Your credit score is important for obtaining credit. Your credit score is important to know, whether you need a new credit card, an auto loan, or a mortgage. Lenders use your credit scores to decide whether you are a good credit risk. If you have a high credit score, you are more likely to obtain the best rates.

Another reason why you need to see your credit report is to know if credit report contains errors. Mistakes do happen. Most people have forgotten a payment or two, but it's quite different when somebody else's mistakes cause false delinquencies and problems on your report. Fixing such errors is important because unfavorable information on your credit report, whether it is accurate or a mistake, affects your ability to borrow money.

Identity theft is a crucial reason to know what is on your credit report. Identity theft is a crime in which someone pretends to be you by obtaining key pieces of information such as your Social Security and driver's license numbers, and obtains a credit card or a loan, merchandise or services in your name. You are left with a ruined credit history. Last year, the identity of an estimated 7 million Americans was stolen. The easiest way to find out if you are a victim is to see your credit report. The longer you are not aware of what is happening, the more time-consuming and complicated becomes the task of repairing the damage.

You can correct errors. Imagine that you are punctual in your payments, but for some reason one is reported as late. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that both the credit bureau and the reporting business correct mistakes or incomplete information on your report. But you have to let them know in writing. If any creditor agrees there is a mistake, they must notify the other credit bureaus so they can correct the information in their files. If the disputed item cannot be verified, it must be deleted from your files. We can inform you in greater detail on the steps to be taken to clear mistakes in your credit report.