credit report - 3 Major Credit Bureaus - Which One Should I Contact?

There are 3 major credit bureaus that have information on your regarding your credit history. Anyone that has ever applied for a loan or credit of any kind has a file at one of the 3 major credit bureaus. Since merchants usually report to only one of the 3 major credit bureaus, you may have to request a free report from all three to get an overall look at your credit report. To request a free credit report from either or all of the three major credit bureaus, all you have to do is to request a free report online. You can also send the request by mail and you have to provide all your personal information. There are sites that will charge you for a credit report from one of the 3 major credit bureaus, but it is necessary for you to know that by law you are entitled to one free credit report a year. You should contact the credit bureau directly to get your free report. When you do receive your credit report from the 3 major credit bureaus there are certain sections of this 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 will give details of your current bills. Each of the three major credit bureaus may contain the same information or one of the three may have different information regarding your credit history depending on which merchants report to that credit bureau. You should also note that you might have an excellent credit record with two of the 3 major credit bureaus and 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 also need to 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. When you see that everything is as it should be, then you know that your information is safe with the 3 major credit bureaus. If there are any inaccuracies in the debt information, you will need to contact the credit bureau to start taking the necessary steps to have it corrected. There are 3 credit bureaus and you need to know about them if you are concerned about your credit report. To download a free copy of Peter's Credit Repair book visit Peter's Website Credit Repair Answers and find out about Credit Bureaus and more, including Credit Repair Services, Free Credit Reports, and Online Credit Repair. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Crump credit report - Tips for Raising Your Credit Score Do it yourself- Repair Your Credit (Part 2 of 3) Additional tips for raising your score: A. Pay credit cards and revolving credit down below 50% of what is available (line amount.) B. Do not close credit cards after you pay then off. Keep them open. Some people do not understand how this works and will tell you to close your credit cards. That is totally incorrect. In addition to helping to raise your score some loan programs will specifically require a number open and active trade lines. C. Limit the number of people who pull your credit, whether for a car, cell phone or mortgage. NOTE: you pulling your credit as above is called a "soft pull" and will not show up on your credit and will not lower your score. D. Want to improve your credit scores by 10+ points? While this is no guarantee, it does work! It is simple and works fairly quickly. You can electronically Opt-Out at one of the credit bureaus. I have seen this improve credit scores up to 20 points. The benefit is that no pre-screened offers for credit cards or other credit will be sent to you from Companies who use the credit report information for pre-approvals. The score improvement is created by limitations of securing additional credit and prevents credit card companies from pulling/viewing your credit without your permission. How do you think you are pre-approved? Now you know. While this does not inhibit you from obtaining credit, it limits the ease of just mailing in a pre-approved offer. E. Another way to improve your credit score or increase your limited credit is to have you apply for a secured credit card. Exercise judgment when doing this. In cases where you have limited credit, this will add another trade line and help you. You must keep this current and only do this with one or two items not many. See below for more information on this. How Long Does Information Stay on a Credit Report? Credit information can, and usually does, stay on a person's credit report for seven years. Collections stay on the report for seven years from the date of last activity -- whether that is the date that the account was filed as a collection or the date the account was paid in full. Here's an example: "Jane Doe" had a collection for $300 filed against her in October of 1994, and she hasn't paid it. It is now September of 2001, so in a few weeks that collection can come off of her credit report. (She will probably have to request of all three credit bureaus that they take it off.) However, Jane has applied for a loan today, and the loan officer tells her that she has to pay off that debt in order to be approved. Since she has the money, she pays it off. Because the date of last activity is now September 2001, the collection will show on her report until September 2008 -- another seven years. Bankruptcy information can stay on a credit report for ten years. Information about foreclosures is reportable for twelve years from the date filed. Garnishments, judgments, and tax liens can stay on the report for twelve years from the date of entry or for seven years from the date they were satisfied. Dismissed garnishments, judgments, and tax liens are not reportable. Type of Information & Length of Time Can Stay on Credit Report General credit information- Seven years Collection- Seven years from date of last activity Bankruptcy- Ten years Foreclosure- Twelve years from the date filed Garnishment- Twelve years from the date or entry or seven years from the date satisfied Judgment- Twelve years from the date or entry or seven years from the date satisfied Tax lien- Twelve years from the date or entry or seven years from the date satisfied Continued... DISCLAIMER: No claims or guarantees are being made as to the result of applying the information herein or to its effectiveness. Always consult an attorney or account for legal or financial matters. We are not responsible for any changes in your credit score as a result of applying this information Miles Loss Licensed Mortgage Broker