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Friday, July 31, 2009

How to Get a Free Credit Report

A credit report contains information about individuals, their income, bill paying habits, address, lawsuits, arrest records and bankruptcies. Every consumer is entitled to a free credit report every 12 months and all individuals should take advantage of this right to insure the information is correct.


The federal legislation known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) controls credit information and requires the nationwide consumer reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) to provide consumers with a free copy of the report when a written request is made. The purpose of the legislation is to promote the fairness, accuracy and privacy of the information in the consumer’s file. This is important because businesses use the credit score to evaluate applications for credit, insurance, employment and leasing.


Under the Act you have the right to know what information is in the credit file and whether that information has been used against you to deny credit. If the information is incorrect or incomplete it can be disputed and corrected. As a general rule of thumb, credit agencies cannot report derogatory information older than seven years or bankruptcies older than ten years.


While many websites promote free credit reports, there is only one website authorized to fill orders for free reports: annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that offer free reports are not part of the federally mandated free program and may try to sell consumers additional products in exchange for the credit report. It is important to note that annualcreditreport.com will never send a solicitation e-mail requesting personal information. If you get a solicitation from a company claiming to be from the free program do not respond by giving out personal information. If you prefer to use the telephone you can call 1-877-322-8228 or mail a request to P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, Ga. 30348-5281. The government website at ftc.gov/credit has a wealth of information about credit scoring and the information that will usually be found on a credit report.


If you order the report on-line it will be available immediately. If you order by phone the report should take about two weeks to be mailed. The same is true when you request a copy by mail. If inaccuracies are found, you must report the inaccurate information in writing. The company will perform an investigation and usually respond within 30 days. The agency must give you written results of the investigation and another free copy of the report if the information has changed as a result of the report. For more information go to www.ftc.gov.

Monday, July 20, 2009

WALKER NAMED TOP DEALER IN THE COUNTRY

Every year “Wards Dealer Business” Magazine publishes a list of the 500 biggest automobile dealerships in the country. The annual list has been published for 22 consecutive years and ranks dealerships according to total revenue. While overall sales in the industry took a nose-dive, Walker Automotive advanced 11 spaces from number 75 to number 64 on the list. No other Dealer in Alexandria or Central Louisiana made the list.

Foster Walker, President of Walker Automotive said that he is please with the ranking and that the people in the organization are really the ones who should get credit for its success. “Without the tremendous sales, service and support team that we have in place we would be unable to continually grow in an era when so much pressure is put on retail sales,” Walker said. “We remain committed to honesty and integrity in every facet of our business and it is this philosophy that has earned our company an outstanding reputation and continued prosperity.” Walker continued.

Mr. Walker also emphasized that as a fourth generation family company, Walker Automotive always tries to do what is in the best interest of its customers. “Our customers make it possible for us to be and stay in business and we realize that customer loyalty is the key to generations of success. We believe that we are rewarded for our efforts by the vast majority of our customers who are repeat and lifetime buyers.”

Walker was founded in 1919 as Alexandria Auto Company, Inc. by Foster Walker Sr. After returning from World War I, Foster Walker Sr. began selling Durant, Reo and Star automobiles from a gas station in Downtown Alexandria. That business eventually became Walker Oldsmobile Company and is now run by Foster Walker III. Ninety years after its inception the dealership has expanded from its meager origins to three locations, 8 manufacturers, three service departments and a collision center. Over the last 9 decades, Walker has won numerous national and factory awards for all aspects of its business and offers new and pre-owned vehicles ranging from quality entry level models to German luxury vehicles.