Mobile users keep scrolling down to read: Public Law 93-579 / 5 U.S.C. ch. 5 § 552a

Frequently Asked Questions

The following conversation was copy & pasted from a recent conversation we had with a client that had all the right questions before getting started.

Personal information the client provided during the conversation was removed for their privacy.

Hello! My name is (left intentionally blank) I want to get more info on how the process works

Yesterday at 5:44 AM

Sure, you need a new phone number and email you have never used before. Then we create your file. You verify all the data and then we send over for 100+ public records submissions. Scores take 3-4 weeks to post.

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:50 AM

You get your new file within 24 hours

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:50 AM

OK so it’ll be 3-4 weeks before I can use the cpn number?

Yesterday at 5:51 AM

Yes

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:51 AM

public records have to marinate for 10 days

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:52 AM

The balance payment on the file pays for the tradelines that come with the package.

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:52 AM

Ok got cha!

Yesterday at 5:53 AM

Why would I need a new phone and email?

Yesterday at 5:53 AM

They need not be connected with any other profile you have (social media, bank accounts etc).

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:54 AM

Also be sure to check your email. We sent you a registration confirmation

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:55 AM

Oh ok I get it. I also see on your website it says to pay half of what package you want but when do I pay the other half?

Yesterday at 5:55 AM

Yes I got the email

Yesterday at 5:55 AM

Typically people will pay the balance when the public records are complete. We allow half down since people new to our company that have not been referred to us from someone else have the opportunity to experience our service and performance before they make a full investment.

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:56 AM

When people need the trade lines to post quicker they can opt to pay everything up front so we can put the trade lines on a week or two after the file has been created

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:56 AM

I found you guys online no referral

Yesterday at 5:57 AM

Okay no problem

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:57 AM

We simply provide the half down option so people can experience getting their file and having the public records completed etc prior to making their balance payment

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:57 AM

The balance payment is used to pay for the authorized user accounts that are attached to the new credit profile

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:58 AM

Liked “We simply provide the half down option so people c…”

Yesterday at 5:58 AM

Depending on the value of the profile the value of the authorized use accounts is more or less expensive depending on the package

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:58 AM

I want the $697 package

Yesterday at 5:59 AM

Yes that’s a good package to start with and you can always upgrade later by adding better trade lines.

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:59 AM

You’re able to make your half down payment now and then you can provide us a new phone number and email address at your earliest opportunity

You ◦ Yesterday at 5:59 AM

My situation is I have a filed eviction on me now and really in need of a CPN number so I can rent a house and get out this apartment

Yesterday at 5:59 AM

We have people getting into apartments and houses literally every week with our files. With a basic package you would solve that problem.

You ◦ Yesterday at 6:00 AM

Thank you for your payment. It was a pleasure speaking with you (left blank). Here is your confirmation code again just so you have it: (left blank)

You ◦ Yesterday at 6:14 AM

I have the new phone but trying to get it activated SMH

Yesterday at 7:27 AM

OK

You ◦ Yesterday at 7:28 AM

Got the info

Yesterday at 7:56 AM

ok

You ◦ Yesterday at 7:57 AM

New number is (left blank) and email (left blank)

Yesterday at 7:57 AM

ok thank you. Give us a few hours to work on it.

You ◦ Yesterday at 7:57 AM

OK thanks

Yesterday at 7:58 AM

Hello, we’re just finishing up your file and the only other information we need is your driver’s license number, issue state and expiration date. Feel free to change the last four digits on your driver’s license number. This information is exclusively only used for public records submissions and for nothing else. Thank you

You ◦ Yesterday at 12:53 PM

DL (left blank)

Yesterday at 12:54 PM

thank you, and the state?

You ◦ Yesterday at 12:55 PM

(left blank)

Yesterday at 12:55 PM

How do I change the last four?

Yesterday at 12:55 PM

We will do it. You will see the data changed on your file

You ◦ Yesterday at 12:55 PM

Please check your new email account

You ◦ Yesterday at 12:58 PM

Ok got cha

Yesterday at 1:03 PM

If your data is spelled correctly can we go ahead and do public records submissions?

You ◦ Yesterday at 1:06 PM

I’m looking over it now… Everything looks good.

Yesterday at 1:07 PM

Ok we will send for public records submissions

You ◦ Yesterday at 1:31 PM

Ok great

Yesterday at 1:34 PM

What do I need to do now?

Yesterday at 2:58 PM

The email we sent you explains whats next. Also we will be sending you your excel spreadsheet of all the submissions tomorrow. Next step when your ready you can pay your balance so we can add the AU account tradeline on to your file so you can see scores post

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:01 PM

Ok I can send the remaining balance today.

Yesterday at 3:05 PM

I’m about to go back and read the email carefully

Yesterday at 3:06 PM

Yes that is fine. That way we can get trades on asap

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:06 PM

You can pay the same way

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:06 PM

Yea go ahead put your name in the comments

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:06 PM

Thank you for your business!

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:06 PM

I should be thanking you

Yesterday at 3:07 PM

When you get into your new place feel free to thank us 🙂

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:07 PM

?￰゚マᄑ?

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:08 PM

Just sent the finally payment

Yesterday at 3:31 PM

Thank you, payment confirmed.

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:33 PM

No problem, thank you!

Yesterday at 3:33 PM

When you get a minute go to listyourself.net and put in your new phone number

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:33 PM

use your new file data to fill out the form

You ◦ Yesterday at 3:33 PM

Ok

Yesterday at 3:34 PM

To list my phone number I put the address that you have for me, correct?

Yesterday at 4:17 PM

Yes

You ◦ Yesterday at 4:19 PM

Phone is listed

Yesterday at 4:20 PM

Number*

Yesterday at 4:20 PM

It said it will take a week

Yesterday at 4:20 PM

Yes

You ◦ Yesterday at 4:20 PM

I’m reading the CPN instructions it say to apply for brinks Mastercard. When do I apply for one or do I have to?

Yesterday at 4:36 PM

How long do I need to wait to rent a house?

Yesterday at 4:48 PM

Hello, it will take your file posting scores to show so the property management company renting you the house will see your credit data

You ◦ 6:07 AM

Your public records were completed and we will be sending you the spreadsheet in a bit.

You ◦ 6:08 AM

Please provide the new address. We can add it to the file so you dont have to do an address forward.

You ◦ 6:08 AM

Lets wait for 10 days before doing any account applications (brinks or otherwise).

