The three major credit bureaus do not necessary use the same system, and use different names for it, therefore it should not come as a surprise if the scores the churn out are a bit different. Go To annualcreditreport.com Next, go to annualcreditreport.com, which is the only authorized Web site of the FTC. Check out any incorrect payments, credit limits, or collection data that you strongly feel is not yours. It's a fact that some typing errors or numerical glitches often show up on some credit reports; therefoe you need to get a copy of your credit report at least once a year. Pay Your Obligations On Time Always make sure that you pay off all types of debt or bills on time. And while some credit monitoring agencies brag about their daily monitoring, the truth is that it s not as real-time as advertised, since many creditors often are late, or incur delays, when reporting new data to the credit bureaus. There are other alternatives to credit monitoring services though. The choices include identity-monitoring services, which cost less, and provide you with a fair amount of credit report monitoring for free. However, a person cannot simply wish to receive credit as they please, because they will need to apply for it, and most credit companies also take a closer look at a person s credit report, to see if they are truly credit-worthy, and know how to manage their finances well. Here are the five basic elements of a credit report. Avoid Getting Extra Credit Cards If you can live with just one credit card, then by all means remain happy with only one card at your disposal. Avoid signing-up for the various credit card offerings you receive in the mail, as well as from the department store or mall clerks who want you to sign up for store discount cards. This type of inquiry does not have much of a negative effect on an individual's credit score, sicne it was made at the request of a consumer or established creditor. A hard inquiry though,can considerably lower down a person's credit score. A hard inquiry happens once a credit report request is made by a lender who's considering the new loan, or by another party who has debts or liens to collect from the individual.