credit report - Who Is Entitled To A Free Annual Credit Report And The Quickest Way To Get It

Some people are curious about their credit report and would like to know if it needs repairing. A free annual credit report will let you know if your credit score is in trouble and is in need of serious repair. You may think that your credit score is fine one year, but could take a tumble the next year. A free annual credit report will mean that you can look at your credit score every year and see what has happened--whether it has gotten better or worse. A free annual credit report will let you know this and will let you know if you need to do any work on your credit score. If you are interested in receiving a free annual credit report, then you can do this in a number of ways: you can order your free annual credit report by telephone, or by mail, and you can also order your free annual credit report through the Internet. If you are looking for instant access to your credit score, then the Internet is the best way to do it. But if you are going to view your free annual credit report online, then you need to be aware of unofficial sites. There is one way to ensure that the website you are viewing is official: The website will have HTTPS in the address bar when you are entering sensitive information, rather then the traditional HTTP. This will be because you are swapping sensitive information and then no one will be able to see what you are typing. If you are never really sure about your credit score, then a free annual credit report will keep you up to date with how good or bad your credit score is. But also when viewing your credit report, you will need to make sure that everything is being kept up to date and that your information is not being used by someone committing identity fraud. There was a time when we would have to guess what our credit score was. It seemed that we would never be able to know our own credit score. But those days are over now: all American citizens are entitled to a free credit report score. The ability to get your free credit report score is a huge relief for many Americans, as they would like to know their credit scores instead of having the figure hidden in a bank's computer files. If you want your free credit report score, then you have to understand that it will be different from your annual credit report. An annual credit report will let you know your monthly credit rating with your accounts that you currently have open and the ones that have been closed recently. A credit score, however, will just give you a three figure score based on your credit history. A free credit report score is a good idea if you already know your credit rating and would just like to know your credit score. Most companies get an idea of your credit score by obtaining information from lots of different customers. Then they get a credit score system and that is how your credit score is determined; it may seem strange, but that is how it's done. Your free credit report score is a great way to just get a glance at your credit rating. You will see where you are on a scale based on the bank's rating system. There will be a side of the bar that is green that will indicate that you have a high credit rating, but there is also a red side of the bar, which of course indicates that you have a bad credit rating and you need to improve it sooner rather then later. Your rating will be written down and you will see where you are on their chart. You will obviously want to be nearer the green side of the bar when you receive your free credit report score. Emanuele Allenti offers valuable tips and help about credit reports at best credit reports and free credit reports websites. Enter now! Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emanuele_Allenti credit report - 5 Things to Do When You are a Victim of Identity Theft Identity theft is one of the highest rising crimes in the country. Statistics released by the Better Business Bureau showed that in the past five years nearly 27.3 million people have been a victim of identity theft, 9.9 million in 2003 alone! Consumers need to become more aware of this crime, take steps to avoid becoming a victim and know what to do if they find, or even think they might be a victim of identity theft. Simple steps can be taken to try to make ourselves less of a target. Be sure you shred all personal documents, mail, old credit cards/checks or any type of financial information. Be aware that true companies will NEVER ask for your credit card or social security number over the phone. Never leave ATM receipts at the machines. Be careful what websites you give information to. You may know nothing about a website besides its website address. You never know who is at the other end of the website, a possible predator waiting for your personal information. All of these documents can allow you to become a victim of identity theft. You need to remember it only takes one bit of information to increase your possibility of having your identity taken by a stranger. If you find or even think you have been affected by identity theft there are steps you need to take promptly to reduce the damage that can be done to your credit report. 1. Call the Credit Bureaus and put a "Fraud Alert" on your credit files. Call at least one, if not all three of the credit bureaus (transunion, Equifax and Experian) and inform them that you have had your identity taken. They will put a "fraud alert" on your personal credit file. This will make it nearly impossible for anyone to open any type of credit account with your information. If any type of credit application comes across the bureau, with this alert placed on your report, they will have to contact you to verify the credit application is yours. 2. Contact local authorities Make local authorities aware of the crime so that they may begin to look into helping your instance and possibly stop it from happening from someone else. Say you had mail stolen out of you mailbox, other neighbors may have been or may become a target for the predator. You will also, after reporting the crime, have documentation of the crime to give to creditors if your credit report has already been tampered with. The process of getting information off that has been damaged by the crime is often a long, tedious task and at least you will have the police report to back up your claims of false information on your credit report. 3. Close accounts you think have been affected As mentioned, the process of getting information off of your credit report after becoming a victim of identity theft can be a very long a grueling task. You need to be pro-active and get accounts closed that may be tampered with before damage can be done. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, nearly 70% of people who had been victims of identity theft said they were still trying to get items on their credit reports that had been affected removed from their reports. 4. Contact the FTC and file a complaint The FTC has generated a database to help law enforcement and give them a better understanding of identity theft and find ways they can help prevent acts in the future as well as ways to assist victims in the future. 5. Watch you credit report for unknown changes You are you most powerful ally. Become proactive and rely on no one but yourself. Take advantage of free credit reports, sign up for monthly services that will give you alerts when there are any changes to your credit report. Identity Theft is a horrible, crime which has very personal affect, which can cause deep emotional distress to think that someone is out there with your identity. Take steps to avoid becoming a victim today.