The information in your credit report has a huge impact on whether or not you qualify for a mortgage loan and what interest rate a lender will offer. Therefore, its important your credit report reflects a positive image of the way you manage your money. If you're getting ready to buy a home, checking your credit report is the best way to ensure you get the loan and interest rate you deserve.

The easiest way to see whats in your credit report is to contact the three national credit reporting agencies Equifax www.equifax.com,
Experian www.experian.com and TransUnion www.transunion.com - and request a copy from each. Thats because the three agencies are independent of each other and the information may differ on all three reports. In addition, you may not know which agency your lender will use to check your credit, so its best to verify that all three have correct information about your credit history.

For a fee, each agency may offer you different report variations, such as:

• A credit report with or without your credit score.
• A three-in-one credit report that lets you see a side-by-side comparison of records, from all three agencies, with or without scores.
• Notification services when your credit history is requested.
• Routine notification changes to your file.
• Subscriptions that allow you to access your report on a regular basis.

New law promotes free access to credit reports
As of September 1, 2005, you can now get your credit report for free. A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) mandates that each agency provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every year, from www.annualcreditreport.com. 

Whether you are thinking of buying a home or simply curious about whats in your credit report,  its important to correct any errors you discover as soon as possible.  You dont want errors in your credit report  affecting your eligibility for credit in the future.