Abandon Nest

Earlier this year, I was very curious about what kind of information the people looking at my financial records were receiving. On the advice of my father, I decided to check my credit report online. Based on what I found, I recommend that every one of you do the same. Here’s some reasons why:

1. Find Forgotten Accounts – You know that credit card you applied for when you first started college? The one that you threw in your desk drawer as the emergency card and completely forgot about? Yeah, that’s still on your credit history even if you don’t use it ever. Lenders will look at open accounts and wonder why you have them.
2. Verify Your Information – What are your lenders reporting to the credit bureaus? If you get your credit report, you’ll find out, and you’ll find out if the information is valid and correct. There are times when the credit bureaus flat out receive incorrect information. If you discover this, you can write them and have it corrected.
3. Confirm Your Credit Standing – Credit scores are important because it’s how lenders decide what kind of interest rates to give you, whether to lend you money, and decide on various other terms. If you have a high credit score, you can be fairly certain that you’ll be ok when you go to borrow money or sign a contract (lease, cell phone plan, etc.). If you have a low credit score, you need to start doing things that will boost it. Use your credit cards responsibly, make payments on time, and don’t exceed your credit limits.

When I went to get my credit report, I did it from this website. It’s reliable, and you get the credit report for free. I highly recommend it and encourage you strongly to get your credit report. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Kira says you can also get your credit report absolutely free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Thanks Kira!