Check your Credit Report Check for Accuracy
Once you receive your Credit Bureau Report (CBR) the first thing to do is to check it for it's
accuracy.

We suggest that you check your CBR at least twice a year. Performing a personal credit
check will give you a clear picture as to how your credit stands. It will also help prevent
identity theft.

Things that you should look for when reviewing your credit bureau report are:

  • Make sure that your name is correct in spelling, including generation, for example,
    'Junior’ or ‘Jr.’, or if you are the ‘second’ or 'third’. If you use your middle initial or
    entire middle name, make certain that it is also listed that way in the credit report

  • Your address should be current with an apartment number (if applicable), city, state
    and zip code and you may want to include your home phone number

  • Your current employer and address including employment phone number

  • Verify that the dollar amounts are accurate

  • Verify that your creditors are in fact reporting your ‘on-time’ payments

  • If you find that some of your creditors are not being recorded on your credit bureau or
    that they are not reporting your ‘on-time’ payments, it is time to send these creditors
    a letter requesting that they report your payments to the credit bureau. By requesting
    that these creditors report your ‘on-time’ payments you will add to your Credit Score

  • If you discover that the balances are not accurate, you will need to send a letter to
    the 'original creditor' and follow up by phone and request that they report the correct
    dollar amount to your credit report

  • Check that all inquiries are in fact correct and true. This is important to prevent
    identity theft
The idea here is twofold. First, to
present to any potential lender that is
reviewing your credit report that you
are making yourself readily available
and are easy to get a hold of if the
need arises. An up-to-date and
accurate credit report also tells the
potential lender that you have
nothing to hide and speaks volumes
to a potential lender.

Second, you will quickly notice if your
credit report has accounts that are
not yours. This may be a good sign
that you have been a victim of
identrity theft. If you find accounts
that are not yours, immediately write
a letter to the credit reporting agent
and report the inaccurate listing(s) on
Debt Solutions to help you improve your credit score!
Debt Credit Learning Center
your credit report.

Stay pro-active when it involves your credit report. Request a copy of your credit report from
all three credit-reporting agencies before you apply for credit.

If you have an incomplete credit report or negative remarks on your credit report, it is too
late to do anything about it after you submit your credit application or while you are sitting
in front of the prospective lender or employer.