Five Reasons to Check Your Credit Report Regularly
In much the same way that a resume displays your work experience to a
prospective employer, a credit report provides prospective creditors (and in
some cases employers and insurers too) with a detailed picture of your credit
history. And like a resume, your credit report can influence whether you will
receive what you are applying for.
Ideally, your credit report is an accurate, up-to-date reflection of your
credit history. However, since we don't live in an ideal world, there are many
reasons that your credit report could contain inaccuracies that might prevent
you from receiving the credit you deserve. The good news is you can take action
to keep your report accurate. Here are the top five reasons why you should make
a practice of regularly reviewing your credit report:
Inaccuracies & Mixed Credit Files
Many inaccuracies on a credit report can be the result of simple human error,
and are therefore are not difficult to dispute. Of course, if you don't order your
credit report, you might never know about it. Whether the inaccuracies relate to
payments not credited, late payments, or data mixed in from the credit file of someone
else with a name similar to yours, you will want to contact the credit bureau to
dispute inaccurate information promptly. If you would like to get a free copy of
your credit report right now,
click here.
Tracking Payments
One of the most important elements of credit is a demonstrated
history of on time payments. Once you send the check though, anything
can happen--a delay in the payment being received can kick you over to
a 30-day delinquency. If you call your creditor and explain the situation,
they might adjust the information. Of course, if you don't read your credit
report, you won't necessarily know which payments are being received and
reported properly. If you would like to get a free copy of your credit
report right now,
click here.
Identity Theft
This issue alone is reason to order your credit report immediately.
Identity theft is an insidious crime, involving a thief who assumes your
name to open new accounts, divert your card statements to another address,
and run up all sorts of bad debt without you ever knowing about it until
collectors come calling. Over time, identity theft could jeopardize your
ability to obtain further credit. The best way to catch a thief who is
using your name is by getting a copy of your credit report, which will show
you if there are accounts listed you know you haven't opened. For example,
if a thief has intercepted a pre-approved credit card offer in your name and
sent it in with a change of address, your credit report will include the account.
If you would like to get a free copy of your credit report right now,
click here.
Inquiries
If you're shopping around for a loan or more credit, you should know
that when creditors check your credit, it places an inquiry on your credit
report. Inquiries can add up, which is often interpreted as a negative by
creditors. For this reason, too many inquiries can actually make getting
credit more difficult. Moreover, if you didn't authorize someone to look
at your credit report and they did, they may have broken the law. If you
would like to see who's been looking at your credit,
click here
to get a free copy of your credit report right now.
Credit Fraud--Unauthorized Charges
Credit fraud involves the theft of your credit card or account number
to make unauthorized charges to your account. Though consumers are protected
financially from this abuse, other creditors may take note of all this activity
and decide to raise your interest rates or refuse to grant you a loan.
Ordering your credit report will help you catch new activity on accounts
that you haven't been using, or may have closed. If you would like to get
a free copy of your credit report right now,
click here.
When it comes to managing your credit worthiness, your credit report
is your best resource. Ordering your credit report gives you the opportunity
to manage your credit wisely today, while planning your credit strategy for
achieving future goals--a credit-savvy move every consumer should make!
click here
to get your credit report right now, for free!
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