KNOWLEDGE IS A GOOD THING.
When you submit an application for credit, the
credit analyst may "pull" your credit report from any one, two and
often all three of the major credit bureaus. It is not
uncommon for the different bureaus to report different information
about you and your credit history. You have no way of knowing
in advance which credit bureau(s) a prospective lender may
use.
Credit analysts will
often assume that the most negative information found on any of the
reports is likely "correct,"
when making their credit judgments.
The 3-in1 credit report that you can request
directly from Equifax (above) will contain all of the information
being reported by EQUIFAX, TRANS UNION AND EXPERIAN in a single,
easy-to-read format. If negative information is being reported
by any of the bureaus you will see clearly what is being reported
AND by whom--which is the only way you can begin the process of
correcting mistakes in your credit file.
Identity theft has become a HUGE problem for
millions of innocent consumers. The FBI estimates the
number of identify theft victims could be as high as 1 in every 5 U.S. families! There
is no better way to catch potential identify theft than to carefully
monitor your own credit on regular basis.
This is why it is SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW what ALL of
the credit bureaus are reporting about you AND to be able to dispute
and/or correct inaccurately reported information that may be costing
you approvals you would be entitled to or forcing you into "B" or "C" credit
programs that could be costing you THOUSANDS of dollars in higher rates.