Credit Reports & Scores

When was the last time you checked your credit report? Before you apply for another loan or credit card, get a copy of your credit score. This is the sole piece of information that many lenders rely on to decide if they should lend to you or not. You don't want what is there mistakenly or inaccurately to stop you from getting the best interest rates and offers. But, that could be what is happening.

Errors on Credit Reports Are Common

Individuals should note that some experts believe up to 80 percent of all credit reports with the three credit bureaus in the United States have some level of errors on them. Do you have accurate representation through your report and credit score? Keep this in mind.

  • One late payment can drop your score significantly.
  • If someone did steal your identity, it could take years to unravel if it is not caught right away.
  • Who is looking at your credit report? Did you give them permission to do so? Too many inquiries can also drop your credit score significantly.

Inaccurate information with your name, address and employer can lead to problems, too. For example, if you apply for a loan but your address on your credit report is wrong, the lender may be leery of offering that loan to you.

What Can You Do?

Get a copy of your credit report, or sign up for a credit monitoring system. Track where your credit score is and where it is going. That way, you can remain confident that your score accurately represents you. In addition, if you do plan to buy a home in a few months or trade in that old car for a new one, you will be happy to know exactly how good your credit score is.

GoFreeCredit.com

Product Snapshot:

  • Get Your Credit Scores from all 3 Credit Bureaus
  • Instantly View all 3 Credit Scores!
  • 7-Day Free Trial of Credit Monitoring
  • Extensive 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring for Fraudulent Activity

Scores:  All 3 Scores
Price:  $19.95 / month
Free Trial Period:  30 Days
Monitoring:  Daily 3 Bureau
ID Theft:  NA

Review:  While the price tag isn’t inexpensive for the monitoring service, members receive monitoring of all 3 credit scores and credit reports on a monthly basis. This is one of the most beneficial ways to truly watch the information collected by and reported by the major credit agencies.

Privacy Guard

Product Snapshot:

  • Get your Triple-Bureau Credit Report and All 3 Credit Scores
  • Triple-Bureau Credit Monitoring with daily alerts
  • $ 1 for the first 30 days

Dashboard View:

Scores: All 3 Scores

Price: $ 14.99 / month

Trial Period: $ 1 for first 30 days

Monitoring: Daily Triple-Bureau Credit Monitoring

Review:   Privacy Guard offers one of the longest trial periods (30 days) at a significant discount to determine how much you value the protection and monitoring characterstics of the service. You receive alerts by email, monitoring among all 3 bureaus, a central dashboard to monitor activity of your credit, as well as a tool to assist with estimating whether or not your credit is on the upward track.

FreeCreditScore.com

Product Snapshot:

  • Credit score with free trial
  • Credit Score Alerts
  • Credit Score Center
  • Credit Score Estimator

Dashboard View:

Scores:  One Score
Price:  $14.95 / month
Free Trial Period:  7 Days
Monitoring:  Daily 3 Bureau
ID Theft:  None

Review:  This service monitors your credit profiles from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies each day and looks for any changes that are indicative of possible fraudulent activity. You are notified via email of any such changes, giving you lead time to address any possible fraud issues. Along with the subscription you receive your PLUS credit score.

CreditReport.com

Product Snapshot:

  • Credit score with free trial
  • Daily 3 bureau credit monitoring
  • Credit Score Tracking
  • Email alerts
  • Cancel anytime. No obligation.

Dashboard View:

Scores:  One Score
Price:  $14.95 / month
Free Trial Period:  7 Days
Monitoring:  Daily 3 Bureau
ID Theft:  None

Review:  Like most monitoring services, you'll receive 30 days unlimited access to your credit score. The interface provides for a pretty easy manner with which to spot errors and fraudulent activiity. You can also learn the best practices for taking corrective action. Overall, a good product that has been around for a long time.