Check Credit Report
Be Sure to Check Credit Report
Consumer experts recommend you get a copy of your credit report from each of the major credit bureaus at least once a year. Better yet, get them every three months or so. You may have a lot of financial activity in your credit history, such as, several credit cards, loans, refinancing, hospital bills, or child support payments.
Do not assume these items are reported or entered into your credit file correctly. Errors are very common. Remind yourself: carefully check credit report! Considering that even one late or missed payment may stand out in a credit check by a potential lender, you want to keep your credit file up-to-date and accurate. A minor mistake can have repercussions; a major mistake, for instance, omitting mortgage payments, can have lasting and serious consequences.
Removing Negative Credit Items
You can obtain detailed information online about how to get erroneous or out-of-date items removed from your file. All the major credit bureaus, and many other groups, have web sites that have excellent consumer information. Going through the process of getting errors removed from your report is time-consuming, and you need to be persistent, but you can do it yourself. First, though, highlight this reminder: check credit report!
An important legal right you have as a consumer is to be able to challenge any negative item in your report. This is one reason for this all-important advice: check credit report. If the credit bureau cannot verify that item, it must be removed, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. There is no limit to the number of challenges you can issue to the same item. Each time you dispute the item, the credit bureau must re-verify it.
