你能清除信用报告的污点
在当今由信用主宰的经济社会中, 不良信用评分会严重损害消费者利益, 从而导致他们在与金融机构申请按揭贷款和信用卡限额等信贷时处境不利。低劣的信用等级可能导致金融机构采取对消费者不利的行动,从而令他们陷入财政困境。但有时候,一些不良信用评分可能是由错误信用报告造成。
In this credit driven economy, havoc credit scores can wreak consumers in their credit negotiations with financial institutions – from mortgage loans to credit limits. A poor credit rating may lead to adverse actions against consumers, leaving them in a wave of financial troubles. But sometimes, lower credit scores may be caused by credit reports that contain errors.
《大中报》曾发表有关李先生的信用噩梦的报道。李曾收到MNBA银行的来函,告知鉴于Trans Union提供的信用报告,银行已经将其信用限额降至$600元。
Chinese News reported the story of Mr. Li, who was informed by MNBA bank that his credit limit was reduced to $600 based on his credit report from Trans Union.
在多伦多拥有一份体面的工作的李先生认为是其信用报告出了错。据李先生称,他一直都是及时全额偿还信用卡欠款。自从他1996年移民抵埠多伦多以来,李从未发生过任何经济纠纷,并一直认为自己应该拥有较高的信用评分。
Li, who holds a decent job in Toronto, believed that the credit report was incorrect. Li said that he had always paid out his credit card balance in full – before the due date. Since he landed in Toronto in 1996 as an immigrant, he has never been involved in any financial disputes. Li believes he deserves a strong credit rating.
信用报告出错的情况实际上并不罕见。公共利益倡权中心进行的一项全国调查发现,在抽样调查的信用报告中错误率达20%。据一位信用风险专家称,信用报告的错误率可能高达40%,其中有些错误是源于信用机构的过失。
Errors with credit files are common. A national survey by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre found a 20% inaccuracy rate among the credit reports for people sampled. According to a credit risk specialist, the error rate may be as high as 40%, with some of them being the fault of the credit bureau.
虽然有些错误不可避免,但大部分信用机构仍誓言会尽可能地保证消费者的信用信息准确。Trans Union已经宣布将会调查消费者在信用报告异议申请中的投诉。他们将会就投诉者的不满而联系信用报告中的异议的机构,并要求他们核实异议信息的准确性。
But while mistakes are inevitable, most credit agencies vow to keep consumers’ credit information as accurate as possible. Trans Union declares that they will investigate consumers’ concerns in dispute applications. They will contact each source in the credit file with the nature of the dispute, and request them to verify the accuracy of the disputed information.
但是李先生寻求解决信用报告异议的努力却没有得到任何反应。在《大中报》介入之前,李先生曾设法联系TransUnion以纠正其信用报告中的错误,但他的信用报告异议申请却一连数月都没有回音。
But Li’s effort to dispute his credit file had hit a stone wall. Li had tried to contact TransUnion to have his credit problem corrected, but his application was ignored for months until Chinese News intervened.
在《大中报》联系TransUnion的媒体关系部门后,李先生在本周收到了TransUnion的来信,称该机构已经按照他的要求更改了其信用报告。
After Chinese News contacted TransUnion media relations, Li got a letter from TransUnion this week, telling him that the update he requested had been completed:
信中称:“您要求的文件信息更新已经完成……请查看随函附上的更新信用报告的副本。
“The updates you have requested to your file have been completed… Please see a revised copy of your credit report enclosed.”
据李先生称,他的信用报告之所以出错,是因为其他人的不良信用记录误载入其报告之中。
According to Li, bad credit records from someone else have got into his credit file as a mistake.
信用报告中最常见的错误之一就是用户名出错,信用报告会将消费者在申请信贷 时使用的所有名字,包括全名、姓名缩写和别名一同汇总。
Name error is one of the most frequently occurring mistakes in a credit report that would compile all the names consumer had used when applying for credit, including full name, initials, and nick name.
由于华裔人士的姓氏简短而又常常雷同,并且是姓在前名在后,因此他们的信用报告更有可能出错。《大中报》的一名读者就曾惊讶地发现有数位和她姓氏相同但名字却不同的用户的不良信用记录载入了她的信用报告,从而导致其信用评级下降,无法从银行获得按揭贷款。
Chinese people also face higher credit report risks, due to our short and common last name and the way we reverse the first name and last name. A Chinese News reader was shocked to find that records from several different users with the same last name were entered into her credit file, wreaking havoc on her credit rating and leaving her unable to get mortgage loan from a major bank.
李先生的信用报告错误可能也是因为类似的姓名失误造成。
Li’s credit error is also likely caused by similar name blunders.
在收到TransUnion发来的更新报告后,李先生终于松了一口气,他表示会将新报告递交MNBA Canada银行,以期将其信用限额恢复至原有水平。
Li, who felt relief after receiving updated report from TransUnion, said he will contact MNBA Canada bank with the new report, hoping that his credit limit will be restored to the previous level.
李先生表示,他从此事中吸取了深刻教训,那就是在发现信用报告出错后应该立即予以解决。
Li says that he has learned a lesson from the incident that wrong credit records should be addressed right after being detected.
李先生称:“如果你对它们置之不理,最终将会深受其扰,实际上,我在几年前从一个银行申请按揭贷款时就已经遭遇类似的问题。”
“If you leave them uncared for, they will come back and haunt you,” says Li. “In fact, I was hit with a similar issue when I applied for my mortgage loan from a bank several years ago.
“但我的律师当时告诉我问题已经解决,我无需再为此担心……可是当我接到NMBA银行的来信,才发现小问题已经带来了大烦恼。”
“But my lawyer told me back then that the problem had been fixed and that I didn’t have to worry… But when I got the letter from NMBA bank, the small issue became a big disaster,” said Li.