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  Category: Articles » Finance » Credit » Article
 

Tips on Improving your credit score




By Bluemagarita

In the age of all things electronic it is very easy and important that you check your credit history at least once a year. There may be things on there (as I have found out in the past) that you didn't even know about.

Step 1
• Order one credit report from each - Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian. Now on each website you will find that they offer a 3:1 deal. Where you can order your credit report from all three in one spot. It is up to you if you wish to do that or not. I however prefer to individually order from each bureau as I find it makes Step 2 much easier.

Step 2
• Now that you have ordered your credit reports look it over. Make sure all of your personal information is correct (i.e. name, addresses, phone numbers, spouse's name, place of employment etc...)
• If you come across personal information that is incorrect such as name or addresses you will have to call the credit union and speak to someone but when you do ask them to remove the incorrect information from your report. They will explain to you where they go that information from (credit card company or a loan ect...). Again simply explain to them that the company was wrong and you would like this incorrect information removed from your credit report.
• Now review the rest of the credit report. They will break it up into Good accounts and Potentially negative accounts. I usually start with the negative ones as these are the culprits that are bringing down your credit score the most.
• This is a very important step to follow. With every single negative account that is listed on your credit reports DISPUTE it. That's right D-I-S-P-U-T-E!!! Trust me on this one!! You can do this very easily online. If it is negative for late payments simply dispute it saying "Never paid late". If it's an old collection account dispute it saying "Not your account". You will see that each bureau gives you a drop down list of items you can use to dispute with. You can choose which best fits.

Now I am telling you to do this because once you start a dispute; the company which has reported the negative item that you are disputing only has 30 business days to respond. If they do not respond in time then the item is removed from your credit history. If they can not provide sufficient backup then the item is removed from your credit history.

Tip: The best time to open a dispute is usually between Thanksgiving and the New Year as companies are usually very busy and can not devote as much time as usual to this sort of thing.

• Once you have looked over and disputed all the negative items check over the items in good standing. Check to make sure the balances are correct. If the card or loan(s) are closed check to make sure that is reflected in your credit report.

And that's it you are done. You are now on your way to having a better credit history. Congratulations.

Now a few things to remember are:
• Check your credit report once a year
• Dispute all negative items on your report
• Do not expect ALL negative items to be removed the first time you open up a dispute. It may take several tries.
• Do NOT apply for any type of credit while you have a dispute in progress.
• Along with checking your credit report you should also check your credit score. Your credit score could be anywhere from 320 - 850. The closer to 850 the better.
• Keep balances on current credit cards below 30% of your total credit line.
• And ALWAYS pay more than the minimum due

 
 
About the Author
Bluemagarita would like to help you become more credit savvy. Check out blue's blog for more information

Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/19146.html
 
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