Thus if you have borrowed from different lenders, then to get a better overall look at your credit history, you may have to request a free credit report from all three.

This can be done easily online or you can send a request by mail. When sending by mail, you have to provide all your personal information. (Check our Free Credit Repair Tutorial for more information). There are websites that will charge you for a credit report from one or more of the three major credit bureaus, but it is necessary for you to know that by law you are entitled to at least one free credit report a year. To do this it is best if you contact the credit bureau directly to get your free report.

When you do receive your credit report from any of the three major credit bureaus there are certain sections of the report that you need to pay particular attention to. The first section details your name and address. You should check this to make sure that it is correct. If there are any inaccuracies in this section, you need to contact the credit bureau that sent the report with the correct information.

The next section to pay attention to is where details of your current bills are given. Each of the three major credit bureaus may contain the similar information or one of the three may have different information regarding your credit history depending on which merchants report to that credit bureau. It is possible for you to have an excellent credit record with two of the three major credit bureaus but a poor rating with the other.

Check the listing of your bills, the amount of the payment and the due date. If you have been late with a payment or missed one altogether, this will show up on the credit report you receive from the 3 major credit bureaus. You should also check to see who has been inquiring about your credit history to make sure that no unauthorized person or company has been making inquiries without your permission. If all the information is accurate then there is no need for futher action. On the other hand, if there are any inaccuracies in the debt information, then you will need to contact the credit bureau immediately and start taking the necessary steps to have it corrected.

If you are concerned about your credit history or you are being refused credit then it is important to contact the all three credit bureaus to find out what information they store about you.

See also

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