Today you can easily get instant access to a free copy of your UK credit report online.

But what are the benefits of being able to see this record of your credit history and the other details that the credit reference agencies hold about you on your personal credit file.

In order to look at every potential benefit that your credit report could give you, we need to look at what your credit report is used for.

Who Uses Your Credit Report And How?

Your UK credit report will be used by financial institutions whenever you apply to them for credit cards, loans or mortgages and by other companies when you apply for any product or service that requires you to sign up for some form of credit, such as a mobile phone contract.

All these companies want to know your current credit rating and they will determine this using your credit score, which they calculate with their own company formula using information on your credit history and current credit status from a copy of your credit report.

This credit check will involve checking your credit report from one of the three credit reference agencies in the UK all of which gather relevant credit and personal ID information about you to create your credit file.

Failed A Credit Check?

If you fail a credit check and don’t get the loan or credit you applied for, you usually will not be told why or which credit reference agency was used.

However, the details held on your credit report can help you find out what is causing your application to be refused.

The reason may not even be a valid one as it is very easy for a mistake, typing error or old inaccurate information to be held on one of your three credit reports.

Such errors may relate to your credit history or the other personal data on your credit record, which is used to confirm your identification and what you put on your application form.

Major Benefit

A higher credit score will help ensure that you get the loans or credit you want and that you will get a better rate of interest than if your credit rating were lower.

To ensure that your credit score and therefore your credit rating is as high as it can be you need to make sure that everything on all three of your credit reports is accurate and up to date.

You therefore need to get a copy of your credit report from each of the 3 credit reference agencies. Never assume that if one is correct that the others will be!

Fortunately you can get instant online access your credit report at each agency for free as all agencies are currently offering a free trial of their UK credit report service.

You should take advantage of this to check all three of our credit reports and fix them if you find any problems. Just talk to the relevant agency about how to get issues with your credit report resolved.

Remember that this could take time so start as soon as possible, especially if you are planning to apply for a loan or other credit some time soon.

Other Benefits

Your credit reports are a great asset and should be checked and maintained just like you check you bank statements. If you do not check them they could easily become your greatest liability.

Effective management of your credit report could save you a lot of money over time and ensure that you are not refused credit when you need it.

If you are going to apply for a loan or mortgage then it makes sense to check you credit reports before applying as failed applications will be recorded on your credit file and can lower your credit score making your next credit application even more likely to fail.

When you fix your credit reports and get your credit score to be as high as possible you will be able to borrow more money from lenders and get more credit and all at lower interest rates.

Checking you credit report regularly is a great way of making sure that your identity has not been stolen and used in fraud to steal money or pay for products and services using your personal details and your money.

Compare reports from different credit agencies to make sure that they are all the same because when you apply for credit you have no way of knowing which credit reference agency your potential lender will use.

What Next?

It is very easy to check your UK credit reports and you can do this online for free.

So do it now before you forget to make the most of this opportunity.

We have all seen the advertisements on the Internet telling us that we are entitled to free credit reports. But many people want to know if they can get their free credit report without a credit card? In short the answer is no, because if you want to check your free credit report without a credit card, you will be hard pressed to find a company that will be willing to do that.

The reason that you can’t check your free credit report without a credit card is because you need a credit card for the verification process. This then shows that you are who you say you are. Credit cards are a good way to prove your identity and a lot of people from all over the world have a credit card partially for this purpose. But of course you can’t apply for a credit card unless you know your credit score; this then saves you the hassle of possibly getting turned down for a credit card.

If you want a free credit report without a credit card, then there are ways to do this. You can write to one of the credit-reporting agencies with a copy of a recent bill, or a copy of your driving license. You then mail them your request for your free credit report. There is another way to get a free credit report without a credit card and that is by making a telephone call to one of the credit reporting agencies; they will be happy to oblige with your request.

It is almost impossible to get a free credit report without a credit card on the Internet. Credit cards are the only way to prove to these companies that you are who you say you are. But if you are not heavily concerned about your credit score, then you can wait for your annual credit report, which means that you will always get a free credit report without a credit card.

