Your credit score can be the best or worst thing in your life. Either it is the gateway to a new car or the home of your dreams, or it is the uncrossable desert that you don’t understand how to get across. Your Credit is something you should start watching from the moment you get your first job. 

If you didn’t quite get on the credit score bandwagon fast enough, you might not understand exactly what is changing your score or what you can do about it. This post is dedicated to the most important things you should know now that you are aware you have a credit score.

Just What Is My Credit Score?

The first thing you need to know is that you do not actually have just one credit score. There are three major consumer credit reporting companies, and if they do not have identical information for any reason, they will not all have the same score listed for you. Also, some lenders will use a different system depending on the loan you are applying for.

Don’t Assume, Don’t Trust, Always Verify

The biggest mistake that anyone can make is to assume that the companies involved in what creates your credit score are perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and your credit score information will pass through several hands before it gets to the end of the line. You should never simply trust that your credit score information is correct.

To be sure that all your credit report information is correct you should get a complete copy of the credit reports from all three consumer companies. Check each one carefully and dispute any inaccurate information you find. If you need to file a dispute, be sure that you use the process each company has in place. Also, try to dispute only one problem with each company at a time if you find more than one.