Free Credit Report

If you’ve ever applied for a credit card or loan, you’ve probably had
your credit report reviewed by the lender. Your credit report has a huge impact on your financial future, so it’s well worth your time to be sure that you understand what your credit report says about you. Even if you’re not interested in obtaining credit, your credit report can impact other areas of your life. Potential employers view your credit report to assess your trustworthiness as an employee. Landlords frequently check the credit reports of their tenants before allowing them to sign or renew their lease.

So whether you knew it or not, your credit report can have a major impact on
your quality of life. With this said I’m sure you can now see that there is a
benefit to obtaining and then verifying that the information on your credit
report is accurate and true.

You can request copies of your report from the three major credit bureaus:
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit
Reporting Act requires each of these national consumer-reporting companies to
provide you with a yearly free copy of your credit report upon your request.

Basically, your credit report is a summary of how you pay your bills; repay
loans; how much credit you have available; what your monthly debts are; and
other types of information that can help a prospective lender decide if you are
a good credit risk.

Your credit report is made up of several sections. The first section contains
personal identifying information such as your name, current and previous
addresses, social security number, telephone number, birth date, and your
current and previous employers.

Your bill paying history with banks, retail stores, finance companies,
mortgage companies, and others who have granted you credit is one of the most
important parts of your credit report. Public records that might indicate your
credit worthiness, such as tax liens, court judgments, and bankruptcies are also
included in the section detailing your credit history.

Your credit report includes a comprehensive listing of all credit granters
and other individuals who have received a copy of your credit report. In
addition, lists of companies that have received your name and address in order
to offer you credit are also included in your credit report.

Most credit bureaus allow both the consumer and the creditor to make
statements if there is a dispute about something on the report. If applicable,
your credit report will include these dispute statements.

Your credit report does not include bank account balances, race, religion,
health, criminal records, driving records, or annual income. You’ve probably
heard about a FICO credit score as well. Credit scores are based on formulas
that use the information in your report, but they’re not considered part of
your credit report.

Problems with your credit report will result in you either being denied
credit or receiving a higher interest rate. Red flags on your credit report
include excessive applications for additional credit, a short credit history, a
high debt ratio, and late payments to previous creditors. In most cases,
negative information will stay on your report for seven years. However,
bankruptcy information stays on your credit report for ten years.

To help improve your credit report, always remember to close unused accounts,
pay your bills on time, never use all of your available credit, and don’t
apply for unnecessary credit.

If you would like to get more free
credit report information you can visit our website which contains many credit
report resources. http://www.my-credit-report.info

This article is copyright 2005, but can be freely reprinted, as long as no
changes are made, including hyperlinks.

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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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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published “as is” (unedited) and all URL’s are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.

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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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Many consumers understand the value of regularly monitoring their
credit reports. Identity theft affects millions annually. Furthermore,
credit report errors can result in credit card or loan denials. Sadly, many
people do not take the necessary precautions to safeguard their credit.
There are many ways to protect our credit. To begin, you should make a
habit of checking your report every six months.

The Purpose of Personal Credit Reports

A consumer’s credit worthiness is judged by information included in
their credit report. When applying for any type of credit, lenders will
review your credit score or full report. Credit scores are often reviewed
by retailers and lenders that offer instant credit. However, if you are
hoping to obtain a major credit card, auto loan, or mortgage, the
lender will request a detail copy of your report.

Credit reports include information such as number of credit accounts,
balances, past due accounts, judgments, collection accounts, etc. Based
on the information, a lender will determine whether you qualify for a
loan. Individuals with several negative remarks, or credit report
errors, have a lower chance of getting approved.

Why Check Your Credit Report Online?

Checking your free credit report online is the first step to protecting
your credit rating. It does not take long for someone to steal your
identity. Within a few weeks, a crook may have attained several credit
accounts in your name; and these accounts will appear on your credit
report.

Moreover, creditors make mistakes. For example, a creditor may have
failed to report a past due balance that was paid in full. By checking
your credit report every six months, you will be able to detect suspicious
activity and resolve inaccuracies. For double credit protection,
subscribe to a credit monitoring service. For a low monthly fee, these
services notify consumers whenever new credit accounts are opened in their
name.

Conveniently Reviewing Your Online Credit Report

Checking your credit report online is free and convenient. Various
websites offer free credit reports. Simply verify information such as your
name, address, social security number, and within minutes you are able
to gain access to your report. Reports are easy to read and viewable
for a month.

Get a
Free
Credit Report online.

View our recommended sources for
Credit Repair.

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