Many Americans would be amazed as to what they find in their credit report. I have had to deal with errors in my credit report for a long time now. My problems arise because I am named after my father. You would think that in this day and age, and with the many technological advancements that exist due to computers, distinguishing between two different people would be easy. Apparently, this concept eludes the credit reporting bureaus.
Due to the fact that my father’s accounts appear on my credit report and vice versa, I constantly have to contact the three bureaus and the reporting banks. It really is a nightmare! I have to do this because two things are happening when the bureaus and the banks incorrectly report accounts in my credit report. First, I lose confidence in the credit reporting system and the bank that incorrectly reports. Second, my father loses the benefits of having his accounts in his reports and my debt to available credit ratio changes, which could lower my score.
As you may know, Congress has changed many laws regarding credit reporting in order to benefit the consumer. If you go to www.annualcreditreport.com, you will get a free copy of your credit report from all three reporting companies. These reports are 100% free, meaning you do not have to sign up for some 30-day credit monitoring service. In is important to note that you can only get one free copy of your credit report from the three bureaus only ONCE per year!
If you share your name with somebody in your family, it would be a good idea to check your credit report. Keep in mind that you will not get access to your credit scores, but you will see if any negative information appears on your credit report.