Having a good credit score is important for getting established financially. It affects a customer’s ability to buy a home, get approved for loans, and acquire insurance. Identity theft and credit card fraud are on the rise, and they can significantly decrease one’s credit score if left unchecked. Horizon Banks is committed to making sure all of its members know how to protect themselves from becoming victims, and one of the most effective ways to do this is through credit monitoring.
Credit monitoring programs like Horizon’s CreditAdvisor alert subscribers to credit changes, hard inquiries, or new accounts opened under their name. It allows for the easy identification of fraudulent activity and identity theft by monitoring reports from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. If suspicious activity is detected, users will be alerted via text, email, or phone call so that they can take action.
Credit monitoring can benefit anyone and everyone. The elderly are common targets for identity theft and credit fraud, but people in their 20s are almost twice as likely to lose money as their seniors. Military personnel are common targets, especially those who are deployed and may not have easy access to their accounts. Even children are targeted for identity theft since they are issued Social Security Numbers at birth. Once victimized, the chances of being targeted again increase.
On top of helping protect a customer, credit monitoring is also effective at helping increase their credit score. Part of monitoring a credit score includes looking for inaccuracies that might affect credit. Additionally, knowing what’s on a credit report and how the score is calculated can help customers make specific adjustments to their spending to improve their score.
Horizon Bank has made it easier than ever to stay on top of credit with CreditAdvisor. The credit monitoring program is available to any Horizon Bank member for free with Horizon’s online banking and provides members with daily access to their credit score, a credit score simulator, real-time credit monitoring alerts, and more. It helps customers be financially successful and safe.
Horizon Bank is dedicated to keeping its customers safe through education and the implementation of protective services like CreditAdvisor. Whether you’ve been building credit for your entire life or are just starting out, credit monitoring can do nothing but help.
For more information on Horizon Bank and its CreditAdvisor service, visit its website here.