Using Time Wisely

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Vehicles: Miscellaneous – Incident Reports

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Hidden Horsham)

The end is in sight. Only one more week before concluding the important documents housed in file box 1. Last week, we began the twelfth file opening and covered our driving records. This week, we continue adding miscellaneous vehicle documents to this file slot.

Incident Reports

Included in this file is a copy of a police report from vandalism to one of our vehicles. Though we did not submit a claim or receive any response from the police department, I keep the record in the event we need it in the future.

This incident report is placed behind our set of driving record documents. And next week, I will conclude the last set of documents housed in this file and in this box of important documents. Until next week, keep on organizing!

Question: Have you had to file a police report relating to your vehicle? Please add your answer to the comments.

Vehicles: Miscellaneous – Older Documents

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Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

You made it! Here we are at the last step in organizing our important documents for this first file box. I hope your file is progressing as you keep using your time wisely to get organized.

In this twelfth and last file opening in our box 1 of important documents, I currently have our driving records and incident reports. The last set of documents in this file opening relates to old vehicle paperwork.

Closed Loan Paperwork

Having paid off our car loan for our current vehicle, I have all the original paperwork stapled together, including the letter from our lender stating our loan is paid in full. If I have any issues regarding our clear title at the time we choose to sell this vehicle, I will be able to easily access these documents.

Documentation from Prior Vehicle

Having purchased this car, used it, and then sold it, we kept both bills of sale, copies of the titles, and proof of insurance for this vehicle. If we need to prove that the vehicle is no longer in our possession, I have these dated documents as evidence.

Documentation from Totaled Vehicle

When our vehicle was involved in a hard-hit fender bender, our car was totaled. I keep in this file our original bill of sale, our loan paperwork, the notes from the accident, the proof of the loan paid in full, the bill of sale to the insurance company, and a copy of the check from the insurance company. Should we need to access this information, these documents are housed in this file slot.

Documentation from Trade-In Vehicle

We had purchased a vehicle, used it, and then traded it in to a dealer when we purchased our next vehicle. This packet of documents includes the original bill of sale, copy of the title, and bill of sale to the dealership. These documents are stapled together and included in this set of miscellaneous documents.

All four of these stapled packets of older documents are paper clipped together and housed behind the incident reports in this last file opening in my box 1 of important documents. Wow, this box is now complete!

As you add the final documents to this file, you will have a completed file! Congratulations on getting your important documents gathered, organized, and filed in one location. Enjoy the moment! Now when you need a document from this file, you will know exactly where it is located. Great job using time wisely! What an accomplishment!

Question: Did you finish organizing your first box of important documents? If so, leave me a comment, so I can congratulate you personally!

2012: First Credit Report Update

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Dan Eriksson)

By checking your credit reports, you can verify correct information and current accounts. With identity theft on the rise, taking initiative to check your reports from the three credit bureaus will alert you to any new, unauthorized accounts.

If you are following my recommended schedule for requesting your credit reports, then check the date of your last credit report.

Be sure to wait at least one year from the date of your last report. If you make a second request within one year, you will be charged for the second request. When you ask for your new report after last year’s report date, your new report will be free. 🙂

In using time wisely, I request our reports every 4 months. This month, I requested Paul’s Experian report and my TransUnion report. Though the request options include web site and mail, my preference is by phone. Our reports will arrive by mail on the official letterhead within 2 weeks.

When the reports are in hand, I will do the following:

  • Put file box away until June’s credit check

Running the free credit reports keeps you informed of your active accounts and alerts you to any authorized new accounts. To protect your identity, request your credit reports on a rotating schedule. Happy organizing!

Question: Which credit scores will you request?

Credit Score: Update on Quizzle (Free Experian Report)

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Back on March 13, 2011, I shared this post about Quizzle. In this post, I indicated that you would be charged a fee if you requested your credit report from Quizzle after requesting your free report from AnnualCreditReport.com.

Well, I am not sure if I was wrong initially, or if Quizzle has changed their service. Either way, that post needs this update.

