Review your credit reports for accuracy

Check identity information, accounts, balances, payment history, inquiries, and public-record sections.

Words to know

• Credit report: A record of credit accounts, payment history, balances, and certain requests to view the record.
• Credit score: A number calculated from information in a credit report.
• Utilization: The share of available revolving credit that is reported as used.

The main idea

A credit report is the underlying record; a credit score is a model’s summary of record data.

Use this lesson as a starting point. Check the current numbers, written terms, and dates that apply to you. If a detail is missing, leave it blank until an official record or qualified professional can confirm it.

What can change the answer

• Credit reports can contain information from several companies.
• Different scoring models can weigh report information differently.
• A freeze, fraud alert, dispute, and credit lock do different jobs.

Three things to remember

• Review all bureaus
• Dispute factual errors
• Keep copies

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying a company to dispute an error that can be disputed for free.
• Assuming a credit freeze erases report history or raises a score.
• Sharing full report details or access credentials unnecessarily.

Try these steps

• Use the authorized official report source
• Highlight errors
• Follow the bureau dispute process

Questions to ask yourself

• Is the underlying report information accurate?
• Which action created the inquiry or balance?
• Does the next step protect the file without blocking something you need?