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What to do? Well get your report
ASAP, of course! The first thing to understand is that
there are three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax,
and TransUnion) and they all keep slightly different records on
their reports, so to be thorough, you need to get all three of your credit
reports.
The 3-in-1 Report
The easiest way to get all three together is in a 3-in-1 report. You can get one of these reports from any of the three agencies and the prices range from about $24 to $49, depending on what "extras" you get. Most of the "extras" are just moneymakers for the credit reporting agencies and are not necessary to see what's on your report.
The only "extra" I would recommend getting is your FICO score for each report. This is typically known as your "credit score" and is used by a lot of credit grantors in deciding whether to offer you a loan. Most credit reports with scores will show you where you fit it to the national average and what factors led to the determination of your score.
Here are links to 2 of the most common sites to get your 3-in-1 report: Truecredit or MyFico
The 3-in-1 reports are a convenient an easy way to see all three reports side-by-side on one page, and make it easy to identify troublesome entries on each one. A good place to get all three reports is at www.myfico.com. The site is run my Fair Isaac & Co. and they can combine all three reports into one to give you a better picture of how lenders see you. I've have good success with them. You can also get a 3-in-1 report from www.truecredit.com, which is where my wife has been getting her 3-in1 report.
Another important note:
| Given the rise of identity theft, reviewing your credit report at least once a year is a good way to reveal any attempts to steal your identity. |
Get Your Free Credit Report at
Annualcreditreport.com
If the 3-in-1 is not in your budget, you can always opt for the free reports at www.annualcreditreport.com. Thanks to recent federal legislation, you can get all three of your reports every year at no cost. Get all the details here, as well as my review of my experience getting my reports thru the site.
To contact the Credit Reporting Agencies directly, here are the links to the big 3:
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Learn how getting good credit can help your life.
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maintain a great credit score
Here are a bunch of tips and suggestions that will put your
score at the top and keep it there.
Learn valuable information
about credit reports
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How to avoid credit repair scams
By knowing what's out there, you can save yourself a ton of
money, headaches and time. Picking the right credit repair
strategy is critical to your financial future.
Improve your
credit score by disputing items on your credit report
By disputing erroneous, inaccurate and
unverifiable entries on your report, you can drastically improve
your score and save hundreds and even thousands of dollars in
interest.
A common question - Is
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Read my thoughts on the legal and
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Get your free Annual
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Read my review of
www.annualcreditreport.com and learn how to get your reports
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Do It Yourself Credit
Repair
Remove unwanted marks
by disputing them yourself. By applying some basic
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Playing the Balance Transfer Game
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Personal Money Management Basics
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Did You Know... |
49% of adults, and 66% of US high school students got F's on a national test on their knowledge of basic economic principles.
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Food for Thought... |
"I'd rather go to bed without supper than rise in debt."
-Ben Franklin.
