Posts Tagged ‘big guys’
Your credit score and records are financial assets that you need to take good care of. And getting a free credit report is a step into the right direction.
Anyone who understands how one’s free credit report and standing can make or break your financial situation sure knows that. After all, your free credit report contains…
- Basic and personal information
- All of the financial accounts you’ve opened like credit cards, loans, mortgage, etc.
- How long they’ve been around
- How many payments you’ve made
- How much payments you’ve made
- How deep you are in debt
- How many payments you’ve missed
And that’s just to name a few.
To top it off, it even contains a FICO score, which is different from your credit score by the way, that gives the bank or financial institution you’re asking some financing from a quick peek at how good or bad you are faring and if you’re credit-worthy so to speak.
A thorough look at your free credit report will let you know if there are any inaccuracies that need some correction, or if there’s some fraud or identity theft going on.
The good news is that you can easily get a report from BIG guys like Equifax and TransUnion. There are numerous smaller websites that allow you to access you credit report annually.
That’s a piece of cake if you have a credit card.
BUT the bad news – what if you don’t have a credit card? Does it mean you can’t access your free credit report unless you apply for a credit card deal in your local bank?
Many of these online credit agencies REQUIRE a credit card. Why? First, that’s because they give you a free trial of their credit reporting service. And as we all know, getting your hands on free trials need a credit card.
That brings us to the second point.
If you’re satisfied with the service and would like to move beyond the trial period, they’ll be charging you, and again, a credit card is needed for that.
HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your free credit report. Even without a credit card, you’re entitled to seeing your report for free and taking the necessary actions with it although the process may take a little longer than usual.
How?
Mail them!
That’s right. You can ask these credit agencies for your free credit report by mailing in your request. And you can do it anytime of the year and that will be free of charge…nothing to pay for…zilch…nil…zero!
So don’t fret if you don’t have a credit card! Have a look at your free credit report now and take good care of your credit score and records.
With countries from left, right, and center going through recessions and economic crisis, there’s no denying that the whole world is going through a financially difficult time.
And everyone – that means from BIG and multi-billion companies down to the common people are adversely affected by the economically shaky situation the whole world is in.
That includes YOU!
Checking your credit report and status is more important NOW more than ever. Think about it – whether you’re running a small or medium sized business, whether you’re just an average Joe or Jane, time will come that you’d be in need of quick cash.
And loans, which is the MOST common and practical solution, wouldn’t be of any help if your credit status isn’t in great shape. The lenders will check your free credit report as well as your records and score.
Once a flaw has been spotted, your chances of getting approved for your loan application are GREATLY diminished.
That explains why a constant look at your free credit report is in order. BUT would getting free credit reports from the BIG guys like Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, etc. cut it?
Well, if it’s just a free credit report you’re after, then they should be OK. You can check for inaccuracies of the report and what items in your free credit report should be deleted. HOWEVER, you need more than that if you’re going for a loan application.
You need to know how your credit score is faring first and foremost. And if your free credit report and score isn’t in good form, you MUST know how you could fix it and how long would it take to get it improved.
Such things can’t be handled by a simple and free credit report.
Not to mention you can only access your report once a year, and if you’re financially active, you MUST take a peek at it more than a couple of times a year…about once a month or at least once every 3 months.
You should do something MORE than just get a free credit report. You can and MUST check for deeper details about your credit records and score through credit agencies.
Now they’re NOT free. HOWEVER, many of them have a free trial and charges VERY minimally for the valuable information you’ll have access to. They range around $7.00 and you can lay your hands on free credit report, score, and records PLUS you get expert advice as to how you can improve them.
That’s a bargain when you realize that your financial details will help you stay head and shoulders above water in this financial crisis everyone is going through.
In conclusion, while you can grab a free credit report once a year from the BIG credit agencies, getting the bigger picture by checking out your score and records through trusted credit agencies becomes even more important.