Monitor Credit Report – Why? When? How?
It’s a strange but true fact that most people do not give a moments thought about there credit score or credit report, unless, they are looking for some form of financing, whether an in store shopping account,credit card, car loan or any type of financial credit.Only when the request is denied,or the client is advised that their credit score or report is not acceptable all of a sudden they are now interested in the contents of their report and the value of their credit score!
It’s amazing to me how many people I have met that have not seen there credit file ever!! which as something that is so crucial to our lifestyle and financial well stability surprises me. I recommend that you review your credit report every 3 months and set up a credit alert, – which is a notification you receive every time someone requests your credit information from the credit bureau.
Shocked at that statement? Well you shouldn’t be. Think about it for a moment.
What is the one thing that can cause us financial hardship? – Credit! – we require some kind of credit status to be able to function in a normal everyday lifestyle in North America and most other western style countries these days.
Simple necessities such as, opening a bank,phone, gas, hydro account, or even to rent an apartment, all those staple provisions that get us through every day life require a decent credit rating or and credit score.
Not to mention Identity theft,which is becoming one of the world’s biggest crimes against society, and costing in the billions of dollars. Id theft is rampant and usually takes a very long time to erase any traces of derogatory items and notes on credit reports due to victimization of id theft or fraud.
This again is the result of the credit bureaus sole purpose, which is only to report what they are being told with out having to verify. You see that’s your job. A financial institution whether a store, credit card company or gas company etc can put a derogatory item on your credit report, but getting the bureau to remove these items is not as easy as most will tell you, especially if the information is true!.
Let’s face it many of us are guilty of the old gas bill or phone bill that they had when you lived with your buddies and moved on and completely neglected to make the last payment. Or how about that first credit card that you got in the mail only to run it up to max and them have it go into collections, make payment agreements only to not finish them on the account it was cousin Billy’s wedding and you need to go back to your home town for a week to celebrate the event.
So now you are in default then you move change jobs and that $250.00 bill is now in collections and just sitting very comfortably on your credit report.
Fast forward 3 years when your fiancee and you are looking for a nice apartment and they do a credit check and they see a few small indiscretions.
It could be the between you and another couple you have items on your credit report they don’t – who would you rent it to?
I am not here to judge you, but to make you understand how important it is to keep up and monitor you credit report. You will be rewarded as you can immediately see any problems and act on them fast, which the quicker you do the better.
Don’t fall in to the trap of most Americans and feel that it will either go away eventually or its only a couple of hundred dollars. Everything you do even length of employment is taken into account on whether you get the loan, credit card or if the gas company requires you to put down a substantial deposit to carry out is service to you.
Also look at those big purchases the car and or the home, you could end up paying a lot more in interest rates due to your credit report and credit score than some people and that can become in the thousands in interest payments when looking at a high ticket price item. That can make a big difference in your families every day lifestyle.
So am I suggesting you go run to the nearest credit repair company or credit councilor?
That may not be necessary, but getting a copy of your credit report on regular bases is the first start to financial stability.
You can also set up a credit alert as mentioned above, which allows you to be notified when anyone has made an inquiry you This gives you the ability to monitor these inquiries and make sure they are legitimate and you authorized them. If not you can inform the bureau and have the item removed (Inquires to your credit report can have a negative affect on your credit score) this is very valuable protection against any type of identity theft of fraud that you could be a victim of, better to see it right away that a month or a year later!
Look at it this way your credit report is like your car.
It is recommended to perform pre-maintenance on your vehicle such as tires, changing the oil, tune-ups etc this is done to avoid any major repairs and no big surprises down the road.
In conclusion do not wait, and be active in stabilizing your credit report and keep a constant vigilance over what’s happening to you, you will not regret it and neither will your bank account and therefore you and your family can enjoy the lifestyle you wish.
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Original Source: EzineArticles.com
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