Kellys Credit Information

Understanding Credit Report Score


Understanding credit report scores is important when you see your credit report because you need to be able to make some sense of it.

Your credit score is used by anyone loaning you money such as credit card companies, home loan lenders, auto loan lenders and finance companies. They all use your credit score to determine your credit risk. The interest the lender charges you is based on your credit risk. So you can see how understanding credit report scores is information that can save or cost you money.

You need to find out what your credit score is before you talk to any lender in case there is something on your report that you may question. You don't want the lender to find a mistake that you aren't aware of. If you find a mistake, it takes at least 30-60 days before you see corrections in your credit reports and scores.

You have probably heard that checking your credit will bring down your score. But checking your own credit report and score is counted as a "soft inquiry" and doesn't harm your credit score at all. Only "hard inquiries" from a lender or creditor, made when you apply for credit, will bring your credit score down a few points.

Your credit report should have the three main credit services Experian, Trans Union and Equifax and each service will give you a different credit score.

The credit scores will range between 300 and 870 with each credit service giving a different score. The higher your score is the better, because as your credit score increases, your credit risk decreases.

The average high approval score where the best interest rates are offered is 680 or above. The credit score the lender uses comes from the middle score or an average of all three scores is sometimes used.

Don't be surprised if you find an error once you get your credit report. Statistics show that 70 percent of credit reports contain serious errors. Those errors are what you want to clear up because they will affect your credit score.

If you find a mistake, you have the right to dispute the information free of charge. Contact the credit bureau that provided the information and dispute the inaccurate information.

Below are the names, addresses, phone numbers and web sites of the three credit bureaus TransUnion, Experian and Equifax.

Equifax Credit
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
Equifax 800-685-1111
http://www.equifax.com

TransUnion
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
Trans Union 800-888-4213
http://www.transunion.com

Experian
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Experian 800-682-7654
http://www.experian.com

You can also contact the creditor direct and ask that the corrected information be provided to the credit bureaus.

If you suspect any fraud, contact all three credit bureaus immediately and place a fraud alert on your report. Then, contact your credit card companies and bank to protect your accounts.

Understanding credit report scores and checking your credit report at least once a year will keep fraud in check and keep your credit score safer.

Copyright © 2005 Credit Repair Facts.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.credit-repair-facts.com where you will find credit information, debt elimination programs and informative facts that give you the knowledge to correct your own credit and credit report. For more credit related articles go to: http://www.credit-repair-facts.com/articles_1.html


MORE RESOURCES:

Town Hall

CREDIT MARKETS: Few Issues Cap Busy Week For Corporate Bonds
Wall Street Journal
In high-yield, Ford Motor Credit Corp.'s 7-year notes sold on Wednesday were similarly oversubscribed. Even secondary trading volumes have picked up since ...
CREDIT MARKETS: Tepid Auction, Refi Fears Dominate TradingWall Street Journal
Analysis: Equity 'volatility' vs credit market, what to believe?Reuters UK
Stock Index Futures or Treasuries?Inside Futures

all 356 news articles »


This is Money

The New Credit-Card Tricks
Wall Street Journal
The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, known as the Card Act, was intended to reshape the contours of consumer finance. ...
What is a merchant supposed to do when a credit card is left at his or her ...Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)
5 Ways to Quickly Boost Your Credit ScoreU.S. News & World Report (blog)
Do prepaid debit and credit cards affect your credit score?Helium
e-wisdom.com (blog) -Which? -CardRatings.com (blog)
all 16 news articles »


Christian Science Monitor

Use Balance Transfers to Reduce Credit Card Debt, Says SmartBalanceTransfers.com
MarketWatch (press release)
NORWALK, CT, Jul 27, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- SmartBalanceTransfers.com, a website that allows visitors to find the best credit card balance transfer ...
Who Pays For Credit Card Rewards?NPR (blog)
4 Common Fees and How to Avoid ThemU.S. News & World Report (blog)
Interchange Fees a Scam?The Atlantic (blog)
The Economist (blog) -Forbes (blog) -JoongAng Daily
all 101 news articles »


MDC Holdings 2Q Loss Narrows, Helped By Tax Credit; Orders Up
Wall Street Journal
Outside of orders, home builders have seen better results in recent quarters, helped by the federal government's tax credit given to first-time home buyers. ...
M.D.C. Holdings Announces Second Quarter 2010 ResultsMarketWatch (press release)
Homebuilder MDC Holdings narrows loss in Q2 as closings soar 71%Denver Business Journal

all 22 news articles »


US CREDIT-Lincoln National bonds attractive after earnings
Reuters
N) bonds may be a safe bet as the insurer enhances its liquidity, sees positive credit ratings actions and pays off its obligations to the US government. ...
Lincoln Beats, Growth Across BoardZacks.com

all 4 news articles »


FreightCar America gets $30M credit facility
The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Railcar manufacturer FreightCar America Inc. said Friday that it has entered into a senior secured revolving credit facility for $30 million. ...

and more »


News Fire

Credit card debt reduction companies: The Real Deal
NewsChannel 9 WSYR
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Everyone has heard the ads for companies that promise to reduce credit card debt. For years, they've been charging big bucks upfront to ...
Credit Score Drops Tremendously in the USTimes News World (blog)
Giving credit where it is dueMail & Guardian Online
Why you need to go with a Credit Card debt consolidation company to get the ...TMCnet
OfficialWire (press release) -WDBJ7.com -CardRatings.com
all 62 news articles »


Give Mike Brown credit ... this signing was brilliant
Boston Herald
Brown didn't get much credit for that title, so it's only fair to give him credit for this: The signing of Terrell Owens was a masterstroke and should be ...

and more »


Weyerhaeuser Says Pace of US Housing Recovery Uncertain After Tax Credit
Bloomberg
“This has been especially evident in the market retreat following the expiration of the federal homebuyer tax credit at the end of April. ...

and more »


TheStreet.com

AT&T Bonds Fall After Unusually Timed Credit-Rating News
Wall Street Journal
The credit ratings agency also said it has concerns about AT&T's pension and post-retirement obligations. Gatlin, the AT&T spokesman, defended the company's ...
S&P upgrades Invesco credit ratingsBusinessWeek
S&P says may cut AT&T's credit rating by one notchReuters
AT&T's corporate credit rating faltersSan Antonio Express
TheStreet.com -Barron's (blog) -Dallas Business Journal
all 52 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006