Free Instant Credit Reports – Score

Peter Nisbet asked:




In the USA you have a right to one free credit report each year, though there is no point in getting a credit report if you don’t know what to use it for.

Your free credit report will provide you with a lot of information regarding the credit agreements you have entered into, and their current and past status. It will also tell you what searches into your credit record have been carried out, by which companies and when.

Many of these will be pre-approved credit card searches that are becoming increasingly common. Ironically, even if you apply for a pre-approved card you can still be rejected if your credit score is too low at the time of application. If you have applied for other forms of credit, such as a mail order catalogue, these searches will also be listed.

Your credit score is of much more interest to lenders, since it is a numerical figure calculated on a number of variables that let’s lenders know how much of a credit risk you are. It is a snapshot figure of your credit-worthiness at the time it is requested. While a bad repayment record in your credit report will be with it for seven years, your credit score can be improved over the short term. There are things that can be done to do this, and although they are not easy to achieve, many people are able to repair their credit score in a relatively short period time.

However, that is another topic, and has been introduced to exemplify the difference between a numerical credit score and a credit report that is nothing more than a database of your credit record. The objective of this article is to provide you with information on how to go about getting your own free credit report, and also to provide you with a link on how to understand the report and improve your credit score.

Do not believe those that try to persuade you that repairing your credit score is easy, because it is not, but it can be done. Most financial advice is provided by lenders or others involved in the industry, but mine is based on the personal experience of somebody that is currently in the process of trying to repair his own credit record, and who owed many thousands to credit card companies.

I am well aware of what a credit report is, and pay a subscription to Experian so that I can access my credit record at any time. Even with the subscription, I still have to pay for my credit score. Therefore, your credit score and credit report are separate entities. However, there are things that you do to have certain records removed from your credit report, and that will in turn improve your credit score.

“Charge Offs” are debts that have been written off by banks and financial institutions as not recoverable, and are the worst type of record to have on your report. If these appear on your free credit record then it might be possible to agree a partial repayment with the bank in return for the record being removed. Sometimes financial institutions will accept this deal if it is the only way they are going to get some of their money back. However, this does not always work since they will generally not be willing to discuss the matter with you.

These records will also disappear after 7 years, so unless you have a pressing need for credit within 7 years of the default appearing on your record, you could wait and then check your credit report to make sure it has gone. If not, then request that it is.

Other uses for your credit report including ensuring that the debt is yours: it is not unknown for the debt of another person to appear on your credit record. Somebody might have used your address to get credit, and it is the address that matters here, not the name. An adjunct to that is that if somebody living in your home, such as a paying guest, has bad credit, then it will appear on your credit report. In such cases you have to inform the credit report agency that the person is not financially dependent on you, and demand that the record be removed. That is your legal right.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) you can challenge any entry in your free credit report if you feel it is inaccurate. The credit bureaus that hold your records must then request confirmation of the information from the original creditor, and if that has not been provided within 30 days then the record must be removed. It is often not enough for the creditor simply to confirm the record, but to provide evidence that it is accurate. I have had more than one record removed this way.

Your free credit report, then, is important to you, but you have to know what to do with it. However, be realistic and understand that perhaps only time can help your credit report. However, your credit score might be easier to improve, especially if you can get a loan such as a bad credit mortgage that, although you will be paying a higher interest rate, will do wonders for your credit score if you maintain your payments.

The three major credit agencies are Experian, Equifax and Trans Union and you have the right to request any of them for a free credit report within 60 days of being refused credit, and also a further free report every year. The company refusing you credit must inform you which agency they used.

Marvin

Marilyn Katz asked:




It seems like every time I turn on the TV, I see a baby faced rocker singing about how he had some really bad luck because he had not visited a certain credit reporting website. The tune is quite catchy. And while we may all be able to sympathize with the quirky situations, we may also want to “get our knowledge on” before signing up for this service.

Are free credit services they really free?

If a major company is spending a lot of money to promote this website, how can it be free? Well, actually you do need to give them a credit card number along with your other registration information. As a convenience to members, you also get enrolled in a service that monitors your credit. But hold on. This additional service is not free. If a member does not cancel within a short period of time, they will see monthly credit card charges for an online credit monitor.

Did you sign up for that?

The company does say they publish this information. But if we can judge by 11,000 Better Business Bureau complaints, the notice may not have been plain enough. Now, after so many complaints, the company says they are changing the way they are publishing this information.

Those of us who have been online for awhile know that most free offers come with some sort of catch. In this case, the service really was free. It was also just really easy to miss the fact that the service came with automatic enrollment in another service with a monthly charge!

US Federal Law Gives You Free Credit Reports

You can get a free credit report with no catches though. Look at this website:

www.annualcreditreport.com

It is run by the three major credit reporting services: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

This website is run by the three major agencies in order to be compliant with federal law. This law is the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT).

Consumers are urged to review their credit reports periodically. Many consumers find simple errors, that are easy to correct. These errors can cost a lot of money in the long run.

Why Check Your Own Credit?

Many consumers do not even know they can get a free report. Even if they do know, a lot of people never bother to do it. They do not understand why it is that important.

You know that people with better credit scores pay less and get better terms when they do borrow money. This can also impact other areas of your life. Some employers ask for credit reports when they screen job applicants. Even insurance companies are starting to look at them too. Some insurance companies will not offer their best rates for people with recent credit issues.

Many people find simple errors when they check their credit. I, myself, have found duplicate entries. This made it look like I had borrowed a lot more money than I had. It was very simple to dispute the errors and get them resolved. You can find instructions on the website.

Since this information is so important, and since it can affect your life, there is no reason to be running blind.

Edwin

Davion Wong asked:




A lot of people are asking where to get their free reports; and one of the best methods is to get a free Experian credit report online which offers more accurate information on your credit information. Being one of the three main credit reporting agencies mandated by the government in providing every citizen with their free copy of this vital document, Experian is well known for their expertise in this field backed by excellent client support and professionalism in handling the services offered.

Getting your free Experian credit report online offers the convenience of doing your request for the free copy right at the comfort of your own home or office. All you have to do is to go online and log on to their official web site at the world wide web of experian.com and you can sign up for your free account with them.

It is important to note that the free Experian credit report online is in no way connected with the annual credit report dotcom which is the official designated web site by the government to obtain your free copy of this financial personal file. Unlike the annual credit report web site which offers to give you the free copy upon your request; in this case, you need to sign up with their free trial membership where you can gain access to their services for free within a given short period which includes your free report and credit score.

You are generally given seven days trial period on your subscription on the services of this agency which you need to cancel your membership within this period of time; otherwise, you will be billed with their monthly subscription fee of US$14.95. Take note of this because this is one of the most important facts about your trial membership with Experian.

There are a lot of people who were not satisfied in getting their financial profile with Experian because they did not know the important facts about the trial membership. They were surprised on the monthly recurring membership fees that their credit cards billed them because they did not know the terms of their subscription. If you want to be safe from being billed of subscription fees, you can always get your free report from the official 3 in 1 credit report website at the AnnualCreditReport.com. However, such file may not include your actual credit score as what the Experian offers.

Hence, if you want to get your credit score from well reliable companies in this field, then one of the best options for you is to get your Experian credit report online and know your real score before applying for any loans.

Troy