Credit Reports

Almost everyone today has a credit history.  The use of computers have helped three major credit bureaus maintain credit habits on consumers. It is a good idea to get a copy of your credit report before completing a mortgage application if you think a late payment or two has affected your credit record. If you have been denied credit or employment because of a credit report, you are entitled to a free copy of that report within 30 days after the denial.  Also if you are a resident of Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, or New Jersey, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report each year.  Contact one of the three credit reporting agencies below for your free yearly report. 

You can also pay for a credit report by contacting one of the advertised credit reporting agencies listed in the yellow pages.  Most of them obtain their information from one of the big three nationwide services - Experian (www.experian.com), CBI/Equifax (www.equifax.com), or Trans Union (www.transunion.com).

There are services that combine all three reports into one.  These services offer a “merged & purged” credit report which gives you the most detail about your credit.  If you are applying for a mortgage, you will want to know everything you can about your credit before you apply.  FreeCreditReportsInstantly.com (www.freecreditreportsinstantly.com) offers these “merge & purged” credit reports via a Free 'Trial Offer' for 7 days only