A credit report is a factual record of your credit payment history. It's provided to companies and individuals by credit bureaus for purposes permitted by law, usually to grant you credit. The main purpose of a credit report is to help a credit grantor decide whether to grant you credit based upon your credit payment history. A credit report is a report generated from your credit file (a database maintained by a credit bureau containing your credit history).
More than 205 million people in the United States have a credit card, car loan, mortgage or student loan. Almost every one of them has a credit file. The information in your credit file is obtained directly from the companies you have credit with, as well as from government agencies such as the legal court systems. There are three major credit bureaus in the United States: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Even though you are in good finacial shape there is a possibility of identity theft or just a simple error in credit profile that might damage your credit life. The best way to track changes in your credit profile is to purchase a credit monitoring service. Usually the credit monitoring service includes a credit report and updates for 30 days.
Why should I check my credit report?
It's one thing to have bad credit, but it is another to have errors on your credit report through no fault of your own. The result, however, is the same - unless you correct it.
What exactly is a Credit Report?
A credit report is a factual record of your credit payment history. It's provided to companies and individuals by credit bureaus for purposes permitted by law, usually to grant you credit.
