Question - Everything "official" (like my ss card, driver's license, bank accounts, credit cards, everything) is listed under my real legal name. But I've gone by a nickname since I was a baby and when I recently signed up for a new checking acct. I decided to use that nickname. It makes it easier for me since everyone knows by the nickname. Now, I'm also about to get a license in a new state and was thinking of using my nickname. Would all of this help or hurt me in terms of credit issues? Like, when I dispute as not me, would them having a name that's different from what wuould be on my new license be a problem for them. Would is just confuse things and make my life more difficult? I can still use the real name on my driver's license and change my bank account and check card if need be. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
AS FAR AS I KNOW...you can ONLY use your "BIRTH" name (or MARRIED NAME)...on a DRIVER'S LICENSE or STATE ID CARD...
I use my nickname a lot (about 80% of the time). It started about 18 years ago when I used my nick name for magazine subscriptions and then I would receive (at that time) credit card preapprovals with the nick name. So my mags, checking account, credit cards, email at work and other things have my nickname listed. My driver's license is correct and my mortgage is my correct, but at lot of other business is done in my nick name/shortened name. Only rare occasions can it be a hassle or overly dramatic. A not so funny example, A little less than a month after September 11, 2001 I flew to the East Coast. I made my reservations online and it was an E ticket. I make my plane reservations in the name of whatever credit card I used online. Getting there was ok. I was running late for my return flight from Baltimore and got to the counter and forgot which name I had used for my reservations. I gave one name then gave the other. NOT GOOD That was not the time for me to be absent minded. So my driver's license did not MATCH perfectly to the name on the ticket but luckly my car registration is my nick name also and all of my different ids do have the same address.
I don't think that it should be a big deal regarding disputing. They go by your SSN most of the time anyway. You should just pick that one name and stick with it. That's what I had to do. I went by my middle name for years and then when I was 17 I started going by my first name and have used it since then. One thing to watch out for are the AKA's on the credit report. You may get a whole bunch of names on there.
In CA, you can change your NAme ( last name, first name) anytime as many time, they just ask you to sign a paper stating that you are not doing anything ilegal(A friend of my had them changed 6 time in 10 years!!). Why? I dont know either,
