Here is a basic consumer tip that every professional in the finance industry can agree on: be vigilant about your credit report.
Several consumer institutions are reporting mistakes on about 25% of credit reports. That’s one in four consumers. (http://bangordailynews.com/2015/01/18/business/consumer-watchdog-says-credit-reports-for-1-in-4-mainers-are-wrong/ ; http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/12/29/the-best-reason-to-check-your-credit-report.aspx; http://www.wral.com/check-credit-report-regularly-to-be-ready-to-borrow/14368617/) If there is a mistake on your report, that mistake could be hurting your credit score and opportunity to get low-interest rate financing for a home or car.
These frequent errors are why you need to be vigilant about your credit report. In order to do that, we recommend joining a free monitoring site, such as creditkarma.com.
Today, each of the credit bureaus provides a free way to dispute credit report information online. Use any of the links below to dispute an entry on your report. The credit bureau will research your dispute and get back to you via email within 30 days.
Experian: http://www.experian.com/disputes/main.html
Transunion: https://dispute.transunion.com/dp/dispute/landingPage.jsp
Equifax: https://www.ai.equifax.com/CreditInvestigation/home.action
If you are taking the above steps and experiencing problems with your credit report or just want a lawyer to handle the mess for you (at no charge to you), contact a reputable law firm well-versed in credit reports and knowledgeable about creditors and debts.