You ◦ 6:09 AM

I didn’t. won’t you apply for any credit cards or loans or anything of that nature. I just want to rent a house.

6:10 AM

The address (left blank)

6:10 AM

You will do the applications on your new phone when its time. We cant fill applications out for clients

You ◦ 6:11 AM

How long do I need to wait to apply to rent a house?

6:11 AM

3-4 weeks. We need your scores to post first

You ◦ 6:11 AM

You mean credit cards and loan applications?

6:12 AM

Yes, you will manage your file and do any applications

You ◦ 6:12 AM

Will you let me know when I can apply to rent a house?

6:13 AM

Yes, when we expect you to have score you can download credit karma or other credit monitoring app and when we see scores you can go rent

You ◦ 6:14 AM

Ok that sounds good! Does it really take 3 to 4 weeks?

6:15 AM

Yes the authorized user account needs to post to your file. so 7-10 days after the closing date of the credit card account you are on is when the tradeline/s will post to your file

You ◦ 6:16 AM

We are waiting for public records to marinate so when we add the AU to your file it will pull your data through the credit databases

You ◦ 6:16 AM

Loved “We are waiting for public records to marinate so w…”

6:17 AM

Loved “Yes the authorized user account needs to post to y…”

6:18 AM

So on my new phone download credit karma now or wait?

6:19 AM

Check you email for the public records submissions file

You ◦ 6:19 AM

No credit monitoring services will not see anything yet. We just made the file and submitted public records. The public records need to marinate for 10 days as mentioned in the email we just sent so any service will be able to even see your new file data.

You ◦ 6:21 AM

in 2-3 weeks when we expect monitoring sites to see a score you will download a monitoring application

Ok got it.

6:22 AM

On the POA (Power of Attorney) it says to put my ssn. Do I put my actual ssn or my CPN?

6:22 AM

Actual

You ◦ 6:23 AM

Ok

6:23 AM

I’m about to email you back the poa so you can register my CPN with the IRS

6:23 AM

Here is the registration service with the IRS if interested: https://legalnewcreditfile.com/how-to-register-cpn-with-irs/

You ◦ 6:24 AM

The cost is $130?

6:27 AM

Yes

You ◦ 6:27 AM

Is that if I do it or if you do it?

6:27 AM

We file and register your CPN with the IRS. That is what the POA is for as well as doing any email verification’s from the public records if you would like.

You ◦ 6:28 AM

So you do everything it’s $130??

6:31 AM

Correct

You ◦ 6:32 AM

If I do it will it cost me $130?

6:32 AM

Correct. You don’t have to do it, but we recommend it.

You ◦ 6:33 AM

We explain it on the register cpn with irs page here: https://legalnewcreditfile.com/how-to-register-cpn-with-irs/

You ◦ 6:34 AM

What’s the purpose of it?

6:34 AM

I remember reading it

6:34 AM

We register your Credit Privacy File with the IRS, if you like, to show and prove your status and standing as first mover on the number legally in commerce. Just like registering your all caps TRADE NAME (we do that for free for you when we register your CPN with the IRS) you will own the rights to the trade name and trade number in commerce separating you from the thousands that are trying to make CPN files and CPN numbers that are initiating the wrong combination of events and not getting a positive result for all the time and money they are spending hoping the new FICO credit file will, “Be good”.

You ◦ 6:35 AM

last message was a copy and paste from a new guide we are editing

You ◦ 6:35 AM

Ok

6:36 AM

Yes register my credit privacy file for me

6:36 AM

Yes, then we send you the IRS EIN registration document attached to your CPN file

You ◦ 6:37 AM

But you don’t do that to I pay the $130, right?

6:38 AM

Or you doing it now?

6:38 AM

When you fill the POA and pay 130 we are then legally able to register your CPN with the IRS for you and then provide you the paper work

You ◦ 6:39 AM

Do I need to pay the $130 today? I don’t have it today

6:39 AM

When ever you want us to do it you can pay. Feel free to wait till the scores post in a few weeks etc

You ◦ 6:40 AM

Ok that sounds good

6:41 AM

So til then what’s my next step now?

6:47 AM

Nothing, you are good to go. Now we wait for the public records to marinate and your authorized user account to post to your new profile.

You said 7-10 business days, correct?

6:49 AM

I’m asking because I’m ready to get me and sons a house even though it’s just til I can get my ssn back on track. This apartment I’m in has really screwed my over and I have a filled eviction on me with them here so I’m going to be paying that off after I move and I have move soon

6:51 AM

we wait 10 days for the public records and then we add the AU. The AU account will have a billing cycle closing data. Depending on the specific tradeline we add to your file will determine when the 7-10 days start. For example if the closing date on the credit card account is the 15th of the month then around the 23rd-ish you can download a monitoring app and and see if your scores have posted

You ◦ 6:51 AM

Then if they have posted I can apply for house to rent?

6:53 AM

Correct

You ◦ 6:53 AM

You will let me know when it does, correct?

6:56 AM

Yes we will let you know when we are expecting the line to post so you can download a credit monitoring app and check the scores

You ◦ 6:56 AM

Do you know what my scores will be?

6:59 AM

On the Basic Package they will be 670+ you can see the different packages expected scores here: https://legalnewcreditfile.com/cpn-packages/

You ◦ 7:00 AM

Awesome!

7:02 AM

I can’t wait, I’m so ready to move

7:03 AM

I bet 🙂

You ◦ 7:03 AM

I really am

7:05 AM

This is a tremendously big help

7:05 AM

Yes we know that in a lot of peoples circumstances that there are very limited options and we want to be sure they stay legal and get what they need.

You ◦ 7:06 AM

Exactly

7:08 AM

Where did you hear about us?

You ◦ 7:08 AM

All these random emails I got over night what do I do with these

7:08 AM

I was online and came across you guys on FOX news I saw a press release

7:09 AM

The 4 emails we sent are just for your reference. Helping you manage your new file.

You ◦ 7:09 AM

Thanks so much for your help! This is really a blessing to me and my son. We have tried to get in different places and keep getting denied. It really takes a toll mentally you know.

7:14 AM

Its reasons like this that we are in business. We know what we do really helps people. We just want to be sure they can transition safely. Let us know if we can help you further whenever you have a question we will be here.

You ◦ 7:15 AM

OK thanks again!!

7:16 AM

NOTICE: Did you do an address forward and you are not seeing junk mail etc?  Understand what class of mail will or will not get forwarded to you via: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Change-of-Address-The-Basics#COA_Options and see if the mail you are looking for fits within the class of mail you have a concern with. 
Putting your new file information together for submission to us
To get started on your file we need a new email address, a new phone number and a new mailing address that has never been used before from you.
 
