January 7, 2010
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New Year; New Decade; New Lease on Life, Pt.2
Get your free credit report.Your FICO is used by a variety of businesses including banks, insurance companies, potential employers, landlords, and credit card companies making it a valuable entity. That's why the government has taken steps to assure all credit card customers and Americans have access to their credit record regardless of their economic condition. Under the FACT Act amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are entitled to one free credit report per every 12 month period from each of the three credit reporting bureaus. Don't wait for a credit card company or bank to turn you down for credit before viewing your report. To access your free credit report, you can call or write the credit bureaus; however, the quickest and easiest method is to access them online at AnnualCreditReport.com.
The FACT Act amendment does not include free access to your FICO score; therefore, if you are interested in knowing your credit score, you'll need to pay a small fee. Your free credit report will list all open and closed credit card accounts, auto loans, and mortgage accounts. The report will also list any organization that has recently inquired into your credit history including banks, credit card companies, and loan companies. Negative elements such as collections, judgments, and foreclosures will also be listed. If you access your reports on the internet, it would be a good idea to print the reports; you'll need them for future reference.
A quick review of your report will give you some idea on which creditors you'll need to work with it to clear things up. If you think you'll be disputing several items, at that point you might consider signing up and paying a monthly fee for unlimited access to your report. You can order the service online by debit or credit card and immediately begin your journey to a financial health.