subject: Helpful Suggestions On Receiving A Free Credit Score [print this page] At least once a year you are supposed to check your credit report. This will help you make sure that there is no unauthorized activity going on, which will hurt your financial rating. Taking charge of your credit means that you have to take control of the information you receive. Cleaning up your credit or improving your score all begins with your vigilance. You can begin with getting your free credit score online.
Every American consumer, by law, has the right to request a credit report each 12 months. The same reports used to cost several dollars every time you wanted to get a copy. Legislation has changed this, which has made it easier and cheaper for the average consumer to take control of their financial history.
Granted, the credit-reporting agency is required to give you a free copy of your credit report every year. However, they will not send it to you if you do not ask for it. There are a few ways to get your hands on a free copy of your credit report. The easiest would probably be to visit the official website of the credit reporting agency. This is the only authorized website that can give you a free copy of your financial history through the web.
There is a toll-free number you can call. You can also complete a request form on the Annual Credit Report Request brochure. You can get this booklet by requesting it dialing a toll free number, or you can print it at the Federal Trade Commission's online site.
The information you receive that is known as your credit report is a statement of your official financial statement. It will list your payment record, name your accounts and all the balances you owe on these accounts. There is a difference between your credit report and your credit score. You should know that your credit score is derived from the information found on the credit report.
You can order your credit report from the major credit bureaus, but this will typically cost you a fee, unless you meet at least one of their guidelines. If you order from the centralized agency mentioned above it should be completely free of charge if you are only requesting your credit report once every year.
Being able to repair your credit or boost your rating means knowing where you stand in the first place. Get your free credit score as your first step to unraveling your financial history. Once you have that in your hands, you can work from there.
