "credit report" through that site. Responses:

Transunion: We are unable to confirm your identity

Equifax: Online Delivery Unavailable. We are not able to deliver your free Equifax Annual Credit Report online.

Experian: We're sorry. A condition exists that prevents Experian from being able to accept your request at this time.

It may be that my 'current address' is a UPS Store...don't know. The IRS hasn't given me any issues with it in the 12 years I have been using it.

However, it would be nice to know what merchants/prospective creditors get when they access these reporting systems. I know the bankruptcy should have been purged, but 'should have' and 'has been' are two different things. They may have some arcane rule that says nothing gets purged until updated/new data is entered. Again, hard to know and they certainly won't tell if that is the case.

Anyway, it looks like I am just going to have to slug it out with the credit bureaucracy to get reestablished.

Thank you for the comments!

[KLEXH25]

I went without credit cards for about 15 years, and before I got my "first" credit card again 3 years ago, I couldn't access my credit reports either. And I tried a few times for years. Once I got that card, I was finally able to access my credit reports. It seems that without any active credit accounts (with a US address associated to it), your reports kind of go into limbo. At least that was my experience. 

[Anonymous]

@KLEXH25, Yep, seems that is the consensus on this issue. Guess I will just have to bow to the man and get a CC to appear human in our modern world

Thanks!

MontyJ

[USMC_Winger]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous, It had been a couple of years, so I tried this morning to get a "credit report" through that site. Responses:

Transunion: We are unable to confirm your identity

Equifax: Online Delivery Unavailable. We are not able to deliver your free Equifax Annual Credit Report online.

Experian: We're sorry. A condition exists that prevents Experian from being able to accept your request at this time.

I had the same problem.  I was advised to mail in a copy of my driver's license, social security card, and proof of my address.  That didn't get me anywhere.  I tried again several months later, and got the same advisories.  A second mail-in didn't result in access to my CRs, either.  Tried again nearly a year later.  Same dead end.

Then I discovered WalletHub.  I was able to identify myself online, and it checks my TU CR daily for me.  After my 1st CC reported to all 3 CBs, I was able to open accounts at Experian, TU, and EQ, so I now have free access to those CRs, too.

It may be that my 'current address' is a UPS Store...don't know. The IRS hasn't given me any issues with it in the 12 years I have been using it.

I don't think it's your current address.  It's the lack of credit activity for a long, long time.  To identify you, EQ checks your CR for accounts, doesn't find any, gives you alternate questions to prove your identity, and no matter what your answers are, you get the "Sorry.  Can't help you.  Mail in your identifying documents to prove who you are."  I think EQ immediately notifies the other CBs and annualcreditreport.com that an imposter is trying to access your CR, and you get the "We're sorry.  A condition exists that prevents Experian from being able to accept your request at this time" and similar blocks for the other free CRs.

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Since you're a military veteran, try applying to Navy Fed for the secure nRewards CC.  That's what finally got the ball rolling for me.