  This is how you get that done:
 
  New Email & Phone Number:  
 
  Option #1:   
Add a new Google email account to the phone you have now for your new email account for your new file. After you log into your new Gmail account (that you have never used before) for the first time you can then download Google Voice via the new email you just made which will also provide you a new phone number for you new credit file. This method is free.
 
  Option #2: 
If you think it would be better to separate the phone you have now with having all of your new file data and phone number and email address on a separate mobile device so you don’t get confused and mess up your file by cross contamination so to speak than buy a cheap smartphone from Target for Mint Mobile (very cheap and amazing fast and easy setup). You will be able to manage your new credit file in a premium way with no room for error.  This option will probably cost you around $100 bucks.
 
  New Mailing Address:
 
  You CAN NOT use the same address you have been using now or in the past to get mail. You MUST use a mailing address you have not used before.
 
  Option #1: 
Use a family or friends in which you have never ever received mail at before from any mail service or carrier. Cost FREE.
 
  Option #2: 
Do an address forward from usps.com select mail forwarding on their website.
 
If you select this option we will provide you a home address from the city you live in now and then you will just forward from that new physical address we give you to a place you have never collected mail from. This can be a P.O. box, friends, or relatives address.
 
Cost $1 if you do it online. You  can pay the $1 with a gift card or any credit or debit card you have now and not worry about new credit file merging.
 
If you want the FREE option you just get a mail forwarding card from the post office and drop it in the mailbox. If the post office is out of mail forwarding kits you can:
 

Print this and mail it:

We can help you fill it out if you have questions.
 
Option #3: 
 
Get a P.O. Box. Cost around $50 for 6 months.
 
There is also the option of getting a mail box that mentions, “A real physical address” etc..
 
After you have the 3 new pieces of information let us know and we can start on your file ASAP.
 
***A note on your address:
You cant have home or work addresses away from the state you are actual living in and using credit cards. When you get approved for credit cards you would get a fraud alert flag on the credit card used since the card is being used out of state and you didn’t do a travel notification prior to using the card. Obviously this can be a hassle unless you have a really good reason for needing to have all your new data in another state and you don’t live there.
 
Let us know if you have any other questions.
  • There are only four instances where a social security number may be demanded:
    1. For tax matters (make sure to get non-interest bearing checking account)
    2. To receive public assistance
    3. To obtain and use a driver’s license
    4. To register a motor vehicle
  • When applying for credit ALWAYS use your new address associated with the CPN, if your license or ID still contains the old address make sure the creditors do not run it with your CPN because this will merge your old credit profile with the new one. Just tell the creditors that you did not update your address on your ID and or you have been a victim of fraud under that old address (many people have been and not know it).
  • Do not attempt to refinance anything that was purchased under your SSN with the CPN profile number no matter how great the rates look, because this will also merge your credit profiles together and will be denied credit.
  • Very Important: Never allow anyone to run your old address or any information other than the information you provided them with. It is illegal for someone to use information you did not provide them with for credit check.
  • Do not use profile for government programs where a social security card has to be presented (for example HUD home loans), filing taxes or employment, this is illegal!
  • When applying for credit or setting up a credit monitoring, provide the “exact” same information and “correct” spelling that was placed under your new credit profile
  • It is best to set up a credit monitoring like Freecreditreport.com prior to any tradeline posting to your credit profile. Once the tradelines post it will change your current address to the address associated with the tradeline. As a result, when trying to pull up a copy of your credit file and it asks for the current city and county, you will not be able to provide it. Thus, it is important to know what’s on your credit report at all times!
  • If you used companies from another credit file you will want to choose alternates on your new file. That way you don’t share identical user agent data with the same company. That is why again we strongly recommend not to do anything with your file until we tell you to so we can take all the know data points you have with us in consideration to your specific goals. you have a digital fingerprint on the devices you use: https://www.howtogeek.com/114937/htg-explains-whats-a-browser-user-agent/
  • If you are trying to set up credit monitoring before the public records submissions are done you will not be approved to have an account with them because the public records have not finished populating into the system for the credit monitoring services to have data to even reference.

When applying for credit ALWAYS use your new home address associated with the CPN.

Option 1:

You can get an ID (not a drivers license). Fill out the new ID application with all your old regular information except you are putting your new home address associated with your new credit file. 

That way you have an ID to support ID credit verification.

If you need 2 forms of ID use a passport as it does not have an address on it but is accepted as a second form of ID.

Option 2:

If your license or ID still contains the address from your original credit profile make sure the creditors do not run it with your CPN because this will merge your old credit profile with the new one. You do not want that to happen because it will destroy the CPN you worked so hard to attain.

Just put your new address on all new credit applications with your new CPN number.

Alternatively just tell the creditors that you did not update your address on your ID and or you have been a victim of identity theft under that old address (many people have been and not know it).

     Identity is an important factor when managing your new credit and its important to have the right tools to help other parties identify you in commerce.

Since you have opted for credit privacy and you need to protect your SSN for retirement and Social Security we can recommend some methods to help you provide proper information when submitting to issuers.     

Typically as long as the issuer sees it is you on the identification while you are holding the I.D. they can make enough of a determination that someone with a heartbeat is doing service with their company and not a bot running as many applications as possible etc..

This is in the event the issuer you want to do business with requests a selfie while holding your id. Which you can choose to provide or decline further contracting with the company if you feel its overstepping your rights to privacy and you have objections to having your picture taken.

In the event that you need to take maters in a more liberal direction and you need any type of Documents, Job Verification’s or similar digital and physical tools of survival then there are third party providers online that provide those services that are really good.

If you would like a good recommendation if you choose to go that route we can point you in the right direction.

Since its important to not have old data mix with new data be sure to read the other Questions & FAQs on this page.

     Client Question:

“I gave the apartment office manager a copy of my driver’s license. Is that OK?

Client Question:

“I gave the apartment office manager a copy of my driver’s license. Is that OK?

     LNCF Answer:

If you don’t employ one of our alternate identity providing choices listed on our facts page and your going to use your Identification that is attached to your bad credit then:

No one legally can control the direction of YOUR data & information but you.

Yes you can show the complex manager your id for in-person identity verification but not to be used to run the address that appears on your D.L. or Identification Card.

If you tell them that you have been a victim of identity theft and that the address on the ID is not where you live anymore then they have to only run the address you gave them on your application.

