1. What you “look” like at the credit bureau What creditors see when they pull up your records

2. Credit report This is simply a record of your personal financial transactions/credit history. Think of it the same way as a report card from school tracks your grades and success

3. Credit Score Remember the 4 C’s of credit? Collateral Capitol Capacity Character These are all factored and considered into your Credit Score

4. When is my credit report pulled up? Anytime you apply for a type of loan, or loan product! Creditors actually purchase your report from the credit bureau and review it in order to make a decision on whether or not to give you a loan, and or determining the loan terms

5. Surprising places that look… Land lords Cell phone companies Employers

6. Who are the Credit Bureaus? Three main credit reporting agencies in the U.S.A: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion These are regionally located, west coast, east coast and mid west.

7. When Can I Look at My Credit Score? You are allowed to view your credit once a year, for free, without penalty. Personally requesting this DOES NOT hurt your score, however, too many creditors accessing your credit can ruin your score

8. Keys to Building a Good Credit Score Pay your bills on time Save your money; savings account Be choosy about credit cards and loans you take It is better to maintain a low balance on a card and pay it off consistently than to not have any balance

9. Ways To Hurt your Credit Score Making late payments-ONE late payment can hurt your score Writing bad checks Maintain high balances on credit cards and loans Changing credit cards frequently; transferring balances

10. What If Your Credit Report Contains An Error? This can happen, sometimes by a mistake or if fraud has taken place. Contact the credit bureau and ask an agent to investigate the error; they are required by law to correct anything that is a mistake…this can take awhile, but is important to be proactive about.

11. Tips For Securing Credit Get a credit card from the bank where you already have a savings and checking account Apply for a store credit card; Gap, Old Navy. These are easier to obtain than major bank cards If you are renting an apartment with friends, get a utility in your name and PAY it!

12. Did You Know? Read and consider this section on page 52