Digging Into Your Credit Report
By Lita Epstein, credit and debt expert, WalletPop.com
We all want the highest credit score so we can get the best interest rates, but do you know how to get there? In today's economy, your financial health means everything, which is why it's more important than ever to make sure your score accurately reflects your credit history.
When a creditor orders a credit report, it's like a snapshot in time of your financial and personal life on a particular day. If all the information is accurate, then it should factually reflect your outstanding credit, payment history, the status of your credit accounts, and any information that can be found in public records. But the same information pulled just a few days later could vary depending on when your creditors report their data about you each month.
The best way to find out what your creditors are seeing is to order a free copy from each of the credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You are entitled to one free report a year. Once you have your report in hand, there are seven simple steps to ensure it says what you need it to say.
Next: First Step
We all want the highest credit score so we can get the best interest rates, but do you know how to get there? In today's economy, your financial health means everything, which is why it's more important than ever to make sure your score accurately reflects your credit history.
When a creditor orders a credit report, it's like a snapshot in time of your financial and personal life on a particular day. If all the information is accurate, then it should factually reflect your outstanding credit, payment history, the status of your credit accounts, and any information that can be found in public records. But the same information pulled just a few days later could vary depending on when your creditors report their data about you each month.
The best way to find out what your creditors are seeing is to order a free copy from each of the credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You are entitled to one free report a year. Once you have your report in hand, there are seven simple steps to ensure it says what you need it to say.
Next: First Step
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