Lenders use your credit scores and the information on your credit report to determine whether you qualify for a loan and what interest rate to offer you. Check your own credit reports early on to prevent unpleasant surprises and correct any mistakes. You’ll also need a good idea of your credit scores to make the most of our budgeting and planning tools
Get copies of your credit reports. There are three major credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can get a free copy of your credit report once per year from all three companies at www.annualcreditreport.com.
Check your reports carefully for errors.Look on your credit reports for any debts or credit cards you don’t recognize. Also check for disputed items that still show up even though they were resolved in your favor. A late or missed payment isn’t an error if it actually happened.
Use our credit report checklist to review each report.
