Obtain a Credit Report

There are three national credit-reporting agencies: Equifax Information Systems, Experian and Trans Union. Normally, each credit bureau will charge roughly $8-10 for a copy of your credit report. However, according to the government, everyone is entitled to one free copy per year. You may request one copy per bureau.

Get Your Credit Report

You can purchase a single report or a merged report from all three companies through a separate agency. You can also buy service from a number of agencies that will alert you when any activity takes place on your credit repot. This monitoring service is done for a monthly fee, but can work in your favor to prevent fraud.

If you do find incorrect information on your credit report: you can work with the credit bureau to clear it up. This may take a long period of time to complete and it usually starts with a written letter asking the bureau to investigate a charge. You may also place a fraud alert on your report so there will be an extra warning to creditors.

Why You Should Order Your Credit Report Regularly?

In addition to catching any fraudulent activity early on, you can find out how you compare with other people’s credit ratings. This can be helpful when applying for a home loan or purchasing auto insurance, both of which are based on your credit score.

When your requesting your report, you will be asked a series of questions about your financial history to insure that the right person is claiming the report. These may be as simple as, “What year did your last car loan begin?” When you answer a few questions along these lines, it ensures that somebody else isn’t trying to get access to your personal financial history.