Say, “”PLEASE don’t run the address on the ID, I haven’t updated my address yet and I am a victim of identity theft. Please just use my moms/my new address I put on the application to run my credit please. Thank you”!

It is illegal for someone to run info you tell them specifically not to.

If they choose to run the address on your anyway, during the sit down or after you leave, they may assume you don’t know its a violation of your rights to do so.

Its better to ask us about how to move forward in a future situation than just before your right in the middle of the situation so you can be prepared.

Know that you KNOW what to do even when you feel underconfident. Just communicate with comfortable confidence and easy going direction with how you tell them how to handle YOUR information.

It you need a refresh on your legal position contact us.

Bottom line: you just want to take authority of what the business manager is doing with YOUR information at the time.

CPN Packages

Credit monitoring on your CPN profile

Before doing applications for credit on any credit profile you want to know what your credit profile looks like prior to doing applications.

For example, you can find out ahead of time what credit bureau a credit card issuer pulls from prior to doing the application HERE: https://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?/creditpulls/

or: https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Card-Approvals/bd-p/App_Approvals

That way when you check your credit monitoring and you see that you have a good score on that particular credit bureau that they pull from, then chances are will be good that you’ll be able to get into a relationship with that credit issuer.

For the free approach you can do:

  • credit karma which takes care of two credit bureaus

  • get an experian.com account which will take care of the third

You typically want to look into credit monitoring two weeks after your public records have been completed.

If you try to get credit monitoring prior to having any trade lines post on your credit profile, there won’t be a credit score so the monitoring site won’t be able to see any credit data or they will say it’s a thin file.

When going through the identity verification with credit monitoring (or any credit issuer) keep in mind that you have amnesia associated with your SSN profile.

So if they’re talking about mortgages or automobiles or credit cards associated with your SSN profile when doing identity verification, keep in mind you disregard any SSN account associations.

Obviously, since your new credit file is new there won’t be any mortgages or automobiles associated with it so any questions associated with that will be none of the above.

If they ask for an address associated with the authorized user account credit card that’s attached to your CPN profile then you will want to ask us for that address at that time or prior to doing any credit monitoring account.

On your CPN profile data there is the designation of the county associated with the ZIP code that You will see associated with your CPN home address.

So more than likely they may ask you for the county information.

As you can see we’ve already provided it in your file data.

Always let us know if you have any other questions.

We want to be sure that you’re operating competently with your legal new credit file,

LNCF

A: Yes.

Option #1

Have a friend or family member install a free phone number app on their phone. They want to register a new number with the area code that is the same as you work area code number.

Next, whatever business you have listed as your actual work number you can call them and see how they answer the phone if you want to research ahead.

Have a good time set aside for you and your friend to have the same few hours free to complete this task so your friend is free to answer the phone call no matter what from during the time you are in the office till a few hours after you exit the apartment complex office.

When you put down you friends app work number on an application you expect a call from (like from an apartment complex) your friend can answer the phone the exact same way except using the word “administration” at the end of the welcome greeting like, “Hello, Happy Hearts Memorial Hospital Administration, how can we help you today?”

When the apartment complex manager (or whomever) asks to verify employment let the apartment manager know, “Yes, I would be happy to help you with that. What is the name of the employee?” when they say the name be polite and say, “Thank you for that information please give me a moment to check the records and I will be back with you shortly.”

Then put the apartment manager on MUTE for 30 seconds and then return off of the phones mute option with… “Um yes it looks like JIM BOB (or whomever) started on may 17th 6 years ago (give applicable date) and it looks like they are currently employed with us as well. Is there anything else we can help you with?” The Apartment Manager will say, “no thank you” and end the call.

Verification complete!

Option #2

If you do not have a confidant to help you with option #1 then you can go to fiverr.com or craigslist.org and look for a Job Verification service in the state your “New Home Address” on your file is located. That way their area code will fit in to your profile.

Notes:

Researching ahead: If you call the complex from a free phone app number and you ask if they will be calling your work to verify employment if you decide to rent there, and they say, “yes” and you don’t have or don’t want to do job verification set up then move on to another complex.

The key is doing research on the properties procedures before applying so you are prepared ahead of time.

LNCF

PURCHASES WITH YOUR CPN

Once your authorized user/s and primary accounts have posted to your CPN, you can then go shopping.

Personal Cell phones

T-Mobile is the quickest to approve finance for a cell phone, with a score of 600 or higher.

I’m not saying you won’t have to put money down, but your deposit will be significantly lower. For example, if an iPhone costs $1,099 and your CPN score is 605, you could pay $150 deposit, instead of $1,000 with a blank CPN.

This still leaves plenty of room for you to upsell the phone. The higher your credit score, the lower the deposit.

Buying Cell Phones for Business

People often ask, “How do I get 10 or more phones on my CPN?” You’ll need a business account to accomplish this.

It’s simple to set up but requires an EIN number. More detail about opening business accounts HERE.

To make purchases with a business account you’ll need to go to a T- Mobile store or call their customer service line and tell them you want to set up a business account.

This will allow you to buy multiple phones for your employees. In order to get phones, they usually give you around a $5,000 credit limit on a new account.

Don’t limit yourself to phones;

Consider Apple watches, other smartwatches, and other smart devices such as tablets, computers or iPads. These are all products that will sell quickly and easily if you don’t need them for business purposes.

Best Buy

Best Buy is one of the most overlooked hacks. First, when you buy in-store, you can sign up for the Best Buy credit card as well as lease-to-own options.

I have seen many people buy TVs with a score of just over 600 and put no money down. Even if you cannot get the BestBuy card and only can get approved for the lease-to-own option this is still a very good hack.

If you use this process, be aware that it will report to your CPN and it will reflect on your credit score.

If you do not intend to pay for it, your score will drop and you will lose all your work to build your CPN.

It’s also a great way to build your credit if you’re going to pay for it and keep the items yourself.

Affirm

Most of you have heard of Affirm. You’ve probably seen it when you’re about to check out on a website and it says you only have to pay a small amount today and a small amount monthly.

For example, you could get a new PlayStation for $499, but you’d only have to pay $29.95 today. This works well with CPNs that have primary accounts attached to them. It is very simple to obtain.

It’s a good way to build your CPN if you’re trying to use it legitimately. You must have a credit score of at least 640 to use it, but people have reported getting approved with as low as 600.

Furniture Stores

Value City Furniture, and American Freight, are some stores where you can get easy approval for credit with a CPN. You can furnish your Airbnb businesses with these companies using your CPN.

