{"id":1367,"date":"2013-06-13T12:25:25","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T16:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myfinancialfocus.net\/mainsite\/?p=1367"},"modified":"2025-08-24T06:38:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T10:38:49","slug":"cleaning-up-your-credit-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myfinancialfocus.net\/mainsite\/index.php\/cleaning-up-your-credit-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Cleaning Up Your Credit Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

One thing I encourage people to do regularly is review their credit report. Over the last few weeks I have asked several people if they have recently reviewed their report and I received the following reply back from everyone one of them- “yes, my score is…”. I proceeded to go on to tell them that a score and a report are two different things.<\/p>\n

Your credit score, or FICO score, is a quick number that is reflective of how you have done with credit. Your credit report is a breakdown of what is actually appearing on your credit history at the time.<\/p>\n

Your report is free to you every year. Depending on your state of residence, it may be available to you more than once a year. You should obtain your report regularly, at least once a year, and monitor for any changes. Your credit report is one way to see if anything is being done illegally with your identity. You can only get your report FREE at one website – www.annualcreditreport.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n

In that report you will find the good and the bad of your report. The good would consist of all the past credit you have had and that it is now paid off! The bad would consist of current open items of credit and maybe things you have failed to pay off. One thing your report may also contain is inaccuracies. It is your responsibility to identify the inaccuracies and request that they be removed.<\/p>\n

Your request to fix a credit report mistake must be sent to the credit reporting company. That written request should also be sent via certified mail with a receipt confirmation so that you know when the credit reporting company has received your request. From that point on, that company has 30 days to either confirm that the issue is correct or they must remove it. If, after 30 days, there is no proof the item must be removed. It is your responsibility to hold them to the deadline.<\/p>\n

If the reporting company confirms from the creditor that the item is correct, you will then need to challenge the issue with the creditor.<\/p>\n

Do not be deceived in thinking that old items less than seven years old will be taken off if requested. If they are real and correct, they will appear on your report for seven years.<\/p>\n

It is in your best interest to keep your report clean. If you have not pulled your report lately, do it today. Don’t forget reports are per person – not a couple.<\/p>\n

Click the REPLY button and lets know what you found in your report and\/or your process of cleaning your report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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