removing old addresses and incorrect names from CRs

[Anonymous]

Is there a benefit to removing old addresses and inccorect names (I have a hyphenated first name and i see some crazy mutations of my name on crs)?

[Repo-ed]

I'm interested in knowing the answer to this as well.

[MarineVietVet]

I can only speak for myself.

I have old addresses on my reports from 1983 and various variations of my name and as far as I know it's never mattered as far as scoring goes. But again that's just my experience.

[Repo-ed]

So long as they are not a negative indicator, then I guess I see no reason then to be concerned about them myself.

Thanks.

[crunching_numbers]

I think it depends on what error exists. I had the following address on my CR:

123 ABC St

(Nearby Name of Suburb), IL 6019X 

 Not right town or zip.

Did not like the implication that someone was able to place such a bad generic address on my file. There was an address where they clearly misspelled my street name, but that street did exist in my town, and that looked like a fraud opportunity andthat  I wanted it gone from my records. I made them remove all the errors.

Since there is so much mystery in all these risk calculations and FICO flavors/Credit scoring models , I can not be sure that there is not some score that looks at your number of addresses on file and says you are risky because you move too often. 

I have also been asked random information questions for identity purposes. One of those ramdom questions was about an error in my CR identity information and of course I got the answer wrong because it was checking my answer against something that was an error. (it was something like which of these address numbers are associated to you, and it was an address I never lived at.)  I ended up not being able to use the automated system and had to go through even more questions from a live rep. 

[drkaje]

I've read that cleaning off old names, addresses, and opting out are the obligatory first steps to credit repair. Allegedly: the dispute verification system compares aspects of the account (like address) and will kick out some tradelines that don't match up. I did this but don't know if it really had any effect.

For me, the last step was removing any "dispute" comments.

[RobertEG]

The importance of updating personal indicators in your CR is that, under some conditions, they may be used as a matching criteria for associating reporting to your credit file.

The CRAs use algorithms that attempt to ensure that any information reported is matched to the proper consumer credit file.

The top personal indicators are those that are the most unique, such as an SSN or TIN.  If reporting contains the proper SSN or TIN, the other indicators are probably not important in their file matching.  However, if reporting does not include such indicators, or they dont match your name, for example, then matching of full name and current address may become the key matching criteria.

It is a nightmare when incorrect information gets posted to your credit file, so I would try to keep current matching criteria up to date, both with the CRAs and the credtiors who include them in their reporting.

[Duke-of-Earl]

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@crunching_numbers wrote:

Since there is so much mystery in all these risk calculations and FICO flavors/Credit scoring models , I can not be sure that there is not some score that looks at your number of addresses on file and says you are risky because you move too often. 

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I had exactly the same concern, and I went into what turned out to be a long process to get the incorrect addresses removed.  CRAs all said "sorry, that's what was reported to us."  I said, "but look, someone obviously dropped a digit in my address, that address doesn't exist on my street, it would be out in the desert".  They said, "sorry, that's what was reported to us."  So I tried a different tack, said "this is derogatory information because it makes me look like someone who moves too often, and it's over 7 years old, so you should delete it".  The deleted it.  Apologies, BTW, to anyone who "moves too often".  I sure don't think any less of you, but this is credit scoring, and we all pay for the sins of those who resemble us in some statistical way, even if it's something trivial.

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@crunching_numbers wrote:
Did not like the implication that someone was able to place such a bad generic address on my file. There was an address where they clearly misspelled my street name, but that street did exist in my town, and that looked like a fraud opportunity andthat  I wanted it gone from my records. I made them remove all the errors.

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This is interesting, why did it seem like a fraud opportunity to you?  That never occcurred to me.

[crunching_numbers]

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@Duke-of-Earl wrote:

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@crunching_numbers wrote:

Since there is so much mystery in all these risk calculations and FICO flavors/Credit scoring models , I can not be sure that there is not some score that looks at your number of addresses on file and says you are risky because you move too often. 

---

I had exactly the same concern, and I went into what turned out to be a long process to get the incorrect addresses removed.  CRAs all said "sorry, that's what was reported to us."  I said, "but look, someone obviously dropped a digit in my address, that address doesn't exist on my street, it would be out in the desert".  They said, "sorry, that's what was reported to us."  So I tried a different tack, said "this is derogatory information because it makes me look like someone who moves too often, and it's over 7 years old, so you should delete it".  The deleted it.  Apologies, BTW, to anyone who "moves too often".  I sure don't think any less of you, but this is credit scoring, and we all pay for the sins of those who resemble us in some statistical way, even if it's something trivial.

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@crunching_numbers wrote:
Did not like the implication that someone was able to place such a bad generic address on my file. There was an address where they clearly misspelled my street name, but that street did exist in my town, and that looked like a fraud opportunity andthat  I wanted it gone from my records. I made them remove all the errors.

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This is interesting, why did it seem like a fraud opportunity to you?  That never occcurred to me.

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Because although I never lived at that address, it was an existing address. For example, not the real street names, but

say, I lived on River St, and they reported an address for me on Rover St. 

Say someone got ahold of that address on Rover St, and knew it matched me from getting ahold of the info in my report.  They could apply for credit to that address in my name, and it would come up a valid address match to the creditor. Might be unlikely, but possibe. (I am probably just being paranoid).

[Duke-of-Earl]

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@crunching_numbers wrote:

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@Duke-of-Earl wrote:

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@crunching_numbers wrote:
Did not like the implication that someone was able to place such a bad generic address on my file. There was an address where they clearly misspelled my street name, but that street did exist in my town, and that looked like a fraud opportunity andthat  I wanted it gone from my records. I made them remove all the errors.

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This is interesting, why did it seem like a fraud opportunity to you?  That never occcurred to me.

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Because although I never lived at that address, it was an existing address. For example, not the real street names, but

say, I lived on River St, and they reported an address for me on Rover St. 

Say someone got ahold of that address on Rover St, and knew it matched me from getting ahold of the info in my report.  They could apply for credit to that address in my name, and it would come up a valid address match to the creditor. Might be unlikely, but possibe. (I am probably just being paranoid).

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Thanks for the explanation, makes sense.  Don't worry about being paranoid.  Not long ago, it was only paranoids who worried about banks lending vast sums to people who couldn't possibly pay it back ...