Annual Credit Report Review

Do you review your credit report annually? Before you shrug off and say, “Credit Reports? Who cares?” Think again my friend. With identity theft now so prevalent, checking your credit report helps you catch erroneous and fraudulent transactions early, saving you endless hours of frustration and credit damage. As of 2005, consumers are able to get a FREE copy of their credit report – one free report annually from each of the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Obtaining a free, annual report from bureaus is a very wise move. These reports may expose surprises lingering in your credit closet. Checking your report gives you the opportunity to clean up any errors such as: late payments that never happened; unreported debt that would normally help raise your credit score if it was on your report; and, most importantly, debt that isn’t yours.

Why bother to clean up your report? Because credit errors can haunt you in ways you never imagined. So many other aspects of your life are affected by what’s in your report besides credit lending.

Your credit history is in part how landlords, lenders, employers, insurance companies, and more view YOU. If you have a poor credit history, expect a tough go with insurance rates or, depending on the company, securing insurance at all. Also, if you try to get a new job, your report may work against you. Not to mention the fact that trying to secure any new credit would be a nightmare.

If you would like to review your credit report but also would like to have someone go over it with you to explain what is what, come to Purina Credit Union and use our Credit Concierge program. You’ll be able to see your credit report and someone will explain to you what information is there and why. You’ll also be given a copy of your report to take with you --- all this, for FREE.

To schedule a date and time to use PCU’s Credit Concierge, just call (314) 982-2888 or send an email to member_help@purinacu.org.