All about Experian

There are three national credit bureaus which track consumers' financial information and record it in the form of credit reports and credit scores - Experian is one of these. By signing onto the company's website at www.Experian.com, you'll have access to many products that will help you manage your credit. For example, you can review and monitor your Experian credit report and score and take steps to protect yourself against identity theft. There is a fee for Experian's products, but in terms of what you can accomplish in tracking your financial records, it may be well worth the investment.

Each credit bureau's reports are unique

It's important to know that when it comes to your credit history, each credit bureau - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax - create their own unique credit report and credit score for you. For this reason youíll need to order a copy of your information from all three companies in order to get a complete overview of your financial situation.

Experian credit report and credit score products

It's a good idea to check the information in your credit report at least once a year to make sure all of the information is correct. You can order a copy of your Experian credit report for $10.00; or add on a copy of your Experian FICO credit score for an additional $5. You can also go through Experian to order copies of all three of your credit bureau reports and unique credit scores for $39.95. If you discover any erroneous information in your reports, use Experian's online dispute reporting system to correct it.

A different view of your credit score

Experian also features a service for $5.95 called Vantage Score℠ which offers a simple way to know exactly where your credit rating stands from a lender's viewpoint. Rather than providing a standard three-digit credit score between 300 and 850, Vantage Score uses both a number and a letter grade to rate your credit. Under this type of credit grading system, your score would mean the following:

A = 901-900 - you have a super prime credit rating
B = 801-900 - your rating is prime plus
C = 701-800 - you have a prime credit rating
D = 601-700 - your credit score is considered non-prime
F = 501-600 - you're considered a high risk borrower

Experian helps you protect yourself from identity theft

To defend yourself against the possibility of identity theft, it's important to take a proactive stance when it comes to your financial information. By purchasing a credit monitoring product from Experian, you can do just that. Experian will monitor your credit reports daily and send you notifications if anything significant changes on your report. You can then sign in to Experianís website to assess if the activity was fraudulent.

Experian offers a full range of additional products and services that help with credit management. For more information go to www.Experian.com