Credit report issues after legal name change

[MaggieB]

I had a legal name change last July and now my credit reports come back that there is a problem and cannot be obtained. I have tried to contact them by their web site contact info but they don't respond. Anyone have this problem? Will they keep my old name for ten years after I finally get it corrected with them. I find it absurd that it is my responsibility to correct their data. I didn't ask them to collect it in the first place. Now that it is required to have their data to rent a house or get a loan or apply for a job, it seems that they should have legal requirements to be accurate.

Maggie

[Mister]

Maggie, it's generally recommended that you send the three credit bureaus a copy of your name change.

[tekla]

Its your responsibility to give them the name changes, they only report the information they have collected.

This is information for women after marriage, but change the words and I'm sure it will work.

Date

Equifax Credit Information Services Inc.
https://www.econsumer.equifax.com/consumer/forward.ehtml?forward=home
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374

TransUnion LLC
http://www.transunion.com/Personal/OrderOtherMethods.jsp
Consumer Disclosure Center
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022

Experian
http://www.experian.com/consumer/index.html
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013

Re: Request to change name on credit report

Dear Sir or Madam:

My credit information with your company current is currently held under my maiden name: Full pre-marriage name. However, I have recently married and now am legally known as: Full married name.

This letter is my formal request that you change your records to reflect my new legal name. In addition to my new name, your data should indicate my new address. Below I have listed, along with my Social Security number, my prior name and previous address and my new name and address to which my records should be changed:

Pre-marriage information
   

Married information

Full maiden name
Social Security number
Old mailing address
City, State and ZIP Code
   

New married name
Social Security number
New mailing address
City, State and ZIP Code

If you have any questions about these changes, you can contact me by mail at my new address or by telephone at work phone number during business hours.

I also am enclosing a copy of my marriage license. This will verify my name change and ensure accurate spelling on my updated credit report.

Thank you for your prompt attention to my request.

Your Signature
Your Typed Name
Your Address
City, State and ZIP Code

Enclosure: Marriage license (copy)

This site has information and PDF forms

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/forms/credit-report-name-change.asp

[lisagurl]

Out of the three major credit reporting companies only one has the ability to change your name. The other two start new accounts.

[tekla]

A new account without any credit history for a person of her age would be worse than a bad report.

[MaggieB]

Tekla,
Thank you very much.

Thank you all very much.

Maggie

[sneakersjay]

Thanks for that, Tekla!  I'll have to do that as well.  I have a few other name change reporting to do so that will definitely help.

Jay

[tekla]

Hey research is my middle name, or at least my PhD.

[fwagodess]

That wasn't a problem for me since basically the social security number and date of birth remain unchanged.

[Mister]

That wasn't a problem for me since basically the social security number and date of birth remain unchanged.

Whose doesn't?

[MaggieB]

I got the results from TransUnion and Equifax yesterday. I used the form letter suggested by Tekla and included copies of my court order.  Transunion send me a credit report with my old name listed as the primary name and in small print my new name was listed as also known as.
Equifax refused to change anything but sent me a report in my old name. They said that my new information doesn't match theirs. DUH...  Now they want a copy of my social security card, and a utility bill. 

What bothers me is that it is likely that my old name will be on my report forever. There goes any hope of living stealth and I will have to face possible bigotry in rentals and job apps. I know that is is illegal in CA for discrimination against trans folk but we all know how easy it is to get around that. 

Kinda depressed about this.

[rhondabythebay]

Maggie Kay,

Sorry to hear about how difficult it is to deal with these businesses. 

My experience to date (YMMV), I took a different route and have not notified any agencies. Within 6 months of my name change I had obtained two forms of credit, one unsolicited. So the credit is building, and the history looks a bit short, but it has not caused any problems with rentals. Maybe renting in San Francisco helps.

As for stealth, well, in this 'information age', all of one's past is available for a fee, it is unlikely that one can disappear unless you were never part of the 'age' to begin with...

Hugs,

Rhonda

[MaggieB]

Experian sent me a credit report with the statement:
"We are responding to your request to change your name on your credit report due to a legal name change. We store information based on identification information provided to us by credit grantor(s) and public records. Once you report your new name to your credit grantor(s) they may report it to us."

In other words, they won't do it until I have credit in my new name and I can't get credit in my new name because there is no official file in that name. I currently do not have any credit cards or debt. It seemed so me that a court order was evidence of a public record...

Incredible.

