| There are a number of significant details contained in a | | | | separate website and a toll free contact number as |
| credit report that detail an individual's personal and | | | | well. A credit report can be requested individually from |
| professional spending history, and affect how lending | | | | each reporting company, or all at the same time. |
| institutions view him as a potential loan candidate. The | | | | The 100% free credit report does not include the credit |
| 3 digit number also known as a FICO score is the | | | | score, because that is a separate paid item. However, |
| basis for rating consumers everywhere and is | | | | a credit report is supplied for free when a paid credit |
| available from the credit reporting institutions by a | | | | score is purchased. It is imperative to include the |
| lending firm interested in finding out about a candidates | | | | correct contact information in order to receive this |
| credit status. This very important number is the basis | | | | document in a timely fashion. Failure to do so can |
| for any type of credit in the marketplace; including | | | | result in the risk of a delay in this process and possibly |
| credit card applications and new car loans. | | | | bad information as well. |
| A consumer can obtain his credit report from the 3 | | | | It will take on average 15 days for the bureau to |
| reporting bureaus (Experian, Equifax and Transunion) | | | | access a person's data and mail a copy of the report. |
| once per year for free. This is available by written | | | | This is a great way for a person with a low credit |
| request and should be accessed and evaluated to | | | | score to raise his number. Once the report has arrived, |
| determine whether the best possible interest rate is | | | | it should be inspected quite thoroughly and evaluated |
| being offered by banks and other lenders. There is | | | | for mistakes, with follow up to the bureau to get rid of |
| also built in protection from identity theft which is | | | | invalid or incorrect entries that are listed. |
| becoming more prevalent with a weak economy. | | | | Any invalid entries or line items can be removed from |
| There are also credit check programs available to | | | | the record through a dispute letter. By doing this once |
| consumers. These are designed to help obtain a copy | | | | per year, a consumer can keep his record clean and |
| of the credit report from any or all of the reporting | | | | most likely raise that number a little bit as well. |
| organizations. Each of the major bureaus has a | | | | |