Have you thought about how good it would feel to increase your FICO credit score as quickly as you possibly can?

But before I jump ahead of myself, let’s get one thing perfectly clear…your FICO credit score can only be sold to you from Equifax. 

In essence, the credit scores you receive from other credit reporting agencies have been uniquely created by each individual agency. 

What I am talking about is the scoring models differ from agency to agency.

What does this mean for you?

In short, every agency will give you a DIFFERENT credit score. 

So, make sure you got a copy of your credit score from each agency to know exactly where you stand.

Just in case you are wondering…the three major credit reporting agency are: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

And here’s something else you need to know.  All credit-reporting agencies are required to SEND you a free credit report (upon your request) once a year.

On top of that – if you are denied credit for any reason – you are entitled to a free credit report from the agency that the creditor used.

Chew on this for a minute…your FICO score is the score that the majority of lenders look at before they extend credit to you.

Aside from that, one thing’s for sure…if your credit score is low, getting credit will be a tough nut to crack.

Now, pay close attention to the different scoring models used by credit reporting agencies…

1.    The broad-based next generation credit bureau risk score is called NextGen.
2.    Equifax calls their FICO scoring model the BEACON.
3.    TransUnion’s scoring model is called EMPIRICA.
4.    Experian chooses the Fair Isaac Risk Model.
5.    Credit Card issuers, Car loan lenders, Personal financing lenders, and those offering other installment loans used the Industry Option SM

As you might have guessed now that you’ve come to the end of this article…it is to see how important it is for you to understand your FICO credit score. 

And guess what?  This is only just the beginning.

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An important factor that plays an important role in maintaining a Clean Credit Report is actually the contents of your credit report. The credit report is pretty much the story of your financial life, contained in a detailed document.

The credit report carries the credit score, which is a numeric ranking usually between 300 and 850. Several lenders use the credit score to help them decided whether you are worthy of a credit. More so, the score is also used to determine your capability of paying a loan. The credit report is important and cleaning or maintaining a good credit report is vital to your financial survival.

A Look inside the Credit Report

In a credit report, the first entry is normally your  personal information. It includes your name, listed telephone number/s, previous and current addresses, reported differences of your Social Security Number, past and present employer and the date of birth.

The information regarding your credit accounts follows your personal information entry. This is also listed in detail and normally includes loans, the maximum loan amount, and information of any joint account holders or co-signers. The credit report also incorporate a section, called Inquiries, which lists any person who has recently requested a copy of the credit report.

There are some states, wherein the credit report contains public record information. This information can feature overdue payments, bankruptcies or other judgments in the court. Normally, these entries can last for up to ten years and may affect your chances of obtaining a loan negatively.

How to Start

Firstly, in order to clean your credit report, you will need to order a copy of the report. You must determine what is out of date or inaccurate, after which you can submit a letter to the bureau requesting fixes to the information. This process may take a long time and you may be required to do several follow-ups with each bureau before achieving a clean credit report. However, to perform this correctly, you must be aware of the information the credit agencies are allowed to report and the duration.

Ordering a credit report can be easily done and accessible to everyone, since at least one free report can be obtained by the consumer each year; this rule is also included under the FCRA or Fair Credit Reporting Act. More so, the consumer is also allowed to obtain a free copy of his or her credit report each year from each of the three major companies handling credit reporting, namely the Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. However, in case you have already obtained a copy of your credit report this year, you may be required to pay an additional fee if you want another copy.

Once you have obtained your report, review it carefully. Every detail must be inspected since bureaus can sometimes confuse names, addresses or employers. Most often, people who have common names have credit reports that may contain information on other variations of their name.

Additionally, it is important to perform a periodic check on the credit report. It is advisable to order a copy of the report once a year and dispute any possible inaccuracies. Always take careful steps in handling your payments and make sure not to make any late payments. Time is of the essence and even minimum payments should not be neglected. Remember that carefully managing your credit can add as much as fifty points to your credit score per year.

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