There are two options here: either pay it back monthly and build your credit, or have the furniture delivered to another address and move it to where you want it to be.

Store Credit

A few other places where you can use this method to obtain store credit or store cards. Walmart, Target, Kay Jeweler, Reeds Jewelry, Jared’s, Macy’s, any and all gas

station gas cards, Spectrum, AT&T, Sam’s Club, Wayfair, and many more are all available. So, use your CPN frequently when signing up for reward programs, store credit cards, and store credit, and you’ll be surprised at how many doors it opens.

Now, let’s talk about how to make some serious lifestyle changes where we’ll discuss how to get apartments and home rentals with your CPN within the first 2 to 3 weeks.

CHANGE YOUR STANDARD OF LIVING

YOU CANNOT BUY A HOUSE WITH A CPN NUMBER!

Now that I’ve cleared that up, we can get started on improving your standard of living. I know people who have moved with CPN’s from one city to another. Using a CPN, is one of the simplest ways to improve your living situation that will not take much time. When done correctly, this should take about two to three weeks.

When looking for an apartment, it’s critical to understand whom you’re working with. If it is an upscale environment, expect them to do more research on you than if it was created for minimum-wage workers.

I always call first to get a sense of the people I’m about to work with. I always inquire whether they have any two or three-bedroom apartments available and if so, when will they be ready for occupancy.

I then inform them that I do not have bad credit. I just don’t have a lot of it because I’ve spent most of my adult life living at home with my parents. I further explain that because of this, they’ll probably only see a few things on my credit.

By doing so, you will prepare them to understand why your credit score is not as lengthy or “light”. These people are paid a commission based on how many tenants they can get into the building, so believe me when I say they want you to be approved.

You should never enter the office without first being approved. Always submit your applications online so that if anything goes wrong, you can handle it instead of looking like a fool in front of management.

If you follow the instructions, your CPN should be in your name and have your date of birth, so you can apply with your state ID. If you are not working or are paid under the table, you may be required to create pay stubs.

The main thing they want to see is that you have at least three times the rent. You’ll want to make sure your real or fake pay stubs show that. If you’re making paystubs, always state that you make at least $75,000 per year. When you make at least $75,000 per year, almost no one will turn you down.

They will also look to see if you have any criminal history, such as felonies, drug charges, sexual abuse, and so on. CPN will cover your entire legal history; when it’s run, the only thing they’ll see is the information you’ve tri-merged together.

Most places will not ask for a copy of your Social Security card because they do not want that type of information on file that can easily be used for fraudulent purposes. Instead, they will ask to see your ID to ensure that your name and date of birth match the social security number that you have given them.

Every location is different, but you should receive your approval phone call within 24 to 48 hours. If they ask for job verification, always have a friend who can do it for you; they will simply ask, “Do you work there?” “How long have you been working there?” “What is the pay rate?” Some places will also check with previous landlords. Again, you can easily get around this by telling them you have lived with your parents for the majority of your adult life.

And there you have it, your new home. This method also works for renting a house; in fact, renting a house is easier than renting an apartment, especially if you go through the homeowner directly. They will not typically conduct a background check or job verification.

If you are not working or are paid under the table, you may be required to create pay stubs.

Pay Stubs

Do it yourself Pay Stubs that pass SNAPPT Apartment Complex verification and much more: https://paystubdepot.com/

But I know you’ll need more than just a place to live; you’ll need utilities, furniture, and whatever else the apartment lacks. In the previous chapter, I discussed how you can get furniture from ValueCity, American Freight, and even Wayfair. All of these establishments are CPN-friendly and do not require a lot of money to get anything.

You can also place your utilities in your CPN, cable, light, etc. Once you begin applying, this will all take about two days to complete.

How to START AN AIRBNB BUSINESS

You can have multiple apartments or homes on one CPN.

How to get your Airbnb’s in place, location, and everything else;

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is, “How do you start an Airbnb business?”

The following will go over:

-To furnish your property: Use sites provided above

-Lights can be registered on your CPN.

-Spectrum Cable is CPN-friendly, and the water bill is more than likely included in your rent.

Here are some tips for running a successful Airbnb business.

Location

The most important factor is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. People will accept a smaller space as long as it is in a prime location. For example, you might want to a location near shopping, interstate, movie theaters, sports arenas, and so on.

I know people in Southern California who charge $1,500 per night for studio apartments simply because of their location. When choosing a location, make sure it is in a high-traffic area; these are the areas that people will want to rent out.

People are always looking for nice restaurants and shopping malls. Look for cities with a lot of attractions, such as Miami, Los Angeles, or New York. Anywhere with a high tourist population will do well.

I’m sure you’re wondering how you can get an apartment or a house if you don’t live in the city. It’s very simple, just like getting an apartment or a home in your city. Everything should be done online, and once you’ve secured the place, you can fly in to pick up the keys or drive if it’s close enough.

Do the furniture hack as discussed previously, and find out what the policy is for putting a lockbox somewhere near the location. The lockbox ensures that you do not need to be present to exchange the

keys. It can be placed outside the apartment or even at a remote location where you must enter a code to open a box to receive the key.

2 Night Minimum

I highly recommend at least a two-night minimum on all properties. If you’re charging at least $250 you know that in a week’s time at a minimum you will make $500 a week. This means you will be making

$2,000 a month off of that one unit. Staying booked isn’t difficult; you can advertise your home on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and even local newspapers.

SIZE

You don’t have to begin with a three- or four-bedroom home. Again, studio and one-bedroom apartments are doing well in major cities. Of course, the larger the house or apartment, the higher the rate. I know people who have converted abandoned warehouses into lofts. Putting five or six beds in an open area, possibly with a bar and some cool furniture, can go a long way.

Subleasing

Most places require a lease if someone stays for more than 14 days, so only rent out your Airbnb for 13 days at a time. If it says 30 days, only rent it out for 29 days at a time, and always rent it out a day early so you never have to legally put a guest on a lease.

No Parties Allowed

No parties are permitted at your Airbnb. When renting out to others, make sure to include this in the details of your listing on Airbnb. If you place a Ring Doorbell on your location, the security system will

allow you to watch the people as they enter; if it looks like a party is about to start, give your attendees a call and shut it down right away. You also have the option of accepting or declining people

who try to rent out your Airbnb through the app. You don’t have to accept every offer made to use your space. If they appear to be young college students, you can decline the offer because all money is not good money.

