What to look out for on your credit report

You probably already know that you should check your credit report at least once a year. But just why should you care about your credit report in the first place? Well, your credit report is the “snapshot” of your financial health that’s used by lenders, landlords, credit card companies, insurance agencies, cell phone companies and even future employers to judge your creditworthiness. Your credit report and your credit score is based on your credit history, and lenders use that to decide your ability to pay your bills or repay your debt.

So your credit history impacts a lot, which is why checking your credit report and making sure it’s accurate is so important. Understanding your credit report – what you owe and to whom – and making sure your report doesn’t have any errors will make sure that you’re as financially healthy as possible.

When you do get your credit report, you’ll want to look through it to make sure that everything is accurate and there is no suspicious activity or accounts you don’t recognize. Here’s what to look for when you look through your credit report:

Information that’s not yours: If you have a common name, your credit history might have some information from someone else’s history. Make sure your name and address are accurate on your report.

Information from an ex-spouse: If you are divorced, your ex’s information may be mixed up with yours.

Accounts you don’t recognize: If there is an account on your credit report that you don’t recognize, it could mean that someone has used your personal identity to open up financial accounts in your name. This is also known as identity theft. Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it for financial gain. A person might open a new credit card account or open a new bank account in your name if they someone got access to your full name, birth date and Social Security number. If bad checks are written or bills are not paid from these accounts, it will show up on your credit report.

Out-of-date information: You may have negative marks that are listed after the legal deadline for removing them from your report. Most negative marks can stay on your account for up to 7 years.

Wrong notes for closed accounts: An account that you closed yourself may look like a creditor closed the account. An account closed by a creditor can actually hurt your credit history, so make sure it’s reported correctly.

Non-delinquent accounts still appear as delinquent or more than one delinquent date is listed on your account: Credit reporting agencies may not have noted which delinquencies have been fixed. Similarly, it you have an account that’s in collections, your report might accidentally have more than one date for when your account became delinquent. Make sure there’s only one date listed.

If you do spot an error on your credit report, you have the right to dispute any inaccurate or incomplete information. You’ll need to contact both the credit bureau and the organization or company that provided that information. Both are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report.

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