Having a healthy credit history and respectable credit score is of high value in the U.S., especially if you are interested in obtaining credit cards, financing a car, buying a home and sometimes even for finding employment. We have gathered some reliable resources to help you learn about maintaining a good credit history, how to obtain your credit report and what to do when you find errors in your credit report.
- The U.S. Federal Reserve: http://www.federalreserve.gov/creditreports
- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov
The U.S. has three major crediting bureaus - organizations that gather public record and consumer credit information. Most of the information found on the reports from each of these bureaus are similar, but because they pull their information from different sources, it is always best to check your records with all three.
- Experian: http://www.experian.com
- Equifax: http://www.equifax.com
- TransUnion: http://www.transunion.com
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of these crediting bureaus to provide consumers with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recognizes http://www.annualcreditreport.com as the only source for obtaining a free credit report from all three agencies and advises consumers to be wary of imposter sites that allegedly offer the same service.
Credit Counseling
If you have recently experienced some financial difficulties, credit counseling can help you get back on track. Be sure to visit our Credit Counseling page in the Resource Center for more details.