Resources 

The only official site to get your free annual credit report allowed by law is www.AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also call (877) 322-8228.

This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Free credit reports requested online at this site are viewable immediately upon authentication of identity. Free credit reports requested by phone or mail will be processed within 15 days of receiving your request.

Many companies claim to offer free credit reports – and some do. But others give you a report only if you buy other products or services. Still, others say they’re giving you a “free” report and then bill you for services you have to cancel. If you go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com and follow the prompts for your free credit report, you can be sure the reports you get really are free.

Why you need to check your credit report annually

Because the information in your credit report is used to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, and renting a home, you should be sure the information is accurate and up-to-date. In addition, monitoring your credit is one of the best ways to spot identity theft. Check your credit report at least once a year to correct errors and detect unauthorized activity.

About your credit score

A credit score is a complex mathematical model that evaluates many types of information in a credit file. A credit score is used by a lender to help determine whether a person qualifies for a particular credit card, loan, or service. Most credit scores estimate the risk a company incurs by lending a person money or providing them with a service –– specifically, the likelihood that the person will make payments on time in the next two to three years. Generally, the higher the score, the less risk the person represents.

The free annual credit report DOES NOT include your credit score.

You will be given an opportunity to purchase a credit score from any of the nationwide credit reporting agencies after you receive your free annual credit report from any of them in response to a request made through the website above.

A note of caution about credit repair companies

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions consumers to be wary of companies that make claims regarding credit repair. These companies, commonly called credit clinics, don't do anything for consumers that consumers cannot do for themselves at little or no cost. Beware of any organization that offers to create a new identity and credit file for you. The FTC and state attorneys general have filed actions against those who pursue these fraudulent practices. Here are some warning signs that the FTC and others say consumers should look out for to determine if they might be dealing with a credit clinic:

• An organization that guarantees to remove late payments, bankruptcies, or similar information from a credit report

• An organization that charges a lot of money to repair credit

• A company that asks the consumer to write to the credit reporting company and repeatedly seek verification of the same credit account information in the file, month after month, even though the information has been determined to be correct

• An organization that is reluctant to give out their address or one that pushes you to make a decision immediately

Information is from ftc.gov and www.AnnualCreditReport.com

Trinity Debt Management

As a valued member of Pillar Credit Union, we are committed to serving you. And as a benefit of your membership, we are providing you with free and unlimited access to financial education and counseling services.

Trinity is a non-profit financial counseling organization. Through comprehensive education and exceptional service, this organization has been assisting individuals since 1992. You can receive assistance with:

• Personal and family budgeting

• Personal money management

• Debt repayment

• Avoiding bankruptcy, foreclosure, and repossession

• Preparation to buy a home

• Getting a copy of your credit report

Call a Trinity counselor toll-free at (800) 758-3844 and let them know you are a member of Pillar Credit Union or visit the Trinity website at www.trinitycredit.org.

Marion Matters is a non-profit organization with offices in Pillar Credit Union's old Kenton Avenue office building. We share this information as a community service.

Non-profit group seeks participants for a course that improves lives for people living in poverty

Marion Matters, a community partner of Pillar Credit Union, is preparing its Getting Ahead Class and is seeking participant referrals. If you know of someone who is currently living in an unstable situation and/or poverty and is ready to make a change -- or is currently working to change their life -- you can refer them to this program.

In Getting Ahead, instructors study poverty and near poverty through the lens of economic class to better understand how our society and the economy work. In groups of 6-12 people, they investigate the impact that poverty and low wages have and what it takes to move from a just getting-by world to a getting-ahead world. The idea of "getting ahead" means action and movement -- getting ahead of where we are now, toward a future that we really want.

Getting Ahead in a Just Getting by World

Getting Ahead in a Just Getting by World is a step-by-step life-planning process for individuals in poverty.

The two phases of this process are essential to address poverty in our community. First, the Getting Ahead course helps individuals create a mental model of poverty, discover the driving forces and hidden rules of each social class, assess their resources, and develop their own unique plan to move from poverty.

Second, the Getting Ahead graduates then carry out their plans and share their knowledge about poverty to assist the community in planning and decision making.

So, in other words, the Getting Ahead process will enable participants to investigate the perspectives of each economic class and learn how to create a future story outside of poverty. The growth they experience in the Getting Ahead sessions will empower them to become decision-makers in the community.

Marion Matters is looking for individuals who have lived in poverty the majority of their lives; who are not currently restricted by substance abuse or mental health episode; who appear to have the motivation to take some steps in a different direction; and who want to participate, share their knowledge and become partners with community organizers.

Who is a good fit for the Marion Matters “Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World” classes?

Class participants (“Investigators”) come from a variety of sources. In the past, candidates have been identified by local businesses, courts, agencies, churches and other Getting Ahead graduates. How do you know who to nominate? Listed below are some of the characteristics of a successful candidate:

• Someone who wants to change their circumstances

• Someone who has tried to change their circumstances and was met with little success

• Someone who is willing to partner with middle-class individuals and agencies

• Someone who is able to commit to the 18 sessions that makes up the classes

• Someone who is not in a crisis that would prevent participation, such as mental health or substance abuse

Print the Getting Ahead Referral Form (PDF)

Contact Natalie Longmeiser if you have any questions or concerns.
Natalie Longmeiser
810 Kenton Ave., Marion, Oh 43302
(740) 223-2999
coordinator@marionmatters.org

More information is available at the Marion Matters Facebook page.