Whether you have a bad, good or in-between credit rating, it’s very important for you to check out your credit report on a regular basis. Some people think that having a high credit rating exempts them from the need to check their report. This is very wrong. People aren’t just ordering their credit reports to find out their score…they’re also ordering them to look for any discrepancies on their report that could be affecting it.
Once you have your credit reports (make sure to get one from each of the three bureaus- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) look to make sure all of your personal information is correct. Do they have your name spelled correctly, is your address and employment history correct?
Next, go meticulously through your credit history to make sure there aren’t any accounts reported as closed that are still open or any open collection accounts that you have already paid off. If you do find something wrong, you will need to follow the directions for disputing information from that specific credit bureau. You can find the information online or call them directly to find out how to dispute it.
Be sure to also check for any missing accounts. You might be paying your credit cards on time every month, but it’s not going to do anything if that account isn’t listed on your credit report. Be proactive with your credit and it will pay off in the long run!
