Credit reporting agencies maintain electronic records of your credit activities. Today, there are three major national credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. If you are planning on applying for a loan or credit anytime in the near future, it’s a good idea to obtain a copy of your credit report.

There are three nationwide consumer reporting agencies, which compile the credit reports. These can also be purchased form any of these three agencies, or any other company, that offers the credit reports as part of a larger package. The total cost is not high and, those that wish to verify their credit score, are free to do so, thanks to the law, but only once every 12 months are you legally entitled to receive a copy. The initial copy is free of charge, and once you have the report, you can be your own judge, and see whether or not you have a good or bad rating. Any verification for errors of your report is also free of charge, and any discrepancies in your credit can be repaired.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act was amended a few years ago to beef up consumer privacy. Under its rules, you are legally entitled to obtain your credit report from a credit reporting agency. This includes receiving a list of everyone that has requested your report.

The credit reporting agencies compile these reports in the credit file that holds your past reports, and the reports in the file can stay there for years before they finally expire. It is from these files that credit reporting agencies generate your credit score and create a credit report on you when it is requested.

A bit more detailed than your credit score, credit reporting agencies also produce full credit reports for those creditors or employers who request them. These reports show your credit score as well as a listing of the reports that you’ve received over a period of time… this time can vary from 6 months to several years. You can also request a copy of your own credit report, either by ordering it from a credit agency or by applying for a free credit report via certain government agencies (depending upon where you live) or credit monitoring services who in turn will try to sell you a subscription to their service which tells you when changes are made to your credit report.

No doubt about it, credit score rating scales are confusing. Working through all the numbers can leave you wondering what it all means. Understanding ratings and how they work will help you to read and understand your credit score more easily.

Companies review various data when building your credit score. Here are just a few:

- Past Payment History – Timing of Bill Payments – Outstanding Debt – Credit History

Large amounts of debt and short credit history will result in a lower credit score even if there are no problems that stand against your credit.

Recently, credit applications take your credit score into consideration. Applying often for credit by filling out store applications for credit cards will cause you to receive a lower score. High amounts of credit card debt at high interest rates will do the same damage.

700 or higher is considered to be a good credit score. Being awarded credit at low interest rates should not be a problem if you have a score of 700 or higher.

With a score of 450 to 650 points to that your credit score needs improvement. Finding a loan or qualifying for a credit card t this score will be more difficult unless you have some type of security. Considered to be a higher risk, higher interest rates will likely be an issue as well.

Below 450 and you likely won’t qualify for a loan or credit card until you pursue some form of credit counseling to improve your score.

To improve your rating, check out the many sources that can assist you. Credit counseling services are available online as well as in the telephone book and many offer their services for free. Assessment of your financial situation is available and advice to improve your credit score will likely move you toward your goal of a higher credit score.