Free Credit Report

Most people are familiar with the term credit report but not everyone has a clear picture of exactly what a credit report it is. Your credit report can be viewed as a report card of your financial and credit activities. You are “graded” on your payment timeliness and credit activity. The fewer late payments you have made and the fewer delinquent accounts you have, the better your grade will be. Your credit score is basically a cumulative grade of your credit report. It is important to know what is on your credit report to ensure that your credit activity is being reported correctly.

But unlike a regular report card, you will not receive a copy of your credit report unless you request one. There is more than one way to go about when requesting a copy of your credit report. For a fee, you can receive a copy directly from one of the major credit bureaus. Or you can obtain a free copy from one of the many companies available on the Internet. There are many reputable companies that will provide you with a copy of your credit report completely free of charge. Visit www.credit-report-credit-score.com to learn more about credit reports and how to get a free copy of your credit report.

Some people may be a little skeptical about requesting a copy of their free credit report and may wonder if it is as good as a copy that you would pay for. But rest assured that a free credit report contains the exact same information that you would receive if you had paid for a copy directly from the credit bureaus.

You may be wondering why would companies provide you with a free copy of your credit report and is there a catch? Most companies that will grant you a free copy of your credit report require that you sign up for a credit monitoring service of some sort. But as long as you cancel the service before the free trial period ends, then you never pay a penny and still get to keep your free credit report. However, there are some really good credit services out there if you choose to keep the service. Many people have greatly improved their credit situation with these types of services. So make sure that you know all of the benefits before canceling a credit service that may accompany your free credit report.

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About The Author

This article was written by Beth Pardue who has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry assisting clients with assorted financial needs. To learn more about credit reports or to get a free credit report online please visit: http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com

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There are three kinds of people when it comes to credit scores. The first
group of people can tell you exactly what their credit score is because they
check it religiously. The second group of people has a vague idea of what their
credit score is, but they aren’t too worried because they generally pay their
bills on time and don’t exceed their credit limits. The third group of people
has no idea what their credit score is other than knowing it’s probably pretty
bad, and they feel it would simply be better to not know.

Eventually, people from all three groups walk into a car dealership with the
intent of purchasing a new car, and one of the first things the dealer will do
is pull a credit report. The dealer is looking to establish what sort of
interest rate will be available to each particular person, because a credit
score basically defines if a buyer is a good financial risk or a dangerous one.

A credit score is comprised of many factors, including past and present payment
histories, credit balances in relation to available credit, and the amount of
credit available. The reason why it is important to keep a high credit score is
because it is these people who are offered the best interest rates. The 0%
financing offers which are so widely publicized by dealerships are actually only
available to a minority of buyers whose credit is immaculate. Everyone else gets
offered a higher interest rate, and, for some with poor credit, these rates can
be up into the double digits.

This is why it is so important to not only know what your credit score is, but
to keep close tabs on your financial health. A couple of missed payments can
damage your credit score considerably and may wind up adding hundreds of dollars
in finance charges to a high interest car loan. Having a high credit score will
pay off when financing a new car.

To see a list of recommended lenders for a
car finance loan, or
to get a free on
line credit report, visit ABC Loan Guide.

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Christmas (yes I said the ‘C’ word — Ho! Ho! Ho!) is just around the corner and consumer spending is once again at an all time high. For those of you that are struggling from the effects of bad credit the holiday season offers a small window of opportunity which, if acted upon, could open many possibilities for you in the New Year.

People often ask me why the holidays are the best time to repair their credit. Well, I have a theory. In preparation for the flood of holiday credit applications creditors shift gears and temporarily transfer dispute resolution staff to other divisions to handle the unusually high volume of new business. Being that the creditors make much more money increasing their customer base it seems understandable that they justify slacking off in the dispute department for a month or so each year. This temporary trend allows for your disputes to go unanswered which results in the items being deleted.

Another more obvious reason is that the holiday season is a time of vacation, cheer, forgiveness, charity and new beginnings. This combination tips the scales in your favor in a measurable way. It is common knowledge among credit professionals that this time of the year is perfect for disputing credit items on your credit report. The law states that if you dispute something on your credit report the credit bureaus have thirty days in which to verify that the item is valid or remove it. The vision of an understaffed creditor’s office with phones ringing off the hook and overworked employees surfing the net for last minute gift comes to mind. Your chances are great.

Now comes the hard part. Where do you start? Allow me to point you in the right direction. While each major credit bureau (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) has online disputing methods we have found them to be more trouble than they are worth, often taking hours to dredge through and providing dismal results when you do. Besides, you want a paper trail and return receipt snail mail is still the only way. What we recommend you do is obtain an inexpensive how to book or even better, an e-book with templates and devote an hour to doing it yourself. We have one featured at our website (link below) that is a 1,2,3, kit designed to have you finished in about an hour.

You may also choose to pay money for a company to assist you. This is also a good option. There are many reputable credit repair companies online. Before you do that and commit to $50 to $100 per month for twelve to eighteen months do yourself a favor and check out how easy it is to do it yourself.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Copyright December 2005, yourcreditcures.com, USA

Tad MacPherson is a credit specialist with years of experience assisting consumers with repairing, restoring and reestablishing their credit. Get free advice and valuable credit tools at http://www.yourcreditcures.com.
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