How to Increase Your Credit Awareness

This is an article I wrote and published on ezinearticles.com. I thought I would post it here because it has some good content on credit.

Consumers need to become more credit aware now that lending institutions have stricter approval criteria. One way to do this is to check your credit report and score periodically. There are many resources available to check your credit report and score. Some are free and some are "free". Some "free" sites give you a free trial, but if you do not cancel the service, you will be charged a monthly fee. I am going to tell you about several free sources to help you become knowledgeable about your credit.

Your first stop should be to website called www.annualcreditreport.com. This website was created by the three credit bureaus - Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian - as a way for consumers to request one free credit report per year. For an additional fee, you may purchase add-ons like credit score and credit analysis. I recommend using the following tactic. There are three credit bureaus. The information found in each report is often times very similar. Instead of requesting all three at the same time, you should request one every 4 months. That way you are getting a look at your credit report more regularly then once a year.

Your next stop should be to www.creditkarma.com. This website allows consumers to get their Experian credit score for free. You can recheck your score as often as you like. I use this website myself and find it user friendly and accurate. It also rates different areas on your report so you can see how you stack up against other consumers. The way this website makes money is from banks and credit card companies that pay them to display products that they feel you would purchase.

For more in depth information on credit and to learn more about actively monitoring your credit, I recommend equifax.com This website offers a credit monitoring service for a small monthly fee. This will alert you to changes on your credit report, new accounts, and a host of activities. Also, it includes real-time credit scores. There are also forums where you can post questions about credit and find help in correcting credit discrepancies, finding loans, and much more.

By getting more information about your credit, you can increase your awareness and become a credit savvy consumer. As you monitor your credit and improve it over time, you will notice many benefits including lower interest rates on loans, better credit card offers, and much more.

Christopher Byrd has years of banking and credit union experience. He has a degree in Marketing specializing in Sales Management from the University of West Florida. He is a recognized credit expert and assists consumers in building better financial habits and improving their credit score.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6413680

Recent Article About An Investment Club

I just read an interesting article by Paul Sullivan (profile at The New York Times). Paul recently spent a day with an investment club called Tiger 21. According to the article,

"Each of the 180 members of Tiger 21 has a net worth of at least $10 million, pays $30,000 in annual membership fees and commits to spending one day a month with other members."

There is some great information in the article. Here is the link: Financial Advice Gleaned From a Day in the Hot Seat

Equifax Credit Watch Service

Equifax offers an excellent credit monitoring service. There are several options to choose from depending on the level of protection you are looking for. Check out this link to see if there is an option that will meet your needs.

New NTCUE Video: "A Bank" Story

Here is my latest video featuring a quick story about an experience I had at a branch of a national bank.