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How To Read A Credit Report
Here’s how to read your credit report
Part 1
Order all three of your Credit Reports
If you want to read your credit report you must order all three of your credit reports. Click here to learn how to order your credit files.
Part 2
Making Preparation
Step 1: Make a copy of all three credit reports.
If you need to dispute something you will need to
keep a copy and send a copy back to the credit
bureau.
Step 2: Get a notebook and pen ready
Part 3
Step 1: Read only one credit report at a time.
Put the other two aside for now. There is no reason to combine any of them. Each credit stands along and isn't related in any way.
Step 2: With the first credit report open, notice there are several parts of it. Go down and identify each part
- Personal Data
- Account information
- Collection Information
- Public Record
- Inquiries
Step 3: Open your notebook and write two things on it
1) name of the credit bureau you are examining
Because you have three different bureaus you need to do this for each report.
2) headings titles - Personal Data, Account, Collection, Public Record and Inquiries
Please write each heading on a separate sheet of paper.
Step 4: Examine your personal data
Make sure all personal information is correct. If not write it down in your notebook under the heading "personal information".
Step 5: Examine your account information
Closely examine your credit accounts one by one, reading all the way across the report, looking for anything that is inaccurate and that might be causing you to have a negative credit rating.
If you find anything wrong with your account information, down in your notebook under the heading "account".
Step 6: Examine the collection activities
These can be very tricky so don’t be in a hurry to accomplish this task. Collection accounts can damage your credit ratings. If you see anything that is questionable to you or if you feel the information on it is inaccurate write it all down under the heading "collections".
Step 7: Examine your public record information
If a public shows up on your credit file that you feel doesn't need to be there write it down under the heading "public record".
Step 8: Examine the inquiry section
If you see that someone has checked your credit that you didn't give permission to, write it down under the heading "inquiries".
Step 9: Go back up to Step 1 and repeat those steps for the other two credit reports.
Once you examine all of the information on the credit report you will then need to challenge or dispute
everything you found on it that you wrote down as incorrect.
Click next page to find out why you should challenge inaccurate information and learn how to challenge, dispute and clean up your credit reports.
Hi, I'm Abbie.
Your financial
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