How to check your credit report for free

Now is the time to check your credit report, and the Federal Trade Commission offers these tips on how you can do it for free:

The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.


To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. The form is on the back of this brochure; or you can print it from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.


You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months.

Updates on how to dispute errors in your credit report is found at:

http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html

How errors lower your credit score

When you check your credit, you never know just what you'll find.
Probably the most frustrating thing you'll come across when you start fixing your credit is to find mistaken entries in your report. Somebody's credit boo-boo's wind up on your credit history.
It's bad enough if you yourself have racked up bad credit. It's quite another slap in the face if you're saddled with someone else's bad credit derogatory marks!
So just why DO errors show up on your credit report?
According to MyFICO.com, errors in a person's credit report might mean that their file is incomplete, contains information about another person, or any number of reasons.
Read some of the other reasons here:
http://www.findhow2.com/credit-report-errors-affect-fico-score.html

Accurate negative credit info stays on report

When negative information in your report is accurate, only the passage of time can assure its removal. Accurate negative information generally can stay on your credit report for seven years. There are certain exceptions:
Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10 years. Credit information reported in response to an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limit.
Information about criminal convictions has no time limit. Credit information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limit.
Default information concerning U.S. Government insured or guaranteed student loans can be reported for seven years after certain guarantor actions.
Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations within your state runs out, whichever is longer.
For more detailed information read this:
http://www.findhow2.com/dispute-credit-report-errors.html