There are hundreds of websites that offer you the opportunity to view your free credit report with no obligations–no obligations, that is, until your 30-day free trial runs out. That is the main problem with these companies; they will let you see your free credit report with no obligations. But if you do not cancel your membership with them before the end of your 30-day free trial, then they will start to charge you for a service that you are no longer using. That is hardly fair, considering you only joined them to view your free credit report with no obligations.

These companies understand that you will want to view your free credit report with no obligations. So that is why they are only offering their customers 30 days free membership. Remember that you must cancel your membership before the 30 days are over, otherwise you will be charged a month’s worth of use. They will always let you know how you can cancel. The information on how to cancel will usually be printed in the small print on the bottom of the webpage; write that information down, so you can become a free member. Then you can check your free credit report with no obligations.

If you want to view your free credit report with no obligations, then you have options. You can check either through the Internet or you can get it through the mail. You can do this by getting in touch with an official credit-reporting company. The best thing about these official credit-reporting companies is that you will receive your free credit report with no obligations and you won’t have to give them your credit card information. Going with an online company for your credit report is a good idea if you need to keep a constant eye on your credit reports, but if you are happy with just your annual report then there is no real reason for you to sign up to one of these credit websites.

Get Your Credit Report & Analysis

It is very important to get your credit report and analysis. Why is this important? For one thing, if you’re thinking about buying a house or applying for credit for any other big purchase, you’ll need a clean credit report, and it’s always best to get your credit report and analysis before your lender does. This will give you an opportunity to clean up any discrepancies or errors, which are fairly common, and which can throw a monkey wrench in the works if not resolved.

Ideally, you should get your credit report and analysis once a year with each of the three credit bureaus:

• Bills can get them all - http://www.bills.com/creditreport

• Equifax - (800) 685-1111, http://www.equifax.com

• Trans Union - (800) 888-4213, http://www.transunion.com; and

• Experian (888) 397-3742, http://www.experian.com

You’re entitled by law to get your credit report and analysis for free from each of these three credit bureaus once a year. You can get all three at once or spread them out over the year. If you get your credit report and analysis more frequently than that, each report will cost no more than around $10 and in some states considerably less.

If you’ve been turned down for credit in the last 60 days because of something a lender saw on your credit report, you can get your credit report and analysis free of charge. Lenders are required by law to notify you of this right if they deny you credit.

When you get your credit report and analysis, review them carefully to make sure all the loans and credit accounts listed really belong to you, and that all the accounts listed as open are actually current loans or balances. If a loan you’ve paid off or a credit card that was cancelled is still listed as open, contact the credit bureau and ask for your credit report to be corrected.

What Is the Range of Possible FICO Credit Scores and What Do They Mean?

FICO credit scores range between 300 and 850. Ratings are as follows:

~ Excellent: Over 750

~ Very Good: 720 or more

~ Acceptable: 660 to 720

~ Uncertain: 620 to 660

~ Risky: less than 620

How Is My FICO Credit Score Calculated?

The formula used to calculate your FICO credit score includes information based on several factors:

~ 35% on your payment history

~ 30% on the amount you currently owe lenders

~ 15% on the length of your credit history

~ 10% on the number of new credit accounts you’ve opened or applied for (fewer is better)

~ 10% on the mix of credit accounts you have (mortgages, credit cards, installment loans, etc.)

In general, when people talk about “your credit score,” they’re talking about your current FICO score. But in fact there are three different FICO scores developed by Fair Isaac—one at each of the three main US credit reporting agencies. And these scores have different names.

WILL YOUR SCORES BE DIFFERENT?

FICO credit scores range from about 300 to 850. It’s important to get your credit report and analysis so you can understand what your FICO score is. Fair Isaac makes the scores as consistent as possible between the three credit reporting agencies. If your information were exactly identical at all three credit reporting agencies, your scores from all three would be within a few points of each other. But here’s why your FICO scores may in fact be different at the three credit reporting agencies. The way lenders and other businesses report information to the credit reporting agencies sometimes results in different information being in your credit report at the three agencies. The agencies may also report the same information in different ways. Even small differences in the information at the three credit reporting agencies can affect your scores. Since lenders may review your score and credit report from any of the three credit reporting agencies, it’s a good idea to check your credit report from all three and make sure they’re all right.

