By John Campbell
If you’ve been denied credit because of negative information on your credit report or are worried that you may have bad credit, you need to get a copy of your credit report as soon as possible.
Finding out your current credit score will help you determine what may be wrong with your credit, which will be the first step in repairing your credit. If you just want a quick estimate of what your credit score may be, visit mycreditscoreonline.com. This Web site is an excellent free resource you can use to find out your estimated score, accurate to within 50 points of your actual score.
Even if you have a higher estimated score on MyCreditScoreOnline, you may still have a lower credit score because of black marks on your credit report that you aren’t even aware of. You’ll need to get a copy of your credit report just to be sure.
To obtain your official credit score you’ll want to obtain a copy of your credit report from each of the three national credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Although Equifax is the most widely accessed credit bureau, lenders may get their reports from one of the other two bureaus. An error on any one of these reports could lower your score and result in you being denied credit.
Listed below is the contact information for each of the national credit bureaus:
Equifax
Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-888-766-0008
www.equifax.com
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com
TransUnion LLC
Consumer Disclosure Center
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
1-800-888-4213
www.tuc.com
To protect your privacy and verify your identity, each bureau requires that you provide your full name, proof of current address, addresses and Zip codes for places you have lived in the past 5 years, date of birth and social security number.
If you’re ever denied credit for any reason, you can get a free copy of your credit report from the national credit bureaus. Otherwise, the cost to obtain a copy of your credit report is usually around $9 but may be cheaper in some states. You’ll need to request your credit score separately. Experian charges an additional fee for a credit score request, with a combined $14.95 charge for both.
Once you obtain your credit report you’ll be able to find any potential errors or other negative information that is bringing down your credit score. The closer your credit score is to 750-850, the better off you’ll be. If you credit score is in the 600 range or below, credit repair should be your top priority.
The time you take to find out your credit score on your own, will save you time and hassle in getting your credit in tip top shape.
© cashbuzz.com
John Campbell is the writer and editor of CashBuzz, A financial portal for the rest of us. Check out cashbuzz.com for the latest articles on money management and tips and tricks that can help improve your finances. This article may be reprinted on your Web site if the copyright, author information and active link are included.
