Every consumer has a credit report. A credit report is a record of

• How much credit you have
• Your history of repayment (whether you are late or on time with payments)
• Public records (including bankruptcy, tax liens, child support)
• Identity information such as your name, social security number and birthdate
• Who has viewed your credit report

Credit reports are used primarily by lenders to grant credit or increase credit lines. However, a host of other people access credit reports for various reasons; including landlords, employers, and insurers to help them decide if they want to rent to you, hire you, or insure you.

WCLA Credit Union does not endorse the purchase of credit repair products.  We do encourage that you understand how credit scoring works and know what is contained in your personal credit file.

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit file every year.  Visit https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action to access a copy. This site also has links to articles on understanding your credit report and credit score, correcting mistakes on your credit report, and advice for improving your credit score.

There are three major credit reporting agencies.  Each of them has helpful information for learning about how to manage your credit score:

• Equifax https://www.equifax.com/personal/
• Experian https://www.experian.com/
• TransUnion  https://www.transunion.com/

Another helpful website to learn about how to improve your credit score is by the initial pioneer in credit scoring:  https://www.myfico.com/credit-education.