About Free Credit Report and Credit Monitoring Services
Free credit report services are different than credit monitoring services. The free credit report is what you are entitled to by law. The credit monitoring services are different.
The Distinction
Every U.S. consumer is entitled to a free credit report by law. However, no one is required to receive a free copy of their credit score. You should remember this when trying to obtain the complementary files to which you are entitled.
It will clear up some confusion and help open your eyes so you are not misled. This is sometimes what happens when people are lured into so-called “free credit reports” or “free credit scores.”
On the other hand, you sometimes monitoring service could be beneficial to you personally. It can help you keep track of your files and it will help you beware of when people are stealing your identity to benefit them somehow.
Usage and Tips
Of course, receiving a free credit report is only half the battle. Knowing what to do with it when you get it and knowing what good it will do is also helpful.
Once you have the credit reports, you need to examine them very carefully. For instance, you should do the following:
- Look for duplicate accounts or accounts that belong to someone else.
- Keep an eye out for accounts which have exceeded the time frame for reporting.
- Find out about the statute of limitations of how long a debt can be reported.
- Make sure you learn how long a creditor can try to collect a debt.
- Once you have found the inaccurate and erroneous, use written correspondence to dispute it.
About Disputes
When examining your credit report you also may need some guidelines to help you dispute errors. You can adhere to the following tips:
- Be explicit and brief in your written correspondence about why the listings need to be deleted.
- May very well take writing a few letters and not just one to get results so to not give up.
- Be patient when in the disputing process. After a creditor receives your dispute that creditor is entitled to take time verify the accuracy of or error of a disputed item.
There are many ways to obtain a free credit report. They are issued by both companies who are following the law but also companies that run a scam. Therefore, you should be careful.
In any case, going through the steps of obtaining a free credit report is quite easy. It is an action highly recommended for anyone who wants to know where he/she stands in the eyes of creditors.