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Free Credit Reports

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 2 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #19954 in How-To, #198527 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

Why Should You Check Your Credit Report?

It is a good idea to check your credit report regularly. It is essential if you want to fix bad credit, or you just want to know what your credit history looks like. Viewing your credit report gives you an idea of what a lender will see the next time you apply for a loan or mortgage.

Getting a Free Credit Report 

Usually you can still get a free copy of your credit report if you have been recently turned down for credit.

When this happens, you receive a letter that explains why you were refused and the credit bureau used, and how to contact them to get a free report.

The three major credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Some may have more information than others and it's possible that one of the credit bureaus doesn't have any credit information on you at all, especially if you don't have a great deal of credit history.

You can purchase a 3-in-1 report which is basically getting all three reports from each of the credit bureaus. This is a good start especially if you have never seen your credit report before.

The final way to get a free credit report is if you have been a victim of fraud. If you believe there has been fraudulent activity on your credit report then you can write to the credit bureaus, explain to them the situation and request a free copy of your report.

You may want to be cautious if you are using fraud as an excuse to get a copy of the report because every time you do it a note goes on your report.

Identity Theft and Credit Resources 

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Types of Credit Report Data 

Credit History - this contains a person's payment history and shows account status, credit limit or credit balance, monthly payment information etc.

Identification Data - also known as the credit header data, this part includes name, address, social security number, and date of birth.

Inquiries - this section contains information about all other organisations or individuals who have looked at the file and for what purpose in the past six months.

Public Records - this part of the report contains data on court judgments, tax liens, bankruptcies, and collections.

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