After requesting our reports in February and receiving them, I went to Quizzle to run a free Experian credit score. To get the credit score, Quizzle requested that I update the credit report. A red flag raised in my thought process and stopped me in my tracks. I did not want to be charged, so I did some research. The best information I found was in these two paragraphs on Quizzle:

Quizzle Provides a Totally Free Credit Report & Free Credit Score.

We give you a full and free Experian credit report and a free CE credit score. We foot the bill for these freebies because we believe that you should have access to all the most important information about, well, YOU!

What’s in it for us, you may ask? In addition to some helpful freebies we give you – credit report, credit score, home value estimator, home loan recommendations, budget planner and expert personal finance advice – we’ll also offer some important home, money and credit services to you at a low price. That’s how we make our money. However, any tools, products or services we may offer are 100 percent optional and we’ll never sell your private information.

There’s No Catch. Really & Truly. No Spam, No Unwanted Phone Calls, No Trials or Subscriptions You Don’t Want.

We’re trained to believe that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But that doesn’t mean that everything that’s free has a catch attached to it.

Before my dad signed up for Quizzle, he asked me if he would get a bunch of spam in his email inbox when he registered. It’s a smart question to ask, but for goodness sake, my own father?! Look, I get it. I’m skeptical of “free” too. But I PROMISE we will not spam you. We have a few helpful email alerts we offer — like reminders when you’re eligible for your new free credit report and score (every six months) and when a new home loan program becomes available that may save you money (based on the criteria you set) — but they’re completely optional. You can turn them on or off at anytime.

With this information in writing, I updated the credit report and was not assessed a fee. Then the credit score ran using the new information from the updated credit report. Because Quizzle is a consumer-requested pull on your credit report, your score will not decrease nor will other entities see this inquiry. The best part, you can check both your Experian credit report and credit score for free every 6 months.

If you dispute any errors with Experian, you can check your credit report and score in 6 months to verify that the changes are permanent. Also, if you have any changes after requesting your Experian credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com, you can recheck your report and score through Quizzle before next year.

In an effort to keep the information presented on Using Time Wisely correct and timely, I decided to update this Quizzle information as soon as possible. Having completed the Tax-Favored programs category last week, I chose today before jumping into the prescriptions category. But come next week, I will return to organize our insurance documents. In using time wisely, use this week to catch up. Happy organizing!

Question: Have you used Quizzle to check your credit report or credit score? If not, what is holding you back? 

2012: Second Credit Report Update

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2012 Credit report update

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Dan Eriksson)

Thank you for a great week of What do you think? comments and opinions. I loved Shannon’s tip on air-drying her clothes, and Jen’s comment on trying a no electricity family night.

Thanks for reading Using Time Wisely and participating in the community of saving money, energy, and time.

With the Olympics in full swing, I know you are busy enjoying these special moments with your family. As you celebrate with these athletes, take a few moments to keep up your important documents file by requesting your second credit report of 2012.

If you are following my recommended schedule for requesting your credit reports, then check your previous year’s credit report. Wait at least one year since your last request to acquire your credit report for free.

In using time wisely, I request our reports every 4 (or 5) months. Oops! I got a little sidetracked this summer and requested our reports this past week. I requested Paul’s Equifax report and my Experian report.

Though the credit report request options include web site and mail, my preference is by phone. I already received Paul’s report on official Equifax letterhead, but mine has not arrived yet. When both reports arrive, I will do the following:

1. Review for errors,

2. Challenge discrepancies,

3. Run a free Experian credit score for Tracy,

4. Replace last year’s reports with these accurate reports with score in the first file slot of Box 1 of my important documents, and

5. Put file box away until October’s credit check.

Running the free credit reports keeps you informed of your active accounts and alerts you to any unauthorized new accounts. To protect your identity, request your credit reports on a rotating schedule while using time wisely. Happy requesting while watching your favorite Olympians!

Question: Which Olympic event is a must-see at your home?