Five Reasons to Check Your Credit Report
Regularly
by
Anonymous
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!
<Back To Articles
|