How to Evaluate Your Credit Online

Monitoring your credit on-line is both free and easy. Let us explore where you can view your credit reports online, whether credit monitoring services are right for you, how to repair your credit and whom to call for help if you should need assistance.

Instructions

1




Obtain your credit report from the Annual Credit Report website (see Resources section). This is the website established by the three leading credit bureaus, Exquifax, Experian and TransUnion, in 2004.

Select your state from the drop-down menu and click "Request Report."
Fill in all required information and click "Continue."

Select which of the three primary credit report(s) you wish to receive. Your options are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

Click "Continue," and you are well on your way to viewing and printing your credit report(s).

2




Weigh your options. You are entitled to receive one free credit report from each of the three primary credit bureaus each year. You may choose to receive all three reports at the same time through the Annual Credit Report website, or you may also choose to spread out your three reports over the course of a year. If you receive them all at once, you have the benefit of being able to compare them. If you spread them out, you have the benefit of reviewing your file more often.

3




Understand the difference between your credit report and credit score. Your credit report is a straightforward record of all your accounts, charges and payments. Your credit score is a number, derived from a mathematical algorithm, designed to determine how credit-worthy you are overall. Your credit score is calculated through a separate company, Fair Isaac, and is typically not available with your credit report. You can, however, purchase your credit score for a nominal fee.

4




Work with credit bureaus to remove any inaccurate, negative information from your report. Another way to improve your credit rating is to establish and maintain good credit habits. Establish one or more credit accounts and make your payments in a timely manner. Over time, the positive credit history will outweigh the negative.