Understanding the Critical Nature of Your Credit Report

Consumer credit reports are used today for far more than they were initially intended. Originally, credit reports were just that, reports that reflected how you were managing credit granted to you in terms of current balances, payments, etc. They were not originally intended to be used for other purposes, as they largely are today, yet most consumers are not aware of this important fact.

Now, though, consumer credit reports are being used for such things as determining your car insurance rates. Insurance companies claim people with low credit scores make more claims on their insurance, and they allegedly have all kinds of statistics to back up that bold statement, and therefore will charge you more for car insurance, regardless of your driving record, if your credit score is lower.

Many employers have made running a credit check a routine part of their standard background check before making offers to potential new hires. Again, it’s those statistics they obtain which allegedly show that people with lower credit scores do not take financial responsibilities seriously, and a low score could prevent you from getting a job you are well-qualified for.

Because of these new uses, as well as the original ones, you should understand that there are things that can make your credit report look bad, even if you otherwise have good credit. Here’s a few:

* Credit Report Errors: Errors can find their way onto your credit report, and unless you pro-actively find them and dispute them, they may never go away. Your credit report could include a charge-off that belonged to someone else, for example. This is not as uncommon as you may think, and in fact, many studies have shown that a majority of people do have errors in their credit report with at least one if not more of the credit reporting agencies.

* Other Information: Credit reports don’t just contain credit information. They also include employer information, salary information, and other non-credit specific information. If this is incorrect, it can negatively impact your credit score.

* Trend Upwards: From a financial perspective, your credit report displays the trend of how you manage credit. If you had credit issues a couple years ago, but have since cleaned up your credit act, your report will show a positive upward trend, and your credit score will reflect it.

* Pay Ahead: One of the worst things for a potential lender to see on your credit report is late payments. Even if you weren’t late with your payments, your credit report may still show as if you were. Here’s what might have happened. Your payment is due on the 1st of the month. You mail the check on the 25th, but it doesn’t arrive until the 31st or the 1st. And then, it isn’t posted to your account for another few days. That payment you made on time now shows as a few days late. The same can happen with electronic payments through your bank account. Though you may pay the bill the day before it’s due, it could take 3-5 days (or more, depending on both your bank and the creditor) before your payment is processed. Be aware that the date your payment is POSTED is the date they consider, and NOT the date that you made the payment. Make your payment earlier so you don’t get dinged for late payments.

Your best option is to obtain copies of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. You are entitled to one free report each year. Review your reports, and make sure that everything listed there is accurate, and if it isn’t, start the dispute process as soon as possible.

By keeping an eye on your credit report, and doing everything you can to keep it as clean as possible, you’ll ensure that a high credit score is waiting for you, when you need it.

For more insights and additional information about how to correct errors in your Credit Report as well as getting free copies of your credit reports from all three major credit reporting agencies, please visit our web site at www.credit-help-center.com

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

With the economic situation the way it is and home values down, many people have found that their once perfect credit is now tainted with late fees, over limit fees, closed accounts, and in the worse situations credit cards and loans that can no longer be paid, along with possibly bankruptcy or even foreclosure. However, with all these negative marks on their credit, credit scores are now even more important than before and banks, car dealerships, mortgage companies, and credit card companies are making getting loans and credit even harder than before.

Not to mention that jobs, insurance companies, and a slew of other companies are also pulling credit reports now before approving applications or even offering jobs. In the dire straight of the economy the need to repair credit report has become even more imperative than before. Even if you plan to never own a credit card again or always pay in cash, fixing the credit you have is still important and if you can should be done.

Some basic steps to fix your credit to improve credit score are:

* Get all your credit reports, from all three agencies, which are Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax

* Make sure all the information on the reports are correct

* Fix any and all information that is incorrect, misspelled, or wrong in any way

* Have any incorrect accounts or information removed immediately

* Contact the credit bureaus by filling out the appeal form they offer and by phone when necessary

* Contact all banks and credit card companies to see about negotiating terms to lower your interest rate, payment amount, and to remove all late fees and over limit fees

* Cancel almost all your credit cars, keep one or two for emergencies, but cancel the rest

* Close all loan accounts, even if they are not paid yet, close them now as you pay them off

* If the banks or credit card companies will not work with you, contact a credit repair agency to negotiate terms for you

* Make sure to make all payments on time from there on out

* Do not open any new accounts or apply for any additional loans, the extra hits on your credit will lower your score further, especially if you are denied

Credit report repair usually takes time. It will not happen overnight. It will take a lot of patience and due diligence to improve credit score. Making payments on time every month and correcting your credit reports will make the biggest difference. Also, again do not apply for more credit. Every hit on your credit report lowers your credit score even further.

Remembering that it will take time and not to become frustrated or give up. Following these simple steps to repair credit report will pay off over time. After a year or two you will see definite improvements on your credit reports and probably in your business relations as well.

It is never a hopeless situation, no matter how bad your credit report looks, it can be repaired. Information does fall off after a few years and you can get your credit back on track and in good standing again.

With the economic situation the way it is and home values down, many people have found that their once perfect credit is now tainted with late fees, over limit fees, closed accounts, and in the worse situations credit cards and loans that can no longer be paid, along with possibly bankruptcy or even foreclosure. However, with all these negative marks on their credit, credit scores are now even more important than before and banks, car dealerships, mortgage companies, and credit card companies are making getting loans and credit even harder than before.

Not to mention that jobs, insurance companies, and a slew of other companies are also pulling credit reports now before approving applications or even offering jobs. In the dire straight of the economy the need to repair credit report has become even more imperative than before. Even if you plan to never own a credit card again or always pay in cash, fixing the credit you have is still important and if you can should be done.

Some basic steps to fix your credit to improve credit score are:

* Get all your credit reports, from all three agencies, which are Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax

* Make sure all the information on the reports are correct

* Fix any and all information that is incorrect, misspelled, or wrong in any way

* Have any incorrect accounts or information removed immediately

* Contact the credit bureaus by filling out the appeal form they offer and by phone when necessary

* Contact all banks and credit card companies to see about negotiating terms to lower your interest rate, payment amount, and to remove all late fees and over limit fees

* Cancel almost all your credit cars, keep one or two for emergencies, but cancel the rest

* Close all loan accounts, even if they are not paid yet, close them now as you pay them off

* If the banks or credit card companies will not work with you, contact a credit repair agency to negotiate terms for you

* Make sure to make all payments on time from there on out

* Do not open any new accounts or apply for any additional loans, the extra hits on your credit will lower your score further, especially if you are denied

Credit report repair usually takes time. It will not happen overnight. It will take a lot of patience and due diligence to improve credit score. Making payments on time every month and correcting your credit reports will make the biggest difference. Also, again do not apply for more credit. Every hit on your credit report lowers your credit score even further.

Remembering that it will take time and not to become frustrated or give up. Following these simple steps to repair credit report will pay off over time. After a year or two you will see definite improvements on your credit reports and probably in your business relations as well.

It is never a hopeless situation, no matter how bad your credit report looks, it can be repaired. Information does fall off after a few years and you can get your credit back on track and in good standing again.

Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com

Mark is the author of “Crushing The Credit Bureaus” a do it yourself credit repair encyclopedia that focuses on repairing negative information on your credit report to help improve credit score. Fix your credit at crushingthecreditbureaus.com now.