There are three major credit reporting agencies within the United States: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. These are the organizations that lenders go through to verify potential borrowers credit worthiness. Federal Law indicates that individuals are able to receive one copy of their credit report from each of the three agencies annually, and at no charge. It’s a good idea to look it over once a year to make sure there are no errors or omissions. [ READ MORE ] Several states allow individuals to freeze their credit report- which prohibits credit from being issued in their names. While some states, including Texas, Illinois, Washington and Vermont, only allow credit freezes if the individual has already been the victim of identity theft- other states, including California, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina and Colorado. [ READ MORE ] There are attorneys and credit repair “clinics” that claim to be able to remove negative items from your credit file. The service is costly, with some providers charging up to $3,500. It sounds great, in theory, because what’s a few thousand dollars for repaired credit? The trouble with this service is consumer’s pay out the money and their credit files are not always repaired. [ READ MORE ] You probably thought once you graduated from school you would be done with report cards. In the adult world, a new type of report card determines whether you’ll be “grounded” or not- it’s your credit report. If your credit score doesn’t meet the “grade”, creditors will ground you and either completely refuse to lend you money or lend you money at extremely high interest rates. [ READ MORE ] It may sound like a scam, but there are legitimate companies who can actually help you remove errors from your credit report or fix omissions within 72 hours. If you’ve tried to correct the situation on your own, you know it can take weeks, even months before it is actually straightened out- and if you’re in the middle of trying to buy a new home or a vehicle, the 72 hours can really help you get the loan as well as the lowest possible interest rates! [ READ MORE ]