Method of on-line credit information monitoring and control

• US 7,970,679 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Kasower, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shaikh; Mohammad Z
• Application Number:
  US12/874,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

The invention is a method of on-line credit information monitoring and control. In detail, the method includes the steps of. 1) accessing the credit information by means of a computer system in a computer network; 2) providing the information to the individual by means of the computer system in the computer network; 3) providing for the individual to request changes in the information; and 4) informing the individual of the completion of the changes in the information.

Claims

1. A system for on-line monitoring and on-line interaction and control of credit information from a credit report of a consumer of credit, the system comprising:

a server computer configured to;

access and retrieve credit information from the credit report of the consumer from a database of a credit reporting bureau that comprises credit information of the consumer as reported to the credit reporting bureau by one or more credit grantors, the retrieved credit information comprising a plurality of credit items, each credit item associated with a specific credit grantor;

provide the retrieved credit information to the consumer in an active itemized format comprising a plurality of active links, each one of said active links being associated with a respective one of the plurality of credit items to provide the consumer the ability to interact with each credit item of the credit information; and

provide the consumer the ability to communicate directly with one of the credit grantors regarding one of the credit items by selecting the active link associated with the credit item.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to compute a credit score of the consumer based upon the credit report.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the server computer is configured to provide the credit report and the credit score to the consumer via the computer.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the server computer is configured to archive the credit report and the credit score.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to access the database of the credit reporting bureau on a periodic basis to obtain credit reports;

and the server computer is configured to determine changes in the credit reports.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the server computer is configured to create an alert based on the changes in the credit reports.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the server computer is configured to provide the alert to the consumer.

8. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the server computer is configured to archive the credit reports.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to allow the consumer to report an identity theft via the system;

the server computer is configured to provide forms to the consumer for reporting identity theft to selected organizations; and

the server computer is configured to receive completed forms from the consumer and provide the completed forms to the selected organizations.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to compute the expected interest rates the consumer should pay for specific types of loans based on a credit score of the consumer;

and

the server computer is configured to provide the expected interest rates to the consumer.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to archive the credit information retrieved from the credit reporting bureau database.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server computer is configured to access the credit information that is archived by the system.

13. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to allow the consumer to log onto the system by computer.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of active links is a plurality of links to report inaccuracies of the credit items.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of credit items is associated with the same credit grantor or with different credit grantors.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of active links is associated with one credit item, and the server computer is configured to generate a form for directly contacting at least one of the credit grantors via mail.

17. A system for on-line monitoring and control of credit information of a consumer of credit, comprising:

a server computer configured to;

allow the consumer to select at least two of the following services offered by the system;

obtaining and tracking credit reports and/or scores;

monitoring credit;

reporting lost credit cards;

identity theft reporting;

calculating hypothetical interest rates that the consumer should pay for specific types of loans based on credit information of the consumer; and

accessing credit information archived by the system; and

provide the consumer the ability to communicate directly with one of a plurality of credit grantors regarding a credit item by selecting an active link associated with the credit item.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server computer is configured to provide credit information of the consumer from a credit information management database to a computer of the consumer based on one of the services selected by the consumer.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the server computer is configured to allow the consumer to request changes in credit information of the consumer directly with one or more credit grantors.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the server computer is configured to access and retrieve credit information comprising a plurality of credit items, each credit item associated with a specific credit grantor, and store the retrieved credit information in a credit information management database;

and

wherein the server computer is configured to obtain credit information from the credit information management database for each of the services offered by the system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the server computer is configured to retrieve the credit information from a database of a credit reporting bureau that comprises credit information of the consumer as reported to the credit reporting bureau by one or more credit grantors.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the server computer is configured to allow the consumer to log onto the system by a computer.

23. A system for on-line monitoring, interaction and control of credit information of a consumer of credit using a credit report of the consumer, the system comprising:

a server computer configured to;

allow the consumer to log onto the system by a computer;

access and retrieve credit information from a credit report of the consumer, from a database of a credit reporting bureau that comprises credit information of the consumer as reported to the credit reporting bureau by credit grantors, the retrieved credit information comprising a plurality of credit items, each credit item associated with a specific credit grantor; and

provide the retrieved credit information to the consumer in an active itemized format comprising a plurality of active links, each of said active links being associated with a respective one of the credit grantors to provide the consumer the ability to initiate contact with the credit grantors regarding the credit items.