Quote:
|
Originally Posted by blahblah454
How does one go about finding ones credit score? For free.
|
You can't.
You can check your credit in general for free at each of the bureaus once a year at
www.annualcreditreport.com - but it doesn't include the scores.
You might apply for credit somewhere and ask what the score is, but I wouldn't exactly call that free, because even if you don't get whatever product you applied for, it counts as an inquiry and may damage your score.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by mixedmedia
Exactly!
You're the only other person I've seen who has brought up the business of robbing poor people. And don't forget the insufficient funds fees charged by banks.
crapitalist...nice  |
Perhaps this is why my opinion is so different. I don't consider it "robbing poor people." As far as insuficient funds fees charged by banks, it's the same deal.
Again, maybe I'm influenced by being a former bank employee, but these aren't nameless, faceless megacorporations with elite owners and nothing else - they are publicly traded companies. When we buy their stock, we expect it to increase over time - investors (people like you and me) don't want to throw their money away - we want it to grow. It grows mainly because the company is profitable - fees increase the bottom line, thereby bolstering the stock prices.
Do I think that the fees of a lot of check cashing places are outrageous? Sure I do! However, there is more than enough documentation required to get a "loan" - it isn't like the person borrowing has no idea what they are getting in to. It isn't like you accidentally walk into a check cashing store, accidently produce whatever documentation is required, then inadvertantly sign all the forms that plainly disclose the fees. Same with banks - whenever you are opening your account, you should be aware of all the banking policies of that institution. For goodness sake - they are generally holding onto a significant amount of your money - if not the majority of it - and you'll just hand it over and assume that some day you'll be able to get it back when you want it?
Buyer Beware folks. It's easy to blame check cashing places for charging the rates they do, but people still keep going to them. People who have used them before, signed the documents, and have paid the outrageous fees. To me, it's the same thing as someone making the decison to spend their rent money on that brand new 80 Gig Video Ipod - it's a poor decision made generally by willfully ignorant people. Nothing new here, except the scapegoat.