Your credit report is the record. Your score is just the summary.
Before you apply for anything, find out what lenders are actually looking at — and check whether it's even correct.
Check all three. Not one.
Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are separate companies and they do not share data automatically. An account, a collection, or a mistake very often appears on one report and simply isn't on the other two. If you only look at one, you're checking a third of the picture.
Equifax
One of the three nationwide bureaus. Some lenders pull only this one.
Experian
Widely used for card and loan decisions. Worth checking before any application.
TransUnion
Commonly pulled for rentals and auto lending as well as cards.
What to look for once you have it
- Accounts you don't recognise. The first sign of a mixed file or identity theft.
- A credit limit reported lower than it really is. This one is sneaky — it inflates your utilisation and quietly costs you points. Almost nobody checks it.
- Payments marked late that you made on time. Gather your evidence before disputing.
- Collections with the wrong date of first delinquency. That date controls when the entry falls off, and re-ageing it is not permitted.
- Closed accounts still showing as open, or the same debt listed twice.
Where to get your report
Compare the free ways to pull your score and report, then work through anything that looks wrong.
Compare credit score options →MyCreditHive may receive compensation from companies mentioned on this site. This does not affect our editorial opinions. This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Advertiser Disclosure
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