FICO scores and credit reports are two of the tools used by lenders to determine how much of a credit risk they would be taking should they approve your loan application.
Your credit history contained in your credit report is used to calculate your FICO score.
Because these are such important aspects of your financial health, it's wise to check it from time to time for errors, fraud or identity theft.
You can obtain a copy of your credit report and FICO, free of charge once per year.
Only a small percentage of Americans take advantage of free credit reports.
Thus, many of them are shocked and their financial reputation seriously damaged when they find out accidentally that someone has been abusing their good name through fraud or identity theft.
They may even begin receiving bills for items they didn't buy.
All this can be prevented through judicious monitoring of your credit report! The easiest way to obtain a copy of your credit report is online.
The three major credit reporting agencies make it easy to keep an eye on your credit.
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion all have online forms you can fill out and submit to get copies of your credit report.
You may also request your report by phone.
However, consumers must be careful that by requesting their credit reports they don't inadvertently sign themselves up for a service charging a monthly fee.
This can be deceptively easy to do, so be sure to check the web address that you're using and read any and all fine print before submitting the application for your free yearly report.
By checking your credit report yearly or more often, you can protect your financial reputation.