Finding Your Credit Report Information

Your credit report information contains everything a lender needs to know about your financial history. A company that gathers and sells credit information is called a consumer reporting agency (CRA) and these companies charge a fee for supplying the information.

This information includes if you have been late on your bills, who you owe money to, and if you have defaulted on other loans. They will use this to determine if they wish to lend you money, or what interest rate they will give you on your loan.

The most common type of CRA is the credit bureau. There are three major credit bureaus in the US plus a number of smaller companies serving local markets.
Equifax
http://www.equifax.com Trans Union http://www.transunion.com Experian http://www.experian.com

 Credit bureaus are restricted to providing credit report information to only the following:

  • insurance companies considering you for an insurance policy
  • creditors who are considering granting or have granted you credit
  • employers considering you for employment
  • government agencies reviewing your financial status
  • other businesses which have need for the information eg: a potential landlord.

If you have been denied credit for any reason, you will have thirty days to request a free copy of your credit report from the agency in question.
You are also entitled to one free credit report a year. You can get all of your credit report information in one shot, and it won’t cost you anything. This is a new thing, so you should find more information about where to get it, and how to go about obtaining the information.

Experts suggest you keep better track of your credit report information by checking it more than once a year. If you are trying to repair your credit, you will want to see it more than once a year so you know how you are faring in your endeavor. While checking your credit once a year is free, you will have to pay to see it more often. You can request your credit report information at anytime by going online and paying a fee.

Many times these reports can be sent to your email for easy access. When reading your credit report information, it is important to know what you are looking at. If you are trying to repair your credit, it is essential to know what each entry means. If all of this information is too confusing for you, you can take your credit report information to a credit counseling service. They can help you sift through the information on your report, and even help you decide which problems you should take care of first. Even if your credit is great, it is still a good idea to keep an eye on your credit report information. A good credit rating will make it a whole lot easier to participate in our credit based society.