Can You Get Your Credit Report Online?
In today's information age, there's not much that you can't get online. You can order a pizza online, you can shop online, you can get medical advice online and you can even get a copy of your credit report online. That's right, you can check your credit report online, in the comfort of your own home, and you don't have to worry about waiting for it to arrive in the mail. So how do you go about getting your credit report online? You can do it by searching for one of the credit reporting agencies or all three and requesting one.
The Three Agencies
You should be aware that everyone that has credit has a report with all three agencies that are responsible for credit reporting. These companies are called Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. When you take out a line of credit, the lender will typically report to only one of the companies. So, if you have several lines of credit, you may have items on one report that aren't on the other two. That's why it's very important, if you want a very accurate view of your credit standing, that you get your credit report online from all three agencies.
Will It Cost Money?
Most of the time, you will have to pay a small fee to get your credit report online from the three credit reporting agencies. It's true that you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the three agencies but this may not apply to you receiving a copy of your credit report online. You may only be able to receive it through the mail. However, look up the three agencies online and see what they're offering. Be careful of third party venders. Many times, third party venders, such as FreeCreditReport.com, will offer a fee to get your credit report online. This company isn't bad. In fact, the company allows you to check your credit report whenever you want for a small fee each month. However, going through the agency itself may save you a lot of money in the long run.
Who Do You Owe?
If you don't want to wait for your credit report to arrive in the mail, or if you don't trust the mail system with such a valuable document, by all means, get your credit report online. It will show you what you owe and to whom and it will let you know what you need to do to fix your credit so that you can save lots of money in the future.
