CHECK ALL YOUR SCORES

Tip:

If you haven't checked your creditreport lately, a recent survey by theConsumer Federation of Americaand the National Credit ReportingAssociation of America gives youanother reason to do so. According tothe survey, which examined the creditreports of 500,000 consumers, thecredit score can vary depending onwhich of the 3 major credit bureausis doing the reporting—Experian(www.experian.com), Equifax (www.equifax.com), or TransUnion (www.transunion.com). More than a quarterof the credit records had variationsof at least 50 points, and 4%varied by at least 100 points. Creditscores that are lower by 50 to 100points can lead to consumers payinghigher interest rates on mortgagesand auto loans and higherinsurance premiums on their homeownersand auto insurance policies.Get a copy of your credit reportfrom all 3 bureaus and report anyerrors or discrepancies.