How To Get Your Free Instant Credit Report

Traditionally it used to be very difficult for consumers to get hold of their credit report and score. The general attitude was that the information used was private to the lender and they would not disclose the criteria they would be using to make their decisions. However these days obtaining your credit report is very simple. You are able to get hold of a copy of your free instant credit report from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion online.

Many individuals are confused at the importance of your credit report and also the effect it will have on any credit applications you will make at any point in your life. Lenders need a common criteria by which to fairly judge your application, so they use a report provided by the credit referencing agencies. These reports are updated regularly with data from your current lenders. This builds an overall picture of your credit history, repayment statuses and general risk level to the lender.

The better your credit report is, the higher your chances of being approved for the application and the better the interest rates you will be offered. Adversely, a poor credit report will show you to be a high risk consumer and will either lead the lender into offering you a high interest rate to offset the risk, or maybe even declining the application completely.

Even though negative entries cannot be removed from your credit report, incorrect or false entries can be. So if you have had past financial trouble, this is likely to reflect in your file. However you may be surprised to find that 7 in every 10 credit reports are shown to have inaccuracies or incorrect entries. These can be caused through a variety of ways. It could be down to a mix up with similar named account holders, it could be a human input error or it could be a sign of identity theft.

After you've read through your reports and highlighted any entries you do not recognise or are concerned about, you can contact the credit bureau and the company responsible to making the entry in the first place. Any disputed entries will be investigated and if appropriate, removed. You can also correct errors such as incorrect zip codes etc showing on your report, as these will also have an overall effect on your credit report and credit score.
This is why it is crucial that you check your credit reports today to save yourself time, money and upset, tomorrow.

Checking your free instant credit report from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion has never been easier. Get your free instant credit report from Equifax Experian and TransUnion today, without spending a dime!