I am applying for a rental and will have to include a letter stating that I am a transssexual and give my prior name so they can run a credit check. What FUN!

Maggie

[JENNIFER]

My experience is that if one notifies a change of name with an existing supplier of credit ( required under UK law ) then that supplier notifies the relevent agencies that it does business with.

In addition, notifying the electoral registration authorities ( also required under UK law ) will see this alteration notified to the agencies owing to the fact that these agencies are used to verify identity and address for taxation reasons.  Your mortage holder/landlord will also notify the agencies owing to the fact that they supply credit also.

My point being that those you do business with do the legwork if you have notified the relevent suppliers and they have agreed to it/accepted the change of name.  It is only if you see a problem in a hard copy of your report that you challenge the information held and you have to pay but this is my experience in the UK, I have no idea what other countries might manage this problem.

[MaggieB]

I think that it is amazing that they will change the name of a woman who gets married at her request but not a legal name change. Or is it really that someone is trying to be nasty?

According to the TSRoadmap what I did should have worked. Something has changed.

[JENNIFER]

I think that it is amazing that they will change the name of a woman who gets married at her request but not a legal name change. Or is it really that someone is trying to be nasty?

According to the TSRoadmap what I did should have worked. Something has changed.

Marriage is perhaps expected and unquestionable.  Anything else invites scrutiny but if one has the relevent 'law' in hand to support the change of name, then it is a matter for others if they choose to deny you your rights.

[lisagurl]

I can't get credit in my new name because there is no official file in that name

Start with a bank account. Then change you utilities to your new name. Then you can get a credit card as well as dept store cards. Then an auto loan. Then a mortgage. Your employer will verify you income. When people marry they combine credit histories. Change your name is like starting over even with the same SS number. Your old history will last 7 years.

[JennMW]

After obtaining my legal name change, I changed my bank account and credit cards to my current name, waited a few months then wrote the reporting companies using the links and a letter modified appropriately from above along with my court ordered name change.

I received letters from all three reporting companies and credit reports from two of them within a month. My old name did not appear on them anywhere.

On Jan 31, 2008 I received my first W-2 with my new name on it, so finally decided to go shopping for a house thinking that I had all of my bases covered.

Sure enough I was pre approved for a home loan and made an offer on a house. Much to my surprise, the lender included an US IRS form 4506T in the loan processing packet requesting a transcript of my 2007, 2006 and 2005 tax returns. It had been 16 years since I last purchased a home and I did not recall lenders doing this previously.

I contacted the lender and asked for an exception for this request, I'll hear back from them this next week. If they don't grant the exception, I'll either have to wait three more years or grant their request.

Just goes to prove, it is damn near impossible to cover ALL of the bases!

Jennifer

[MaggieB]

After obtaining my legal name change, I changed my bank account and credit cards to my current name, waited a few months then wrote the reporting companies using the links and a letter modified appropriately from above along with my court ordered name change.

I received letters from all three reporting companies and credit reports from two of them within a month. My old name did not appear on them anywhere.


Jennifer

I did this too. I called one of them and they indicated that unless a creditor reports the new name, they will not change it even if there is a court order, change in SSA records and DL. They say public records will do it but they have been done too and no change. They also said that they will always list my old name as an AKA. The only thing I can possibly get is to have my new name added to my record. One did say that if I contacted every creditor I have ever had whether they are in business or not, and get them to report, then they might remove my old name.  Imagine how absurd that is! Asking some bank where I had a credit card years ago to even find my records, let alone have them report it!

My problem is that I am self employed and have no credit cards or debts. I have my bank accounts in my new name as well as several of my utility bills.  None will report to the credit agencies!

I contacted Andrea James and she wrote that I should apply for a new bank account or ask my bank to make a report to the agencies.  I don't want to do that because I will have to explain and out myself. 

Darn frustrating!

Maggie

[sd]

Start a new bank account at another bank, do what you have to do. Once everything is done, close it. Yes you would be outed, but its not in a place you regularly do business with and odds are they would quickly forget about you. Also talk to a manager or someone higher up, not a normal teller, this at least keeps it a little more discreet.

You may have to bite the bullet though at talk to a manager at your bank, and get them to report it, or have them issue you a credit card. If you have been there a while most will give you one no questions asked. I am also self employed and they almost begged me to take a card, of course they are begging me to take every option with it they can sell me now.

Or how about taking out a small personal loan from them. Not spend it, and pay it all back early.

Either of these should effect your credit.