Fee

Check out the competition on the Airbnb app. Log in as a guest looking to rent a similar property to yours in the same location. It will show you what other properties in the area have been listed for in the last 30 days. You should always upsell yours by at least $25.00. You may be wondering, “Why would I increase my prices in comparison to my competition?”. You always want to list your Airbnb as a luxury

accommodation. People want to feel like they are in a luxurious environment, so they are willing to pay a premium for it. If a similar property is being rented for $200 a night, you should be renting yours for at least $225.

Multiple Airbnbs

Yes, you can run multiple AirBnBs from a single CPN. Nobody cares how many houses you own as long as you have the money to maintain them. No one is going to deny you if your pay stubs show

that you make more than enough money to take care of your home. Just make sure that your previous Airbnb paid for your new one. That is always the rule of thumb; you should not be paying anything out of pocket because your rental property should cover itself and another one each time.

ADMIN

A: Yes if you want to almost guarantee your file gets ruined.

We recommend:

If you get 6-18 months no interest on a credit card introductory offer or two you will be paying zero interest on the money. You then can balance transfer to your bank account up to %100 of the available credit balance.

On a lot of credit card account %50 balance transfer is common.

Result:

You wont have a huge interest payment on a hard money loan and you can make more reasonable amounts work for you without overhead interest looking on your new portfolio.

First you will need to understand a few things.

CPN numbers are designed to be used for credit reporting purposes exclusively.

So you cannot register your new vehicle using a CPN number.

You will need to use your Social Security Number.

You may be asking so where does my CPN number fit into all of this?

Simple, you will be using your CPN for your Auto Loan and your SSN to register and insure your car.

Here is what you will need to do:

First you will need to find a legitimate dealer that knows how to use CPN numbers for auto purchases.

This is simple, most big franchise brands just rather not deal with CPN numbers because a lot of people have used them to defraud these dealers out of millions of dollars.

So, you will need to find a smaller mom and pop type dealership that offers bank financing, not in house financing.

Call them and ask to speak with their finance department.

Ask them plainly do you accept CPN numbers for vehicle purchases?

Once you find the dealership gather the following documents before visiting them: 

  • Drivers license (see “How To: Drivers License | ID” above for more info)
  • alternative form of ID such as a Passport or Passport card
  • Pay stubs
  • and proof of residence

You can do a quick google search for pay stub providers.

They normally cost around $40 they may also be able to help you with the proof of residence for around the same price.

Make sure you have at least 10% down payment if you have not added trade-lines to your CPN number.

Also make sure to wait at least 10 business days from making your CPN number before applying for a loan.

This will give your public record enough time time be properly published. It will also show a break in the inquiries which is good.

Because if your report is full of the no one will lend to you.

If you have added trade lines follow the same process.

The only difference if you will be able to get a more attractive APR rate and a flexible down payment.

Banks will ask for less verification since there is already history on your report.

As a side note, find a car you can afford to pay on monthly.

Because using a CPN number and defaulting on loans is asking for trouble.

Go to the dealership with everything in hand, pick out your car get your paperwork done and you are good to go.

Please remember all dealerships have their own policies in place.

Call ahead and let them know your intentions instead of just showing up and trying to pass your CPN by as a SSN.

If you don’t already have a CPN number, get access to our Do It Yourself Package HERE. This program will help you generate your own CPN number in under 15 minutes.

     This particular client is in a tight spot!

     They got their credit file and tradeline package 12 days ago with us & the FICO Credit score posted 2 days ago, a 780 (Ye HA!).

Now they are trying to KNOW that they will be able to afford the “getting IN the apartment money” with there new credit file.

Working together we were able to get them approved for the apartment they wanted to get into for move in, but now they may not have enough money on move in day because transition costs were more than they could really afford.

So, they are salivating for credit approvals while looking at a 780 FICO credit score we got them on their creditkarma.com but the primary tradeline hasn’t posted yet...

Our reply:

I think its safe to say you have been very anxious from the start about the spot your in & you want a time machine to get through the nail biting parts, and we get it.

But like I have been saying until self.inc posts on your profile you will not get enough of a starting credit line for it to really help you.

(…from our BASIC package so far they have received a new file, 80+ public records posted 7 days ago and a (1) very old CHASE AU & a large dose of other proprietary data management techniques that’s making their score and file look really great.)

We continue…

Sure, you will get approved on 1 or 2 cards starting off but if you keep trying to make credit inquiries on your account you will look to the creditors to be desperate with new credit and will assume that regardless of the house and area code your house is in you are a high risk, so there will be lower approvals than the $1,200 – $7,500 approvals we want for you.

Our digital behavior says so much without even talking to anyone.

We provide premium data and its up to the user to make their free will choices.

and to answer your question yes, there is a difference between an A.U. Tradeline aka Authorized User Tradeline and a Primary Tradeline.

A Primary is an account that you directly got approved for.

Someone didn’t just do you a favor and vouch for you that you were a worthy credit risk and added you as an AU.

When both in combination are utilized as well as deep public records they understand that the digital investment and logic that was generated is worthy of risk.

That’s pretty much it.

We can get you there, but you have to play the game.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

A: A CPN Number (Credit Privacy Number) a.k.a. SCN Number (secondary Credit Number) is a nine digit number separate from your social security number used to track your credit activities and history such as a EIN, ITIN, TIN or SSN, but their can be other formalized government or institutionally issued 9-digit number’s which can be issued and used for credit purposes.

Your new number will protect your Social Security Number (SSN) from identity theft.

A: Our CPN Number’s come from a trusted independent third party ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP Data Science Department to assure the new number has been scanned from any and all databases from being any other persons or entities.

Everything is done in vain if the foundation of the number is not clean.

Sometimes new credit file providers will not do their due diligence on a number and then there can be approval issues in the future with up to half of all credit submissions requested.

Don’t go through that. Get a good, clean new credit profile number you can rely on with us.

A: You can use your new credit file for any credit reporting purposes.

Use it to open bank accounts, credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, apartments, utilities, cable, cell phones, medical and dental etc.

A: No. The CPN Number does not replace your Social Security Number (SSN), the CPN Number can only be used for credit reporting purposes.

It cannot and should not be used for any government purposes including and not limited to: military, child support, DSS income, SSI, taxes, FHA, VA, or any government backed funding, which requires an individual to list a SSN number.

You will be using your Credit Privacy number for private financial institutions that extend credit like most traditional credit cards, bank offers (non-interest bearing checking account so no tax liabilities), and many other credit providers like Affirm and Klarna etc.

