HOW TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS AND CREDIT SCORE

You should check your credit reports and credit score per annum .
This is just good ‘ole general information.
Luckily, I can each you ways to see your credit reports and credit score.
So, let’s get started…

 
STEP 1: KNOW WHY you would like YOUR CREDIT REPORTS AND CREDIT SCORE

By checking your reports, you'll be ready to identify 1) inaccurate information, 2) fraudulent information and 3) take financial inventory of accounts you've got open. By getting your credit score, you'll know what lenders are watching so as to work out your creditworthiness.
There are three main reporting agencies that you simply can get your credit reports from: 1) Experian, 2) Equifax, and 3) TransUnion. Federal law states that you simply can get your reports once a year for free of charge .
You can get all three directly , or spread it out and obtain one every four months – it’s up to you. Some people like better to get all of them directly because it’s easier to recollect once a year than it's to recollect to try to to it throughout the year. The advantage to doing it throughout the year is that you’ll catch something that’s wrong more quickly if you're watching a report every four months (verses every twelve).
 
STEP 2: attend ANNUALCREDITREPORT.COM
To start the method of getting your reports, attend annualcreditreport.com. this is often the one website where you'll actually get your credit reports online for free of charge is annualcreditreport.com. So, this is often where you would like to urge your reports per annum .
 
STEP 3: CLICK ON “REQUEST YOUR FREE CREDIT REPORTS”
Click on “request your free credit reports” within the lower left a part of your screen — the button is red.
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STEP 4: COMPLETE THE STEPS TO REQUEST YOUR CREDIT REPORTS
You’ll be prompted with three steps to use for your reports. First, you would like to fill out a form together with your personal information.
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a. Fill out a form
Fill out the shape with accurate information. If you create mistakes, it’s harder to urge your reports online. So, make certain to supply the proper info.
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b. Pick the report you would like (Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion)
Choose which report you’re getting. Start with one and undergo the whole process. You’ll repeat it now or during a few months for the opposite reports, counting on when you’re choosing to urge them.
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c. Request and review your reports online
At now , you'll get your credit report immediately. Or, you'll need to fill out additional information to prove your identity. If you're prompted with the latter, fill out the extra steps to verify who you're , then you ought to receive your credit report.
 
 
d. Then, repeat for every report you would like
At now , you'll get your credit report immediately. Or, you'll need to fill out additional information to prove your identity. If you're prompted with the latter, fill out the extra steps to verify who you're , then you ought to receive your credit report.
Once you’ve completed the steps for one report, return through and complete the steps for the remaining reports. do that if you're getting all three reports directly . If you’re doing it every few months, then come and follow an equivalent process for the opposite reports during a few months.
After this step, you've got everything you would like for your credit reports. Save the documents and print them out for your records.
STEP 5: GET YOUR CREDIT SCORE
Credit scores are based off information from your credit reports. you really have quite one credit score. Your FICO score is one among the foremost popular scores wont to determine creditworthiness, but there are many other credit scores that you simply have.
For example, a lender could use your VantageScore, which may be a score created by all three credit agencies. If this happens, knowing your FICO score wouldn’t be of much use. However, differently scoring models typically place you within the same credit range 73%-80% of the time, consistent with the buyer Financial Protection Bureau. this suggests that if you buy your FICO score and you’re within the “Fair” range, you’re presumably getting to be therein range for other scores.
There’s no Federal law that says you get your credit score for free of charge once a year, so unfortunately, you'll probably need to buy it.
You can order your FICO credit score from myfico.com. once you order your score, remember that there are tons of options for you to signup for credit monitoring and to buy your credit reports. you are doing not need to order any of those products. you'll just order your credit score.
You can also order a credit score from any of the three reporting agencies. Usually pricing is anywhere from $15-$25 for your credit score.
Remember that your credit score may be a number supported the knowledge taken from your credit reports. Thus, it’s vital for you to order your credit reports and review them annually.
STEP 6: EVALUATE YOUR CREDIT REPORTS AND CREDIT SCORE
Once you've got your credit reports and your credit score, you would like to review and evaluate them.
 
Credit Reports
When you check out your Credit Reports, concentrate to the subsequent information.
1. Personal Information. Analyze your name, address, telephone number , Social Security number, and the other information personally identifiable to you. Look closely to form sure the knowledge is correct.
2. Public Records. there's a public records section on your credit report which will have any bankruptcies, law suits, or tax judgements listed. Analyze this information to form sure it’s correct.
3. Credit Accounts. All of your debts are going to be listed during this section. Your payment history are going to be listed for every open account. you'll also see this information for closed accounts for seven years. confirm this information is correct.
4. Inquiries. This section shows when a lender checks your credit.
Make sure you concentrate to the small print on your credit reports. If you've got any information missing or that's incorrect, you would like to report it. Even more important is that if you think that you've got had your identity stolen or see fraudulent information on your reports.
 
Credit Score
While these numbers vary slightly, generally , you'll use the subsequent information below to work out what your FICO score means to a lender.
• Less than 500: Very bad credit
• 500-549: Bad credit
• 550-599: Poor credit
• 600-649: Fair/Average credit
• 650-699: Good credit
• 700-749: excellent credit
• 750 and up: Excellent credit
A FINAL NOTE!
It’s important to urge your credit reports from all three reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) a minimum of once a year. you'll do that for free of charge at annualcreditreport.com. If you would like to urge your credit score, you'll need to buy it. Remember that you simply have many credit scores, albeit the FICO score is that the most generally used (you can purchase this at myfico.com).
Knowing what information is on your credit reports is vital because it helps you recognize whether your information is being reported correctly, or if you’ve been a victim of fraud . Checking your credit reports and score is an annual must!