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A person’s credit score is a lifeline. Your credit determines whether lenders will give you a credit card or help you buy a car, home, or another important purchase. And if they do approve you, your credit score affects how much you’ll end up paying for your purchases in the long run. So when there’s an error on your credit report, you could end up paying more in interest than you really need to — or worse, not get the funding you need to keep life going.
Experts advise consumers to keep a close eye on their credit reports and credit scores. But being attentive isn’t always enough — errors don’t just vanish on their own. It’s time for a better approach to credit reporting, and Point Deduction Technology is filling the gaps.
WHAT IS POINT DEDUCTION TECHNOLOGY?
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies set the foundation for Point Deduction Technology. Rather than requiring human analysts to manually comb through credit reports to find errors and calculate their impact on a person’s credit score, Point Deduction Technology relies on algorithms to analyze credit data and identify the impact of items on a credit report.
As the software analyzes the credit report, it assigns points per item, both positive and negative. These points range from 0 to 100+ depending on the type of credit account. The end goal of the analysis is to see how many points a person may recover by having their credit errors corrected.
Your credit score is a numerical representation of how likely you are to repay your bills. This score is generated by an algorithm that analyzes several factors, including your payment history, amount of available credit, and age of accounts, among other things. When you miss a payment, are late on a payment, or open a new credit account, these things appear on your credit report.
Point Deduction Technology also cross-references your credit data between the three major credit reporting bureaus. Consumers can see their point deductions as a cumulative score as well as on individual credit tradelines. Know exactly where errors are occurring, the impact they have on your credit score, and how much you can improve your credit score by recovering missing points.
SMALL CREDIT REPORTING ERRORS ARE BIG PROBLEMS
In a perfect world, all of your payments would be properly recorded. No one would steal your identity and open new accounts in your name. You’d never miss a payment and you’d always have just the right balance of credit accounts. But in reality, errors can and do happen — even with the utmost attention to detail on your part.
In fact, studies show that 1 in 3 Americans have experienced at least one error in their credit reports at some point in their lives. Sometimes, these errors are purely informational, which may have very little impact on your credit score (if at all). But informational errors could make it harder to access your credit score and report.
And sometimes, these errors are major account errors that could limit your ability to qualify for a loan or credit card. You might have to pay more interest on loans and everyday credit card purchases than you would with an accurate credit score.
Unfortunately, most people discover an issue on their credit reports when they’re in the process of applying for a loan. This issue may bring the process to a grinding halt, forcing you to wait until the issue is resolved before you can move forward. In the meantime, you might miss out on buying your dream home. You might have to delay your new car purchase or other major life events.
Every point on a credit score matters, especially when you rely on credit options to live and enjoy life.
THE PROCESS FOR REPORTING ERRORS IS A COMPLICATED NIGHTMARE
Knowing what to look for on a credit report is the first step. Some of the most common errors that impact your credit score include:
Closed accounts that are reported as open
Being reported as an account owner when you’re an authorized user
Accounts in your name that you did not open
Accounts that are inaccurately reported as late or delinquent
Same debts or accounts listed more than once
Incorrect credit limits
Incorrect balances
Information that had been previously corrected is still showing as incorrect
When you do notice an error on your credit report, you can have it corrected — but this requires a lot of time and patience.
First, you will need to contact the credit bureau (TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian) in writing and provide supporting documentation. Include your contact information, clearly point out each error, include a copy of your credit report, and request the item to be corrected.
This process can take up to 30-45 days just to get a response from the credit agency. If they do not have sufficient information from you to take immediate action, your timeline for correction just got longer. And even when you do file for corrections, your credit score may not even budge!
Point Deduction Technology shortens this gap by pointing out errors and their impacts quickly and accurately. It helps you see the impact of these issues before pursuing corrective action, helping to preserve your valuable time and energy while achieving an optimal outcome.
FIGHTING CREDIT REPORT ERRORS WITH POINT DEDUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Your credit score is too important to leave to chance, yet that’s exactly what many Americans do. And when you do find an error that may affect your next move, it can take a month or longer to see any type of resolution.
Point Deduction Technology is changing the game on how you monitor and manage your credit report. Learn more about how to improve your credit report and credit score with data-driven insights.