A: As soon as you call or submit your online registration we can get you started.

Additionally, you will be assigned an account manager to get your process finished as soon as possible. 

A: Yes! You are responsible for all debts on your old report and debts incurred with your new credit profile.

You must remember that while you are rebuilding your original credit, you must use your new number wisely.

The short answer to, “Are they Legal?”

Having a CPN is legal, but claiming your CPN is your SSN is not. You can have a
second credit profile within the credit bureau system without an issue. Many people
choose not to give out the SSN for fear of Identity Theft and privacy concerns among
many other reasons.

As of right now, there are no laws that state you cannot establish a second 9- Digit
number FOR CREDIT PURPOSES only. It is your legal right to keep your Social Security
Number private and use a separate number for credit related purposes.
You are only required by law to disclose your Social Security Number to the Internal
Revenue Service, your employer, and most recently, due to the Patriot Act, when
registering a motor vehicle.

Based on the 1974 Privacy Act, you are only required to give out your Social Security
Number for the following reasons:

1) For Employment
2) For Tax Purposes
3) To Obtain a Driver’s License
4) To Register a Motor Vehicle
5) To Receive Public Assistance

You can legally refuse to disclose your Social Security Number for any purpose other
than those specified above. Just remember, they have the right to deny doing
business with you.

“I would not use a CPN especially if you have questionable credit,” said John C. Heath, a credit expert and consumer attorney for Lexington Law. “It may be seen as an attempt to deceive a creditor about your creditworthiness (even if that is not your intention).”

Correct answer:  What Lexington Law is not telling you is that it is completely legal to use a CPN to conduct your personal financial business…obtaining basic consumer type credit. If you do not pay these bills that’s when you can get yourself in trouble if they prove that your intention was to purposely elude creditors and evade paying your committed debts.

“CPN sellers also often tell consumers they can apply for and receive credit from lenders and that their credit transactions will be reported to the three major credit reporting agencies — Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.”

Correct answer:   When we register the CPN number and your personal information with all three bureaus this is EXACTLY what occurs…No myth!

“Equifax asks for Social Security numbers and not alternatives,” said Nancy Bistritz, director of public relations and communications for the credit reporting agency.

TransUnion sent us a similar statement….

“TransUnion uses Social Security Numbers to identify consumer data for credit reports,” said David Blumberg, public relations director for TransUnion. “This approach is the standard for our industry because it supports the most accurate matching.”

Correct answer:   The five agencies that require you to give them your SSN do not include the private sector credit bureaus. This is the premise as to why the number is completely 100% legal for use to conduct your personal financial business without exposing your sensitive information to these bureaus that are not required on ALL levels to access it. The Equifax breach is a prime example why EVERYBODY should possess a CPN number!

“If these numbers are such scams then why are consumers in danger of prosecution when countless companies are clearly marketing and selling them without recourse. Seems that if the CPN is in fact illegal then some accountability lies with the agencies that issue them……additionally, I’ve known about the CPN for years now and have seen several individuals “start over” with them and how are lines of credit being offered and approved if reporting agencies don’t except or recognize them?”

Correct answer:  Because they are legal to have and use as long as you pay all of your bills responsibly. They just try to discourage the purchasing and use of them through manipulative ads and vague interpretation of the law betting that most consumers are dummies!

“Why does the Social Security Administration offer them if you can’t use it for anything legitimate? Doesn’t make sense.”

Correct answer: They are issued by the SSA to all immigrants when they come over to work. They tell you its not for work and its not a social security number. Then what is it?  It is a CPN used for personal financial business!

Companies offering credit privacy numbers boast two big selling points. Nonetheless, despite these supposed pros of getting a CPN, Credit Privacy Numbers end up still being a hindrance when it comes to getting a business loan.

Correct answer:   You can only use it to obtain credit and financing personally and then use the personal funds to accellerate your business. As well as register the CPN number as a trade name with the IRS to attach as a personal guarantor to an LLC (See our menu item under, “How to register CPN with IRS”).

  1. It protects your Social Security number.

People who are worried about identity theft and dislike the idea of sharing their Social Security number with anyone might get a CPN thinking they can use it as identification instead of their SSN.

In reality, however, if a lender asks for your SSN, they aren’t going to be satisfied with your credit privacy number. Think about it: You’re asking a bank to lend you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, trusting that you will pay it back, but you don’t trust them enough to share your SSN?

Correct answer:   This is a weak response…A CPN does protect your SSN! It is a firewall!

  1. It can help you clean up your credit history.

CPNs are often promoted as part of a plan to improve your credit. When you do an online search for “credit privacy number,” lots of credit repair programs pop up. By using the CPN, these companies claim, you can apply for credit cards, lines of credit, or loans, and the companies involved will never find out that you have bad credit.

Correct answer:  This is true in most cases…and these companies are not priveledged enough to have entitlement to your SSN credit.

However, it’s pretty obvious rather than improving your credit history, the credit privacy number is intended to hide it. And common sense will tell you that as long as the CPN is connected with you—your name, address, and other identifying information—it’s a simple matter for credit sources to uncover your credit score, no matter which ID number you use.

If anything, using a credit privacy number will make them more suspicious of your creditworthiness. And though it’s a difficult reality to face, that’s why you should focus on fixing your score instead.

Correct response:   A CPN is the first step to fixing your credit past. It allows you to stop using your SSN for credit and allows you to continue forward. Only then can you stop and fix your SSN credit. Down the road you should bring both of the files together to report together.

“NEW LAW STOPS CREDIT PROFILE NUMBERS- Superior Tradelines”

Correct answer:   There is no new law and they are not in the CPN business and do not report tradelines to CPNs. That is why they are full of reckless irresponsible banter. They have no knowledge of them and they know by talking about CPNs it will increase their Google rankings.

“What Is A CPN? Fraud Just Waiting to Happen- Wallethub”

Correct answer:   Only if you take the money that you obtained by using the CPN number and don’t repay it. They will say that you intentionally misled creditors and that is fraud! They have no knowledge of them and they know by talking about CPNs it will increase their Google rankings.

“Your One-Way Ticket to Jail, the Credit Privacy Number- Creditsesame”

Correct answer:   Only if you take the money that you obtained by using the CPN number and don’t repay it. They will say that you intentionally misled creditors and that is fraud! They have no knowledge of them and they know by talking about CPNs it will increase their Google rankings.

