Some people will tell you there are three little words that can completely change their world. While “I love you” may be the most emotional phrase in the English language that will cause people to do things they wouldn't do otherwise; there is a three digit number that contains amazing power over our lives. [ READ MORE ] 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 ] MORE CREDIT SCORE ARTICLES