You should make it a habit to review your credit report at least every six months. It's important that you check your credit report for discrepancies and errors. Your credit report plays a significant role in determining your ability to buy a car or a home. Here's where you can go to check your credit report.
Getting Started
There are three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Transunion and Experian. Each gives you a different credit score. You may have certain creditors who report information to one credit bureau but not the others. You can contact each credit bureau separately, by going to their respective websites. Websites such as AnnualCreditReport.com and MyFico.com allow you to order reports from multiple bureaus at one time. In some cases, it may be better to check your credit report with each credit bureau individually. If you see problems on your credit report, you can dispute them directly on a bureau's website.
Checking for Errors
It's important to check all three of your credit reports for errors. Name misspellings and other creditor inaccuracies should be disputed immediately. You can dispute online, by mail or on the phone. Putting your disputes in writing, making copies and mailing them to the proper credit bureau is probably the best way to file a credit dispute. Experian handles disputes only on its website, Experian.com. When you file a credit dispute, be prepared to have evidence to support your claim. That may include receipts containing payment information or settlement letters.
Monitoring Credit
After you've checked your credit and resolved any disputes or claims, you should monitor your credit closely. After resolving a dispute, order another credit report from the corresponding credit bureau. Verify that your resolved dispute is reflected accurately on your report. All three credit bureaus offer credit-monitoring service, for an additional fee. The service provides customers with email updates of changes to your credit report, such as when a potential lender makes a credit inquiry.
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