Matt Triplett asked:
You can’t fix a problem until you know what it is right. A majority of all Americans have never ordered their own report and half of those have never seen their own report. The scary part about that is according to studies 79% of all credit reports have errors and 25% of those errors are severe enough to deny you credit. So even though you pay all your bills on time every time, there still could be something on your report that isn’t even yours. Even if you have never been denied credit, these errors could be causing you a higher interest rate.
There are 3 major credit reporting agencies in the United States.
Experian Equifax Trans Union
Creditors submit your payment history to 1, 2, or all 3 bureaus each month. So depending on which creditors are reporting to which bureau, you should have 3 different scores. You can usually get a 3-in-1 credit report that shows all 3 bureaus along with an average score from all 3.
There are several ways to get a copy of your credit report. Order each one directly from the bureaus websites. If you have been denied credit recently you are entitled to a free credit report, that you can order from the bureau directly. If you have applied for credit recently from a local creditor, they can give you a copy if they have ordered it. Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com This is a government run website that will give you a free report from each credit bureau each year. Order a 30-day free trial of credit monitoring and get a free copy of your reports with it. Just make sure you cancel with in 30 days or you will be charged for the monitoring.
Some reports are harder to read than others. Usually a 3-in-1 credit report from a monitoring service is more user friendly and better laid out. Now you need to review all the information on your report and make sure it is accurate. This includes all the personal information, inquiries, accounts, former names, former addresses, employment, and so on. Having an accurate report is the best way to assure you a fair judgment on your payment histories.
William
You can’t fix a problem until you know what it is right. A majority of all Americans have never ordered their own report and half of those have never seen their own report. The scary part about that is according to studies 79% of all credit reports have errors and 25% of those errors are severe enough to deny you credit. So even though you pay all your bills on time every time, there still could be something on your report that isn’t even yours. Even if you have never been denied credit, these errors could be causing you a higher interest rate.
There are 3 major credit reporting agencies in the United States.
Experian Equifax Trans Union
Creditors submit your payment history to 1, 2, or all 3 bureaus each month. So depending on which creditors are reporting to which bureau, you should have 3 different scores. You can usually get a 3-in-1 credit report that shows all 3 bureaus along with an average score from all 3.
There are several ways to get a copy of your credit report. Order each one directly from the bureaus websites. If you have been denied credit recently you are entitled to a free credit report, that you can order from the bureau directly. If you have applied for credit recently from a local creditor, they can give you a copy if they have ordered it. Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com This is a government run website that will give you a free report from each credit bureau each year. Order a 30-day free trial of credit monitoring and get a free copy of your reports with it. Just make sure you cancel with in 30 days or you will be charged for the monitoring.
Some reports are harder to read than others. Usually a 3-in-1 credit report from a monitoring service is more user friendly and better laid out. Now you need to review all the information on your report and make sure it is accurate. This includes all the personal information, inquiries, accounts, former names, former addresses, employment, and so on. Having an accurate report is the best way to assure you a fair judgment on your payment histories.
William
