A “Charge Off” is an accounting term that creditors use when they assume after a period of delinquency that they are not able to collect on a debt that is owed to them. Creditors write that debt off as a loss against their income taxes. Just because a debt is charged off (or written off) does not mean the debt is forgiven. The money is still owed. The creditor will usually sell or assign the debt to a collection agency or a lawyer to effect collection.

Identity theft is a form of stealing someone’s identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person’s identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person’s name. The victim of identity theft (here meaning the person whose identity has been assumed by the identity thief) can suffer adverse consequences if they are held accountable for the perpetrator’s actions.

Learning how to recognize credit repair scams will save you pain and money. The scammers promise to remove negative information from your Credit Report, so that you can be approved for future credit. They can’t deliver on those promises, and the fee you pay to them is lost. The good news is that these scams follow the same patterns, so once you understand how they work, you can avoid them.

Consumers need to know about free credit repair services and what is going on with their credit scores. Most people can check their credit scores online if they are buying a house or new car off the showroom floor and take care of the paperwork right from home. Unfortunately, credit problems can mount up and eventually prevent you from making purchases. Either way, it is worth it to learn how to repair your credit online for free.

In February 2011, the IRS announced a set of new policies called the “IRS Fresh Start” program regarding unpaid taxes in an effort to “…Help Struggling Taxpayers Get a Fresh Start…” One of the changes will directly affect credit reports and possibly raise credit scores.