Information about your all important Credit Report.

Almost a third of all credit reports contain inaccurate or outdated information that could end up affecting your credit rating. Make sure that your report does not have any inaccurate information on there. Order your own credit report to review it and find out what's going on.

The 3 major Credit Reporting Agencies are EQUIFAX, EXPERIAN and TRANS UNION.

If you have been denied credit, insurance or employment in the past 60 days then you have a right to get your credit report for free. In addition, some states require that the credit bureaus give you a free copy every year. Contact all of the agencies below to request a copy of your credit report. There may be an average charge of $8.50 if you are not entitled to a free copy.

Equifax, Consumer Services, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241, Phone: 800-997-2493, www.equifax.com

Experian, National Consumer Assistance Center, 701 Experian Parkway, P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013-0036, Phone: 888-397-3742, www.experian.com

Trans Union LLC, Consumer Disclosure Center, P.O. Box 390, Springfield, PA 19064, Phone: 800-888-4213, www.transunion.com

You should receive your credit report by mail in 1-2 weeks. Review it carefully and note any incorrect information, if any. In case of inaccurate information you need to notify the credit bureau in writing immediately, explaining what is wrong and asking them to fix the problem immediately. The credit bureau has then 30 days to contact the bank or lender to investigate your claim and respond to you. If your claim is right the creditor must correct it with all the agencies that received the wrong information.