The credit report will also show a record of any debts that have been turned over to a collection agency. It will show the date the collection was reported, the name of the company handling the collections and the company or lender that the loan was originally issued with and the balance remaining on the account.

Public Records

These are reports obtained from local, state and federal courts. They will indicate records of bankruptcies, tax liens and monetary judgments. Overdue child support records may also be shown. These public records will remain part of your credit history for seven to ten years and reflect negatively on your total credit score.

Inquiry Section

This section reveals any parties that have obtained a copy of your credit report over the last two years. There are generally two types of inquires, hard and soft. A hard inquiry is one initiated by you, whenever you apply for a loan or fill out a credit application. A soft inquiry comes in three forms; companies that wish to offer you promotional applications for credit, current creditors that are monitoring your account or credit bureau inquires requested by you, the consumer. These soft inquires do not show up on credit reports that businesses receive, only on copies provided to you. Although many lenders will view too many inquiries on your report as negative, it is important to note that two or more 'hard' inquires within a 14 day period count as just one inquiry.

Credit Score

The credit report can also reveal your credit score. A credit rating scores is a means of calculating an individual's credit risk to determine how likely they would be to make good on a loan. The score is a three digit number ranging between 300 and 850. The higher your score, the better it reflects on you as a borrower. A good credit rating score will enable you to negotiate for better interest rates.

Disputes

What if you should find an error on your credit report? Once you have discovered an error, contact the credit bureau that issued the credit report and state in writing what you found to be inaccurate. You will find the contact information listed at the top of your credit report.

The credit reporting companies must reinvestigate the claim within 30 days. They will then contact the party that submitted the item and attempt to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible. Remember, you have the right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to dispute any inaccurate or fraudulent information that may appear on your credit report, and should do so in a timely fashion.

Once you learn to read and understand a credit report, you are moving towards a more secure financial future. Obtain your report today!

Melanie Cossey is a successful home based freelance writer. Melanie writes many informative articles on the topic of credit, such as What is a FICO score and why is it important and Comprehending a Credit Report. To lean more about credit reports visit http://www.ultimate-credit-report.com for more on credit scores visit http://www.ultimate-credit-report.com/credit-score.html