Common Questions About Credit
What is a credit report?
A credit report is a record of how well you manage and repay your debt.
For example, when you pay your auto loan every month, your creditor will report the payment as well as your payment history, to credit reporting agencies(Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion).
The credit reporting agencies, then combine the information reported to them about you from several different creditors and create a credit report.
What is a credit score?
A credit score is a number that is calculated from the information in your credit report.
The most commonly used credit score is the FICO score which has a range of 300 to 850, the higher the score, the better.
There are several factors used to calculate your credit scores, the most important being;
– Payment History
– Amounts Owed
– Length of Credit History
– Mix of Credit
– New Credit
Learn more about these factors and use them correctly to help you improve your credit scores.
Where can I get a free credit report?
The FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) entitles you to a free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus every year.
There are 3 ways of getting your free credit report.
1. Online: www.annualcreditreport.com
2. Phone: call 1-877-322-8228
3. Mail: Fill out the credit report request form here, and mail it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Where can I get a free credit score?
Federal law does NOT require the credit bureaus to provide you with a free credit score.
This means that you’re on your own when looking for your credit score.
But, there are a few places online which will give you access to free credit scores.
– Free Experian Credit Score: www.credit.com
– Free Equifax Credit Score: www.creditkarma.com
– Free TransUnion Credit Score: www.creditkarma.com
Need more help?
Over the last 17 years, we have helped thousands of individuals repair their credit reports and increase their credit scores.
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