Friday 30 March 2012

Be Proactive And Get A Copy Of Your Credit Report

By Cecilia Burke


If you want to have an accurate credit score and report, there is one thing that you must do to assure that this becomes a reality, and that is to regularly request a copy. Credit reports are usually defined as a document that summarizes your financial reliability and many lenders and other entities regularly report your financial performance to credit reporting agencies during the year. You can find out whether all this information is accurate by regularly requesting a copy of your credit report, preferably once or twice a year, and if there may be some inaccuracies contained, it is advisable to be proactive and contest them as soon as possible. Here are tips on how to get a copy of your credit report.

There's Not Just One Credit Report Most everybody would simply say they are getting their "credit report", but while they refer to it in singular form, there are three different agencies that publish their own credit reports. While there are usually quite similar to the information included in the report, sometimes, they can have conflicting information and inaccuracies. To that end, you would want to request a credit report from the three credit bureaus individually. Experian, Equifax and Trans Union are the three major credit reporting agencies.

Requesting a Credit Report is Easy Anybody who wants to view their credit report and get a look at their financial prospectus thus far would definitely want to know that each of the three aforementioned credit reporting agencies are legally mandated to provide consumers with a free credit report once a year. A nominal fee would be required, however, if you prefer to check your report at least twice a year. You can easily request a free credit report by visiting the major 3 credit bureaus web site or calling them directly to request a report.

Requesting a Report is De Rigueur There is indeed great importance in requesting your credit report annually because again, there may be some discrepancies of significance. Mistakes on your credit report can result in the rejection of a mortgage or car loan. If you are planning on making a large purchase it is always a good idea to view your credit report before making your purchase.

Another situation in which requesting a report is needed would be if you suspect that you might have been victimized by identity theft. One way to reduce the damage done by identity theft is to contact the three major credit bureaus and request that any new loans and credit cards that are applied for should first seek proof of identity. One final thing you can do, not only to determine the extent of the damage caused by identity theft but also to reduce its impact, would be to check for any new credit cards or loans in your name once you receive your credit report.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment