There are numerous websites where you can easily check your credit report online, but the majority of places will charge you a fee to access your records. Thankfully, there are a handful of places where you can now get a copy of credit report completely free of charge.

Pictured below is a sample credit report which you can get from CreditExpert Experian for free. We highly recommend you take advantage of their offer if you have never checked your credit report, or it has been a while since you last accessed your records. They currently offer a 30 day free trial which can be cancelled after you have received your report.

Why Check Your Credit Report?

Your credit report is not just a record of your personal financial history, but it is also the key to your financial future, therefore, it is important that you make sure that it is kept up-to-date. By checking it regularly you may be able to greatly improve your chances for getting a loan, credit card, mortgage and of course a mobile phone contract.

If these reasons are not enough for you, then here are four reasons why you should check your credit report:

1. If you ever want to apply for a credit card, loan or mortgage this information will be used by lenders, along with your application form. By taking a moment to check your credit report first, you will be able to ensure that it is accurate. This will increase your chances of getting the deals that you desire.
2. If you have been refused credit by a lender it may be because you have outstanding loans, are over-extended or have missed past payments. Your credit can also be affected by someone with whom you share an account as well as by the fact of whether or not you are registered to vote. This voting information is used as a precaution against fraud so that the lender can make sure that you are who you say you are and that you live where you claim to live. After having identified any problems here, you will be able to take the appropriate action. For instance, you may need to pay off a loan or register to vote.
3. If you are concerned about identity theft then you should check your credit report on a regular basis. This will help you to see if anything is wrong. For instance, there may be a loan that you do not know about or a credit application that you did not make. By recognizing these things when they first happen, you will be able to stop the fraudster before they wreak havoc on your life.
4. If you disagree with anything on your credit report or think that something needs to be explained in more detail so that you can straighten things out, then you will want to check your credit report. For instance, you should know that if you have missed a payment due to an illness, but you have never missed any other payment, then you can write this in on your credit report.