RULE 1: Check your credit reports on an
annual basis. You can order your credit report FREE
annually. All of the three nationwide credit agencies,
Transunion, Equifax and Experian are required offer you one free
report every twelve months. You an order all three of the
reports by contacting annualcredit report.com.
RULE 2: If you have an error on your
credit report, whether it is a name, date, duplicate death or
something else, dispute it. See our website for step-by-step
instructions for disputing
the error or call 888-822-1777 for a free
consultation.
RULE 3: If possible, avoid hard
inquiries. Hard inquiries or hits can hurt your credit
score. Hard inquiries are when a person applies for a loan or
line of credit. Hard inquiries include opening a department
store credit card , applying for car loan or home
mortgage. The extra discount you might receive by
opening up a store credit card will not benefit you long
term. In other words, if you do not need the credit, don’t
allow anyone to pull your credit. The biggest mistake people
make is having a friend that is in a bank or lending institution
get a credit report. It may not cost you anything for a
friend to get it, but that will hurt your score as an
inquiry. If you used up your free review and need to see your
report, spend the money to buy it.
RULE 4: Don’t be a co-signer for anyone
unless you fully trust them and their ability to be
responsible. Keep on them to make sure they are making
payments. If they tell you they may have to miss a payment,
make the payment for them and have them pay you back. Any
missed payment can affect your score.