Before you even consider applying for a personal loan you should get a copy of your credit report. Why?
There are two main elements you need to look out for on your credit report, incorrect information and/or outdated information. Either of two can not only adversly effect the interest rate, loan amount, and terms of your loan, your chances of approval diminish if you have erroneous negative marks on your credit report.
Incorrent Information - There are three main credit reporting companies, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. All three companies are going to have a different profile of your credit history. There is a great possibility that one or more of these companies are going to have information about your credit history that is not correct. For example, there may be a late payment or delinquent account reported, even though they do not exist or never happened. Or even worse, there can be an innacurrate bankruptcy on your credit report. We will detail below what you should do if there is incorrect information listed on your credit report.
Outdated Inforamtion - Again, there is a great liklihood that one or more of three major credit reporting companies will have outdated information on your credit report. For example, a bankruptcy is only legally allowed to be present on your credit report for 10 years. Any other negative mark can only stay on your credit report for 7 years.
What should I do if there is incorrect information or outdated information on my credit? - You need to fix it fast! - Once you recognize any errors and/or outdated information, you need to write a certified letter to the specific reporting agency. They must conduct their own investigation and confrim that the mark in question is in fact correct. If they can not, it must be removed. You want to save a copy of every letter you send. Note, that it may take several requests before the negative information is cleared.
In conclusion, it is very important that you get a copy of your credit report before applying for personal loans. You don't want to leave any possibility of erroneous negative information hurting your chances for approval!
Choice Personal Loans specializes in arranging unsecured personal loans for all credit types. We work with lenders that are ready to give individuals with poor credit a second chance.