“What Is a Credit Privacy Number? Nerdwallet”

A credit privacy number, or CPN, is a nine-digit ID that can be used in lieu of a Social Security number for credit reporting and other financial purposes, like applying for a loan. Also called a credit profile number, a CPN is primarily used for tracking credit history or applying for loans. You’ve probably heard of CPNs in the context of credit repair: A company will promise to issue you a CPN that will make it easier to qualify for new credit or get rid of bad debts. But be careful: Sometimes, those companies are selling a service that’s useless or even outright illegal.

So why use a CPN instead of an SSN, anyway?

Like an SSN, each person can only have one CPN. It’s used as a unique identifier for your financial transactions and lets lenders and credit reporting agencies keep an eye on your borrowing history. However, a CPN can help you keep your finances safe and hidden from the public eye. For that reason, it’s popular among elected officials, celebrities and people in witness protection programs. As the name implies, it’s mostly used by people who need a little extra privacy.

A CPN isn’t always a substitute for an SSN, though: You can’t use it for documents submitted to the IRS or an employer, registering a vehicle or applying for a government loan, for instance. If you have a CPN, it’s on you to know when you can and can’t use it.

A: Title 5 of the United States Code Annotated 552(a) known as the Privacy Act, ruled in part: “Right to privacy is a personal right designated to protect persons from the unwanted disclosure of personal information.” – CAN Financial Corp vs. Local 743, D.D., I11, 1981 15F. Sup. 943, I11.
(A)(1) “It shall be unlawful to deny any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individuals refusal to disclose his or her social security account number”.
Pub. L 93-579: (B) “Any Federal, State, or Local Government Agency which requests an individual to disclose their Social Security Account Number shall inform that individual whether the disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority such number is solicited, and what uses will be made of it.”
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) prohibits creditors from denying you a loan based on reasons that have nothing to do with your credit-worthiness.

A: By understanding the law and applying credit re-establishment techniques, our proven methods specialize in the establishment of credit through a completely new legal credit file.

With a new credit file, you will be able to build a new credit-worthy profile with a high FICO score very quickly.

The following link is an exceptional intro into managing any credit file effectively:

Credit Scores, Reports & Monitoring

A: No.

We don’t know any policies another company changes at any time and how that can affect the hundreds of options a consumer has to credit tools that are on the market.

If you choose to do business against our recommendations with a company you can choose to proceed. When we strongly recommend against applying to a company’s account unless they are verified by us.

Keep in mind the age of any file is your friend. Every day your consumer file gains value because of its age and activity. The more intelligible the human choice activity behind the file the more value is distributed to the file from 3rd parties

A: As soon as your new credit file has been assigned to you, your new credit profile is created, then you can start applying for credit only after the tradelines have posted to your new credit profile, and you have a posted FICO credit score associated with your new file. 

A: YES; You can use your new credit profile obtain major credit cards, department store cards, gas cards, auto loans, bank loans, real estate, and any other type of financing you desire.

A: Private money lenders only not government loans.

A: The only way your new credit profile can get mixed in with your old with our service is by willingly disclosing your old credit profile information with your new one. Please download our free guide to understand how to manage your file responsibly. 

New CPN File | National Standards & Practices | 2022

How to legally manage your new consumer credit file. National Codes of Conduct for New Credit. Questions call support @ 1 (800) 597-2560

There are many different credit scoring companies and credit scoring models, or differing methods of calculating credit scores. Credit scores are calculated based on the information in your credit reports.


Depending on which model, or even which credit bureau furnishes the information used in calculations, your credit scores may vary.

Lenders and creditors may use your credit scores to help determine whether to approve your application for credit. Before approving you, they want to know: What’s the likelihood you’ll pay your bills on time?

Lenders generally also have their own lending criteria, which may include other factors, such as your income.


Two of the biggest companies when it comes to credit scoring models are Fair Isaac Corporation, or FICO, and VantageScore. VantageScore is the result of a collaboration between the three nationwide credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.


Both FICO and VantageScore assign higher credit scores to consumers deemed as lower-risk borrowers, and both currently range from 300 to 850.


FICO scores are generally calculated using five categories of information contained in your credit reports, with varying weight given to each:
Your payment history (35%)
The amounts you owe, or credit utilization (30%)
The length of your credit history (15%)
The mix of your credit accounts (10%)
Your new credit accounts (10%)


VantageScore is calculated with six categories of information contained in your credit reports.

It doesn’t assign percentages to how much weight the categories are given, but instead describes their level of influence:


Your payment history (extremely influential)
Your credit utilization, or the percentage of your credit limits you’re using (highly influential) The length of your credit history and your mix of credit accounts (highly influential)
The amounts you owe (moderately influential)
Your recent credit behavior (less influential)
Your available credit (less influential)


However, there are some differences between the two to highlight:
Length of credit history – To have a FICO score, consumers must have one or more credit accounts that have been open for at least six months and has been reported to the three nationwide credit bureaus within six months.

VantageScore credit scores can be calculated if consumers have one or more credit accounts that have been open for at least one month and one account reported within the past two years.

What does this mean for you?

If you’re new to credit or haven’t used your credit accounts in a while, you may not have a FICO credit score, but you may have a VantageScore credit score.


Hard inquiries – if you’re applying for a vehicle or student loan and shopping around for the best loan terms, both FICO and VantageScore count multiple hard inquiries for the same purpose on your credit reports as one inquiry for a certain period of time to minimize the inquiries’ impact on credit scores.

The time period, however, generally differs. FICO uses a 45-day span, while VantageScore uses 14 days. And while FICO only includes mortgages, vehicle loans and student loan inquiries, VantageScore will do the same for hard inquiries dealing with other types of credit, including credit cards.


One note: All mortgage loan inquiries within about 45 days count as one inquiry, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.


Collection accounts – If your past-due account is sent to a collection agency, it may impact your credit scores from either company. But FICO generally ignores smaller collection amounts, when the original balance is below $100. VantageScore, meanwhile, doesn’t factor in paid collections, but includes all unpaid collections regardless of amount.


If you are applying for credit, you might consider asking which credit score the lender will use to evaluate your request. There is no one credit score used by all lenders and creditors, since there are so many credit scoring models. But knowing the differences in calculation methods can help you better understand what lenders may see when accessing your credit scores.


You can create a myEquifax account to get six free Equifax credit reports each year. In addition, you can click “Get my free credit score” on your myEquifax dashboard to enroll in Equifax Core CreditTM for a free monthly Equifax credit report and a free monthly VantageScore® 3.0 credit score, based on Equifax data. A VantageScore is one of many types of credit scores.

CPN Public Records