Five More 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,
click here now.
- 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, click
here now.
- 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,
click here now.
- 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.
- 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,
click
here now.
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, for free!