You need to get a copy of your credit report and verify each and every item on there. You have the right to challenge anything that is on there that is wrong.

The next thing that you need to be aware of is that there are a lot of scams being run in the area of credit reports, debt relief solutions, and helping you clean up your credit report. So the very first thing is that before you do anything with any company, make absolutely sure that you know what you are getting into, how much it will cost you, what could go wrong, and that you are dealing with a reputable company.

The best person to clean up your credit report is you. You can do it yourself. You just have to do a little research to get yourself started. However if you are in dire straights and getting ready to lose everything, you may have to seek out professional help. We will assume that you are not that bad off and that we can help you get started. So with that being said, let’s look at some basic steps to get you started.

The first thing is to make a list of all of the money you owe and to whom you owe it. Also make a list of other expenses that you have each month. The next thing is to look for places to reduce your monthly expenses. Look at ALL expenses. If you stop at the convenience store on your way to work each day, figure how much it costs you per month. If you go out to lunch each day, how much is it really costing you. If these are desperate times, you might have to take drastic measures to get back on track and clean up your credit report.

The next step is to talk with your creditors. You will be surprised at how understanding they can be. You will find that most of them want to work with you. Tell them your situation and see if they can reduce your rate or your payment. They would much rather have you pay your debt off a little slower than to ruin your credit report.

After you have talked with your creditors and have a list of what you have to pay, you need to prioritize the list. Make a list of all the payments that you have to make and the minimum amount. Obviously if you only pay the minimum amount you will never get out of debt. But the first thing is to make sure that you can keep all of the creditors happy. Then you will want to pay off the debts with the highest interest rates first. Or if you have one that is close to being paid off, you may want to tackle it first to give you more money each month. No two situations will be alike so only you can decide the best method for your situation.

Now you may want to look into the possibility of some extra income. Can you do something on the side to earn some extra cash? Is there something that you own and no longer use that you could sell?

Also, a very important point if you are serious about wanting to clean up your credit report. You must stop spending money on things that you do not need. If you have a problem you may want to dispose of your credit cards. Remove the temptation.

Another avenue might be to refinance your home if you own one. But a word of caution: This is a well that you will probably only be able to go to one time. There are a lot of things to consider. Let’s say that you refinance, take cash out and pay your car loan off. You may end up paying for that car for 25 more years, but you know that the car will not last that long. And you must be careful of the rates of interest. If you refinance and get a higher rate you will be paying much more for your home than you would have.

Clean up credit report, some final thoughts. Your credit report is very important. You will want to clean it up and keep it clean. It will take planning, time and discipline. Take the time to make a solid plan and stick it out to the end. The end result will be well worth the effort!

So just what is a “Three in One Credit Report”. Well it is your credit information and history from all three reporting agencies in one convenient form. The format is a little different, but basically it is the information from all three reporting agencies combined into one report. You may or may not know that a company does not have to report problems with you to all three. So the reports may vary.

Why would you want a three in one credit report? Well if you were getting ready for a major purchase, such as a mortgage, you would want to make sure that your reports are clean. This will allow you to get a better rate and be approved faster. It could take a while to clean up your report if you find errors.
The reports could be different and you may miss something if you do not look at all three. Also one of the reports may contain mistakes that do not show on another report. As a matter of fact according to Bankrate.com 70% of credit reports have errors on them.
Identity theft is at an all time high. The sooner you catch a problem, the better it will be for you.

So how much is this convenient three in one credit report going to cost?
If you are not subscribing to a monthly credit report monitoring service you could pay between $30 and $40 for it. And you will pay extra if you also want your credit score.

If you decide that you want this convenience and are willing to pay for it, beware of scams. Make sure that you are dealing with a reputable company. You will have to give out some personal information that is desired by identity thieves.
Make sure that you know exactly how much you will be paying, what you are getting, and if there is a cancellation fee if you should decide to stop the monitoring.

Having a better credit score can save you thousands of dollars over the life of a large loan due to a lower rate. So it is definately wise to monitor your reports to keep them clean and error free. Also identity theft is the number one crime in America. Check with your insurance company to see if you are protected. Identity theft can be a huge nightmare.

A monitoring service is nice. A three in one credit report is nice. But everything that is convenient has a price. Remember that you are entitled to one free credit report from each reporting agency each year. If you spread them out you can get a report each 4 months. No guarantee and no convenience, but it may work for you if you have more time than money. For more information on how to obtain a free credit report check out my article entitled “Free Credit Report“.

