Questions about updating personal info?

[britishbooklady]

I am getting ready to contact each of the CRAs by mail in order to get all of my personal info (name, address, employment, etc.) updated and showing correctly. I've tried to get old/inaccurate items (mostly addresses & phone numbers) deleted through online disputes and have had some success. I'm wondering about what I can legally ask them to delete though.

I've been married for over 15 years, yet all 3 CRAs are showing my maiden name, and EQ and EX, both, are showing a former married name that I haven't been known as since the early 90's. Now, I did go back to my maiden name for a little while after the divorce but haven't been known by it since I got married to my current husband in 1995. The oldest account I have is a student loan from 1996, which I got under my current married name. So, can I ask the CRAs to delete the former names based on the fact that they're outdated (over 7.5 years)?

My next question has to do with addresses. On my EX report I can see the "Address Identification Number" in each TL and inquiry to determine which address was reported. I have some closed accounts in good standing that have an old address reported, which is fine, I guess. I'm just wondering if it's going to matter when we go to apply for a home loan. I have a few addresses listed that are just variations of a correct address (i.e. everything is correct except for the apartment # - either it's off by one digit or missing altogether). Would I need to contact the company reporting the incorrect address to get it updated/removed or would the CRA do that?

One last question: Does anyone know if EQ and TU offer a more detailed report to consumers? They don't have a listing of names/addresses with "identification numbers" like EX does.

[haulingthescoreup]

I wouldn't mess with older names if you can avoid it. Equifax, for instance, requires that you dispute the names that they show in order to list the new one. Knowing Equifax, I would worry that they would immediately dump all old, closed, and healthy accounts, which would most likely hurt you in various ways.

When I took back my maiden name after my divorce, I just decided to let it appear on my reports, which it now has. Once accounts in your current name start updating, the current name should show as well. Nothing wrong with having former names show up. As of now, TU and EX have my maiden (current) name listed first, with the married name in addition. EQ, with stubborn Southern courtesy, persists in listing only my married name. Fortunately, I used my maiden name as my middle name when I was married, as in Hauling Maiden Married, so creditors seem to be able to figure out that I'm now Hauling Maiden. At any rate, I haven't had any problems.

Here's a thread we had going on this topic: How do you change your name with the bureaus? Or do you?

As for addresses, I wouldn't try to remove old addresses as long as they're correct. But I would try to fix apartment numbers and so forth. Some CCC's are picky enough that they'll hard you twice if a street number doesn't match that on your app, and that's pretty infuriating.

As for the detailed reports, yes, you can get all three full reports via annual credit report dot com. It's free if you haven't pulled within the last year. Otherwise, it's ten or fifteen bucks; can't remember exactly. Be sure to get it via annual credit yada yada, as TU will try to sell you a short version. Don't buy any scores in the process, as they will be FAKO's, except for maybe Equifax, although they seem to be trying to slide in FAKO's these days as well. hope that helps

[britishbooklady]

Thanks for your reply, hauling.

I guess my first post wasn't very clear...my current name is listed correctly and first on all 3 CRs. I was just concerned about the former names still being listed, even though none of the accounts currently showing on my CRs were opened in either of those names.

[haulingthescoreup]

Oh, I see now.

I still wouldn't worry about it. The most startling things can happen when people start disputing items on a credit report out of a wish to do some tidying up, and the results are often negative. Fraud alerts come to mind.

I can't see why this would cause a problem at mortgage time, at least for the names. One way you might find out: many weekend real estate open houses have mortgage reps there, along with a realtor. This seems like a good question to bounce off a lender, just in a general info way. (Obviously, don't give your SSN or anything, lest you suddenly find a mortage inq on your reports. )

There are credit files on us that go back further in time than do credit reports. My understanding is that for credit applications for over a certain figure of money, lenders can access these older files. The older names might well appear there. I'm really shaky on this nugget. If you're curious about it, search for some of guiness56's posts. I think I read one just yesterday.

[MarineVietVet]

---

@haulingthescoreup wrote:

Oh, I see now.

I still wouldn't worry about it. The most startling things can happen when people start disputing items on a credit report out of a wish to do some tidying up, and the results are often negative. Fraud alerts come to mind.

I can't see why this would cause a problem at mortgage time, at least for the names. One way you might find out: many weekend real estate open houses have mortgage reps there, along with a realtor. This seems like a good question to bounce off a lender, just in a general info way. (Obviously, don't give your SSN or anything, lest you suddenly find a mortage inq on your reports. )

There are credit files on us that go back further in time than do credit reports. My understanding is that for credit applications for over a certain figure of money, lenders can access these older files. The older names might well appear there. I'm really shaky on this nugget. If you're curious about it, search for some of guiness56's posts. I think I read one just yesterday.

---

(1) a credit transaction involving, or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a principal amount of $150,000 or more;

(2) the underwriting of life insurance involving, or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a face amount of $150,000 or more; or

(3) the employment of any individual at an annual salary which equals, or which may reasonably be expected to equal $75,000, or more.

From a BK years ago to:
EX - 9/09 pulled by lender 802
EQ - 7/06-663, 3/10-800
TU - 8/10-772
You can do the same thing with hard work

[britishbooklady]

Thanks for the feedback, hauling...and marine.   I really do appreciate it. 

I had heard about how mortgage lenders have access to more (older) info from our CRs. So, I'm going to take your advice and just leave the former names alone.

[RobertEG]

The primary importance of updating personal identifying information with the CRAs is to make that information consistent with the identifying information provided by your credtitors when they report monthly to the CRAs.

If you update with the CRAs, I would suggest that you also update, at the same time, with each credtitor now reporting to them, in order to ensure matching of their reportring identifiers with what is in your credit file.

Usually, matching of SSN is sufficient to get reporting correctly matched to your credit file.  But if they creditor reports without providing SSN, they may have to fall back on full name, then address, etc.  to match things up.  Best to get both current CRA and creditor information, at least as to SSN, full name, and current address, consistent.  That will minimize CRA entry problems into the incorrect credit file.