Credit Reports

• How Your Credit Reports Are Used

  Ok, so let’s assume that you have (or are going to have) a credit reputation that is shown in credit reports compiled by several credit bureaus.  How do banks and other companies use that information to give (or deny) you credit?

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• What Goes Into Your Credit History?

  Your credit reputation is developed over time.  You aren’t born with good credit (even rich kids don’t start out with a good or bad credit history).  Your credit reputation develops once you start having access to and using credit.  Only once you start repaying creditors (such as credit card companies, car finance companies, etc.) does information start building in your credit report.  See, the only information that goes into a credit report is information that was reported to the credit bureaus.  Not all companies report to the credit bureaus. 

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• Free Credit Score Report: You’d Better Get Yours!

  More and more consumers are experiencing being turned down by lenders for home loans, school loans and even simple credit cards, due to their credit reports and scores.  Many of these consumers are shocked to learn that their credit reports are not in shape.  After all, haven’t they paid all of their bills on time?  Where do these discrepancies come from?  What can you do to ensure that your credit report doesn’t suffer a similar fate?

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• Free Annual Credit Report: Compare Services

  You may have heard—the Federal Government requires that the three main credit bureaus provide you with a free copy of your credit report each year.  But did you know that those free reports don’t give you your credit score?  Find out some of your options in this article.

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• Annual Credit Report Comparisons: Which Report Should You Get?

  The U.S. Government requires that each of the three major credit agencies, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian, provide every consumer with one free credit report each year. This is great news for you! Having an annual credit report on hand to review can help you keep your finances in order. You can study your report and look for ways to improve your credit score. Checking your annual credit reports regularly can also help you detect identity theft and other problems that could affect your credit.

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