Credit guides
Plain-language explanations of U.S. credit reports, scores and your rights, written for Chinese-speaking families in the United States.
How to build U.S. credit with an ITIN
You can build U.S. credit without a Social Security number. With an ITIN, you can apply for a secured card or credit-builder loan at a bank or credit union that accepts ITIN applications. Paying on time and keeping balances low builds a file at the credit bureaus over time.
Read guide →New to the U.S.? Building credit in your first year
Most newcomers start with no U.S. credit file at all, which is different from having bad credit. The goal for the first year is to open one or two accounts that report to the credit bureaus, pay them on time, and make sure all three bureaus have a file for you.
Read guide →Denied for a loan or credit card? Five things to do next
If you are denied credit, the lender must send you an adverse action notice explaining why. If the decision was based on a credit report, you can get a free copy of that report from the bureau named in the notice within 60 days and check it for errors.
Read guide →How to dispute errors on your credit report yourself
You can dispute errors directly with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for free. A bureau generally must finish its investigation within 30 days, or 45 days in some cases, and send you the results in writing.
Read guide →Preparing your credit in the six months before a mortgage
Mortgage lenders often pull scores from all three bureaus and use the middle one, and many mortgages still rely on classic FICO versions that can differ from the score in your banking app. In the six months before applying, focus on correcting errors, lowering card balances, and not opening new accounts.
Read guide →How FICO scores work: the five factors
FICO scores range from 300 to 850 and are based on five categories: payment history (about 35%), amounts owed (about 30%), length of credit history (about 15%), new credit (about 10%) and credit mix (about 10%).
Read guide →How to freeze your credit at the bureaus and specialty agencies
A credit freeze is free and stops most new lenders from seeing your report, which makes it one of the most effective ways to prevent new accounts being opened in your name. You place it separately at each bureau. Requests made online or by phone must be applied within one business day, and requests to lift a freeze within one hour.
Read guide →Your rights before hiring a credit repair company
Under the federal Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), a credit repair company may not charge you before the promised services are fully performed, must give you a written contract and a statement of your rights, and must let you cancel within three business days of signing. A promise to remove accurate information is a warning sign.
Read guide →Book a free consultation
Leave your contact details. An advisor will contact you within one business day to understand your situation and arrange a report review. No SSN is needed at this stage.
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