I was looking at the search engines the other day and I noticed that 5,400 people search every month for “Free Credit Report Without a Credit Card”. This tells me that a lot of people are confused and think that they have to give out their credit card information to get a copy of their credit report. This is far from true. You are entitled by law to get a free copy at no charge.

The problem is that a lot of companies are playing on this to get you to sign up for something. Every time you get on your computer you have to be on the lookout for scammers! Some people may be trying to get your information to steal your identity or credit card information. And still others may be trying to make a commission by getting you to sign up for something that you do not need.

Where can you get a free credit report?

There is a central site where you can access all 3. It is AnnualCreditReport.com. As the official website of FTC says “AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized online source to get a free credit report under federal law.” You can also get one from one of the official credit reporting agencies. They are:

Equifax: 1-877-576-5734     www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742    www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289  www.transunion.com

If you are trying to get a copy of your credit report and someone asks for your credit card number, you better stop and start all over again. You are at the wrong place!

What is on my credit report?

Identity Information. Your name, any aliases, current and previous addresses, birth year, social security number, jobs held, and if you are married the same information for your spouse.

Credit information. All the accounts you have with credit card companies, banks, retailers, utility companies, and any other type of lender. It will have information about the age, amount, credit line, cosigners, and any payment deviations over the past 2 years.

Public record information. This would include bankruptcies, tax liens, and any other type of monetary judgments against you or your spouse.

Inquires. It will show who and when someone inquires about your credit.

When should I get a copy of my credit report.

You are allowed by law to get a copy from each reporting agency once per year. They should really have the same information, but they may not in all cases. If you are just checking for your own information, we recommend that you get one copy from each reporting agency every 4 months. That should do the job. If you are getting ready for a major move such as a new mortgage, you may want to get them all, just so you will not have any surprises! The number of inquiries into your credit report actually lowers your credit score, but your inquires do not count.

Who should get a copy of their credit report?

EVERYONE! You never know who might have gotten your identity information and starting charging things in your name. Identity theft is the number 1 crime in the US. We also recommend that you talk with your insurance company about identity theft protection. The rates are very reasonable.

We hope that this has cleared up any misconceptions that you have about getting a free credit report without a credit card. Your credit is a very valuable thing in your life. It determines a lot of things. It can cost you a lot or save you a lot. You would be wise to treat it accordingly!

There is a bit of confusion. The thing that mostly requires a credit card is a copy of your credit score. First let’s talk about the difference and then how to get them.

Your credit report is a very detailed list of your credit history. It will tell all about who you owe money to and how much. It tells of late payments, amount of credit that you have and how many inquiries into your credit there have been. There are 3 credit report agencies. They are:

Equifax: 1-877-576-5734     www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742    www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289  www.transunion.com

You are entitled by law to get 1 free report per year. There is also a central site where you can access all 3. It is AnnualCreditReport.com. They should have the same information, but not always. If you need to know for sure what is reported because you are getting ready to make a large loan request, you should get all three. Then you will know what is on there before you request the loan. You may also dispute anything that you do not agree with. If you find something out of whack, you could review it with the company that you are requesting the loan from for a good course of action.

If you are just monitoring the reports for problems or fraud, I would suggest getting one from each agency spread 4 months apart. That way you will not have to wait for a year to see it again.

If you are looking to see your credit score, that is a different animal. That is information mostly used by lenders to determine what types of loans you can get and what interest rate you will pay. The information is based off of the information contained in your credit report.

Here is how it breaks down:

Payment History: 35%   If you have been making your payments on time you have nothing to worry about.

Current Debt: 30%  How much you owe versus how much you make.

Length of Time You Have Had Credit: 15%  Not much you can do about this. The older you get, the better it gets.

Type and Amount of Credit: 10%  How much credit do you have available. Too little or too much can hurt you.

Number of Inquires Into Your Credit Report: 10%  This could be a sign that you are getting ready to do too many things at once. Lenders do not like this. Your inquires do not count against you.

There are some places that monitor your credit reports and alert you of changes. Most of them charge an average of $15.00 per month. They will tell you your score. But beware of scams. NEVER give your credit card information online unless it is a secure site. The address will start with a https: instead of http:.  And make sure that it is a reliable company. Do some searches for the name of the company to see if there are any complaints.

So if you are looking for a free credit report with no credit card required, they are yours for the asking. Your credit score is a different story. But do you need to know that number? Probably not. You can look at the information in your credit report and the formula used to determine the score and figure out what kind of shape you are in.

Take good care of your credit. It is more valuable than you know. More about that later.