We have stressed on many different occasions the importance of monitoring your credit.
To do this, you will have to have your credit report in hand and be able to go over it with a fine-toothed comb to make sure everything on it is entirely accurate.
You can obtain a credit report by paying for it, but there are also several free methods.
If you choose to pay for a credit report, numerous services offer access to one or more credit services for a monthly fee.
Some credit cards automatically offer this service, and others offer it at a discounted rate. You will have immediate Internet access to the reports whenever you want to see them.
The website http://www.annualcreditreport.co.uk/ offers a free annual credit report to all subscribers. A one-time registration fee of £5 applies.
A One-Off Payment Solution
This is NOT an annual fee; you will receive your free report every year after that. It is a low-budget solution for UK residents who want to check their credit once per calendar year.
You are entitled to a free credit report if you apply for credit and are turned down. All you have to do is include the declination letter with a note to the reporting credit agency that you want a copy of your credit report.
The agency is required to return a copy of the credit report used that caused your application to be denied.
Victims Rights…
Anyone who has been a victim of identity theft is also entitled to a free credit report. You will need this to review all of your current information to ensure that everything is correct and accurate.
Identity thieves will often change addresses and other information to suit their needs. Report any discrepancies at once so they may be corrected.
In most cases, if there is a problem with one credit report, it will be on all three. However, there are times when the information lags with one or more agencies.
In most of the examples above, you will only receive a copy of your credit report from one agency, but you should check all three agencies at least once a year.
Suppose you ever find a discrepancy in your report. In that case, it is imperative that you immediately check with the other agencies and file a report to have the information corrected as soon as possible.