Dell Inc, the computer company, has reached a settlement with 34 states to pay $1.5 million to their citizens who qualify.  The agreement came from consumer complaints about the company’s rebate offers, technical support, repair policies, and financing promotions.

These are the states that participated in the agreement with Dell: AZ, AR, CA, CT, DE, FL, IL, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, WA, WV, VT, and WI.

If your state is on this list and you bought Dell goods or services between April 1, 2005 and April 13, 2009, you may want to see if you are eligible for part of the settlement.  Go to your state’s Attorney General’s website and search for “dell settlement”. 

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH GOOD CREDIT?
Great question.  The answer is: nothing directly. 

However, if you are able to get some extra money, it may help your family’s budget and avoid late payments, which are the biggest part of your credit score.  Or you may be able to pay down a credit card balance, helping your Utilization Ratio which could help your scores grow.  It may be the cash you need for the new tires so you don’t have to charge them on a credit card.  Or it may be the starter money for your Smart Fund, to help with unexpected expenses in the future.  All of these actions can help you get better credit scores.

Check out the claim info and submit yours BEFORE April 13, 2009.  For more credit building information, you can subscribe to updates with the link on the right under Sites.