About CountrywideCredit.com

CountrywideCredit.com is offered by Countrywide Home Loans a division of Countrywide Bank, FSB, along with Experian® and First USA. CountrywideCredit.com offers credit tools and calculators, mortgage rewards credit card, and a comprehensive credit learning center to help educate consumers on credit-related topics.

Credit Articles

The Credit Articles section offers comprehensive information on credit-related topics. Find out how your credit history can impact your credit score and how to you can get a copy of your credit report. Learn how you can help prevent identity theft and more.

Credit & Mortgages

If you’re looking for a home loan start by learning how credit can impact the type of home loans that may be available to you. Learn about the different types of mortgages and refinance products, discover the keys to a successful loan process, learn how you can control your mortgage payment and more.

Countrywide Rewards^SM Platinum Visa^® Card

The Countrywide Rewards Platinum Visa Card turns everyday purchases into extraordinary rewards. Why settle for any credit card when you can have one which can actually help you pay down your mortgage principal balance. Click here to learn more about the Countrywide Rewards Platinum Visa Card.

Credit Reports

Your credit score is an important financial asset. Whether you’re applying for a car loan or a home loan, lenders will most likely consider the credit score as part of their decision making process. If you’re shopping for a loan, start by learning about your credit score. Find out how you can use Experian’s credit score and daily credit monitor to stay on top of your credit.

Calculators & Tools

Use the credit tools and calculators to help estimate your debt, analyze your credit risk and more. Want to estimate how much money you may be able to save by consolidating your debt? Want to learn how lenders may analyze your credit risk? Take the credit analyzer quiz, download podcasts and interactive workbooks on credit-related topics, use our FREE calculators and more.

Experian Contact Information

We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions.

If you’re looking for an answer to a frequently asked question, please check out our FAQ section!

For all other questions, please feel free to call, email or write us using the contact information below.

Phone
Call toll free: 866-369-0422

Monday through Friday 6:00am - 6:00pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm (Pacific Time).

Email
creditguardhelp@experiandirect.com

Postal Mail
Experian Customer Care Team
PO Box 19729
Irvine, CA 92623-9729

NOTE - To achieve the highest level of privacy and security for email and postal mail communications, please do not include your Social Security number or personal account numbers in your message.

Monitor Your Credit with Triple Advantage from Experian®

Triple Advantage credit monitoring helps you stay on top of your credit and helps protect against identity theft. With instances of credit card fraud and identity theft continuing to rise at alarming rates, actively monitoring your credit can be your first line of defense against identity theft.

Sign up for your free 30-day trial of Triple Advantage today to begin taking control of your credit. With Triple Advantage, you get:

• FREE credit report and credit score just for signing up
• Daily monitoring of your Experian®, Equifax® and TransUnion® credit reports
• Unlimited access to your Experian Credit Report and PLUS Score so you can view your credit file.
• Access to fraud resolution representatives who will assist you if you are a victim of identity theft.
• An online dispute resolution resource helps you correct possible inaccuracies on your Experian credit file.
• Access to online credit resources including calculators, credit articles, and more!

Sign up for your Triple Advantage membership today at the low monthly rate of just $9.95 per month.

Check Your Credit Score Before You Apply for a Loan

Why should you check your credit score? Your credit score is one of the factors that lenders use to determine whether or not to extend credit and the rates they’ll charge you for borrowing. A high credit score often translates to lower interest rates when you borrow. If you’re thinking about applying for a loan, your credit score can help you evaluate your full financial picture. By finding out your credit score, you can research the rates available to you and use that information to negotiate with lenders.

How can you find out your credit score?

While you can get a credit report for free, you’ll need to pay to find out your credit score. Keep in mind that each credit bureau offers its own version of your credit score.

Experian® offers a range of products that offer credit scores in addition to credit reports and daily monitoring. Learn how you can get a FREE copy of your Experian® credit report and credit score with Triple Advantage.

• Your credit score is based on information on your credit report.
• Check to make sure that your credit report does not contain any errors. Inaccuracies in a credit report can impact on your credit score.
• If you find errors in your credit report, you can contact the credit reporting company and dispute the inaccuracies.

Credit Bureaus: Who are they?

The three biggest credit reporting companies – also called credit bureaus – are:

• Experian®
• Equifax®
• TransUnion®

Experian®, Equifax® and TransUnion® use credit scoring models to evaluate and score the information in an individual’s credit report.

Even though the three credit bureaus use similar formulas to calculate a credit score, you can have different credit scores from each one. It depends on how complete, accurate and up-to-date each of the credit reporting company’s information about you is.

Credit Bureaus and Credit Reports

Credit bureaus keep track of a person’s entire credit history. For instance, if you obtained a credit card as a college student in 1985, the credit bureaus would have that information.

Who’s interested in your credit report?

• Banks and other potential lenders gather information from credit reporting companies to help them decide whether or not to extend credit to potential borrowers.
• Insurance companies use credit reports to make decisions about who to insure and at what price.
• Employers often use information from the credit reporting companies to help make hiring decisions on potential candidates.

Credit bureaus and free credit reports

You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report:

1. If you’ve been turned down for a loan, insurance policy, or a job because of credit.
2. Under federal law – The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT) – all U.S. residents are entitled to one free credit report from each of the 3 credit bureaus. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to find out how you can get a free copy of your credit report.