Usually when you get your credit report and analysis from the credit bureau it will include a form for reporting any inaccuracies. Give as much detail as possible, and if you have documents that back up your claim, provide copies. By law, the credit bureau must investigate your credit report claim, but even if they decide your credit report is accurate as it stands, you should continue to try to correct the report by writing a letter explaining your side of the story (not to exceed 100 words), which the bureau is required to provide to anyone requesting your credit report.

When deciding whether to approve credit, lenders take the following into consideration:

• Your payment history—do you pay bills on time?

• Have you had a bill referred to a collection agency?

• Have you ever declared bankruptcy?

• How much debt do you have outstanding compared to your credit limits? The closer your debt is to your credit limit, the less favorable.

• How long is your credit history? If you haven’t had much of a credit history yet, prompt payments are even more important.

• Have you applied for more credit lately? Too many applications for credit has a negative impact on your chances for approval.

• How many credit accounts do you have? Too many is considered a negative.

Information is retained in your credit report for up to seven to ten years. When you get your credit report and analysis, if you have negative items in your history, you can gradually repair your credit by consistently paying your bills on time from now on, paying down your balances, and not taking on any new debt. Lenders will take your improved record into consideration when deciding whether to approve credit, especially if you’ve been paying on time for at least a year.

There are multiple credit myths and rumors that surround the realm of credit reporting. Some are urban legend, and have become so widely disseminated that they are taken as gospel; others are deliberately encouraged by lenders to terrorize or cajole debtors into compliance.

The following is a compilation of the most common credit myths concerning your credit file, and the reality that all consumers should be aware of.

Myth: Credit reporting companies are subsidiaries for or working on behalf of the federal government.

This belief is fostered by the fact that creditors make such a big deal about “registering” you as a debtor with a credit reporting agency that the power of the agency itself becomes inflated. In fact, credit reporting companies are nothing more than mega businesses and their true subsidizers are the banks and finance companies.

Myth: If you pay a bad debt, the negative report will automatically be removed from your credit immediately.

This is a tactic used by unethical bill collectors to get you to pay your debt, and 9 times out of 10 it is a flat out lie. You can occasionally make an agreement with a creditor to pay a debt on the condition that it be removed or marked paid as agreed, but this should always be in writing, and they must put in writing that they will contact the credit reporting agency, request the update, and follow through until it is done.

Myth: You have to sign up for a credit monitoring service to get a free credit report.

This one is just ridiculous, and has been picked up by hundreds of companies trying to sell “credit protection” packages. They offer you a free credit report through their website and then sign you up for a monthly automatic charge for an overpriced, basically useless “credit alert” program that you can duplicate simply by taking reasonable precautions. Don’t be fooled. You are entitled by law to a no strings attached, once a year, completely free report from each of the three major credit reporting companies.

Myth: Trying to get stuff removed from your credit report is illegal.

Again, this is just not true. There are illegal and unethical ways to tamper with your report, but many people have incorrect or outdated items on their report and it is perfectly legal to try to have those removed or updated. The steps to accomplish this are easy, and you can do it yourself so don’t waste money on a “credit repair” company that claims it can restore your credit for a huge fee.

Myth: Credit Reporting agencies are required by law to keep negative items on your report for at least seven years.

Actually, the Fair Debt laws state that after 7 years credit reporting companies are required to remove adverse reports - and nowhere does it say that these can’t be taken off earlier. The credit reporting agencies perpetuate this myth themselves so people will not ask them to remove stuff.

Myth: Credit reporting agencies strive to keep accurate reports.

In what alternate universe? Again, a credit reporting agency is not an agent of the government, and has little interest in helping anyone out or motivation to be accurate. They are in business to make money, and they make it from the lenders.

They have a vested interest in reporting whatever the creditors tell them because the creditors pay them to, and they double dip by selling this personal and private (and often inaccurate) information to other lenders and agencies as well. They have no vested interest in removing items, or in helping you at all.

Now that you know what credit myths to watch out for, you can take steps to review your credit and begin to correct any discrepancies. Unfortunately, credit reporting agencies do hold a lot of power over the average American citizen, and it falls to you personally to make sure that you are not being taken advantage of or wrongfully portrayed.