How to Check Your Credit Report for Free

Have you checked your credit report lately?  Checking your credit report is an essential way to maintain and even improve your credit rating. After all, there is no excuse for not taking a look as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each offer one free credit report to consumers each year.  You can visit each credit bureau’s respective website directly to obtain your credit report, or you can use a site like www.annualcreditreport.com that provides a free view of your report from each of these three bureaus.

Often, inaccuracies are reported to the credit bureaus and these can have significant effects on your credit rating. It is essential that you review your reports from the three major credit bureaus at least once per year to maintain good credit. You don’t want an error to be holding down your credit score and negatively affecting the way you are viewed by creditors. Do you know about the importance of the credit score or how it’s calculated? Take a look at what Steve Ely, President of Equifax, has to say:

Once you have your report, be sure to look over everything closely to see if you can find any inaccuracies or negative factors that you believe to be untrue. If you find something that you believe to be inaccurate on your report, use the disputes section for each occurrence. Do not skip this step, you don’t want un an deserved error to stay on your report.

Filing a dispute is easy; you will simply be asked to state why you’re disputing the item in question and provide a brief statement (which can be left blank). Once you have submitted the dispute, a process will begin in which the creditor is responsible for providing proof that what they reported was accurate. If the creditor is not able to provide proof or respond to the dispute within 60 days, the item in question will be removed from your credit report.  Lastly, be sure to dispute all inaccuracies with each of the three credit bureaus, as disputing with just one of the three credit bureaus does not cause a change in the others. 

For more questions about credit and credit scores or to speak with a certified credit counselor, contact Clearpoint at 877-877-1995.

Clearpoint has been helping consumers with their personal finance goals and debt repayment strategies since 1964. Today, we work with consumers all over the country through counseling that is administered online, in person or over the phone. Learn about our services today!

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