Remember: Nobody’s perfect. Not the credit bureaus, or borrowers. But if you arm yourself with information, you can help credit reporting companies see you for the responsible person you really are.

About Credit Reports

Credit reports provide a detailed record of an individual’s borrowing and repaying history. Lending institutions use these credit reports to determine an individual’s interest rate and borrowing capabilities.

What’s in a credit report?

Credit reports are produced by 3 credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (also known as credit reporting companies) – and include:

• Personally Identifying Information – your social security number, current and previous addresses and employment history
• A summary of the number and types of accounts and whether they are in good standing
• Payment history for each account
• Details of accounts turned over for collection action
• Information about past bankruptcy or judgments
• Inquiries made by lenders or other institutions about your credit report

If you have found errors in your credit report, there are ways to correct them. Your credit report provides information on correcting errors in your file.

Taking control of your credit report and reputation

The information on credit reports is used to calculate a credit score. Lenders use the credit score to make decisions about extending credit. It’s important to keep track of the information in your credit report to make sure there are no errors. According to research by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, 79% of credit reports contain at least one error-which you have the right to correct.

Credit reports can be free!

Thanks to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT), U.S. residents are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three U.S. credit bureaus.

There are several ways to access your free credit report:

1. On the web: www.annualcreditreport.com
2. By phone: 1-877-322-8228
3. Completing the form in the Annual Credit Request brochure and mailing it to:

   Annual Credit Report Request Service
   P.O. Box 105281
   Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

If you’ve been turned down for a loan, credit card, insurance policy or job due to a negative credit report, you’re also entitled to a free credit report from the credit bureau. So, if you want lenders to see you for the responsible person you really are, be sure you have a credit report that reflects the real you!

Contact Us – Contact Information for Countrywide Home Loans, Experian, First USA and Countrywide Bank

We Welcome Your Questions, Comments and Suggestions

If you’re looking for an answer to a frequently asked question about credit related products, please check out Experian’sFAQ section!

For all other questions, please feel free to call, email or write us using the contact information below.

NOTE - To achieve the highest level of privacy and security for email and postal mail communications, please do not include your Social Security number or personal account numbers in your message.

About CountrywideCredit.com

CountrywideCredit.com is offered by Countrywide Home Loans a division of Countrywide Bank, FSB, along with Experian® and First USA. CountrywideCredit.com offers credit tools and calculators, mortgage rewards credit card, and a comprehensive credit learning center to help educate consumers on credit-related topics.

About Countrywide

Founded in 1969, Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) – America’s #1 home loan lender – (as ranked for 2006 by Inside Mortgage Finance, Feb. 2, 2007, Copyright 2007), is a member of the S&P 500 and Fortune 500. Countrywide is a diversified financial services firm primarily focused on real estate finance and related activities. Through its family of companies, Countrywide provides mortgage banking, capital markets, global operations and insurance, in domestic and international markets. The company is headquartered in Calabasas, California and has a workforce of more than 50,000 with over 900 offices. For more information about the company, visit Countrywide’s Web site at www.countrywide.com.

About Countrywide Bank

Countrywide Bank®, FSB is part of the Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) family of companies and a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Countrywide Bank was launched on May 17, 2001, following the acquisition of Treasury Bank by CFC. Treasury Bank has been serving customers with competitive rates on deposit products since it was chartered in August 1990.

Unlike most traditional banks, Countrywide Bank focuses on providing customers what they value most - more interest on their accounts. By keeping overhead low, Countrywide Bank is able to pass substantial cost savings on to customers in the form of high rates on CDs and other saving products. Countrywide Bank’s unique business model is helping consumers get more for their money.

Countrywide Bank customers benefit from the stability, dependability and high-quality customer service upon which Countrywide has built its well-regarded reputation as a diversified financial services provider and a national leader in helping millions of American families realize the dream of homeownership. The company prides itself on giving customers what they truly care about:

• Highly competitive rates
• Easy access to their accounts via the financial center, an internet site (www.countrywidebank.com), and a toll-free customer care center (1-800-283-8875)
• Friendly and informed financial representatives ready to help customers achieve their financial goals.

About Experian

Experian is a leading national credit reporting company with offices worldwide. Millions of consumers rely on Experian’s credit services for their financial management needs. As part of the Experian family, ConsumerInfo.com, Inc. continues to develop innovative products to help consumers better understand and manage their credit. It is now the leading provider of online consumer credit reports and scores, credit monitoring, and other credit-related information. Consumerinfo provides credit monitoring to its more than 3.1 million members and has delivered more than 20 million credit reports on the web.

Experian is a global leader in providing analytical and information services to organizations and consumers to help manage the risk and reward of commercial and financial decisions. We employ more than 12,500 people in over 32 countries, supporting clients in more than 60 countries. Annual sales are in excess of $3.1 billion (£1.7bn, €2.5bn). Experian Group Limited is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE-100 index. Our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland and we have operational headquarters in Costa Mesa, California and Nottingham, UK.

About First USA

First USA, the agent banking division of Chase Bank USA, N.A., is the outsourced credit card provider for leading retail banks, mortgage firms, investment and insurance companies. Utilizing the First USA brand with Chase’s credit card expertise, First USA provides other Financial Institutions with a world-class credit card program that incorporates each partner’s individual brand and culture. Issuing credit cards on behalf of other Financial Institutions since 1987, First USA’s partner-branch network represents over 3,000 retail touch points. Chase Bank USA, N.A. is a division of JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM).