How To Get A Free Copy of Your Credit Report

Very few people have ever gone through their financial life without having a few bumps in the road. Job loss, medical issues, divorce, and many other instances can cause you to fall behind on your bills. At some point, you get past the problems, but now you have to deal with poor credit. It really doesn’t matter where you are at; it only matters that you get started. Here are some tips for do-it-yourself credit repair.

Before you can fix your credit, you have to know where you currently stand with your credit. There are a lot of ways to do this. There are many services that charge monthly or annual fees to keep you updated on your credit. If you know you have bad credit and you’re only trying to start the road to recovery, I wouldn’t suggest paying for a service. There are a couple of sites that are my favorite.

CreditKarma.com is a site you can register with. They don’t give a detailed report of your credit with each credit bureau, but rather a compiled score. It also updates every month so you can have some idea where you are at and if you are going in the right direction. To get a detailed report from all three credit bureaus you can order your free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. As implied, you are able to get your credit report free one time every 12 months.

If you are turned down based on your credit history, you are entitled to get a free credit report. The company who turned you down must supply you with the credit bureau’s name, address, and phone number. You have 60 days to contact the bureau and request a free copy of your report.

You need to get reports from all three credit bureaus in order to get a clear and accurate view of your credit. Not all companies report to all three agencies, thus you may get different scores. One may have a delinquent account the others do not. The three bureaus are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.

The Economy and Credit Repair

Wow! Who's credit has not been effected by the economy. People have lost their homes, retirements funds, jobs, and savings. It's hard to fathom how anyone is going to be able to even use credit as a standard in the future. If you're credit has faltered and you still want to salvage it through the economy, here are a few tips:

1. Keep at least two credit cards open and keep them up to date. If you can arrange other installment loans, go ahead and do so. This will help rebuild your credit.
2. Pay all of your accounts when they come due.
3. File disputes against any derogatory entries on your credit report.

If you're not sure what your credit score is, but want to get a good idea--you can also use the free service at creditkarma.com. It will update you monthly with any changes and is a great way to monitor your progress if you are trying to get back on track.

Don't give up! The economy will make a comeback and when it does, you want to position yourself to have the good credit you need. 

Best Credit Repair Sites

If you decide to use a credit repair company, get sound advice. Ask your friends and family who they have had success with. You may be surprised by how many people have used credit repair. The following link has rated the top ten credit repair companies:

www.top-10-credit-repair.com/