Know Your Credit Score

Looking for a mortgage? The Mortgage Bankers Association
(MBA) offers the following tips for securing the lowest rate. First,
determine your credit score, which can vary from a low of 300 to
850 points, from the three primary credit bureaus: Equifax,
800-685-1111 or www.equifax.com; TransUnion, 800-888-4213 or
www.transunion.com; and Experian, 888-387-3742 or
www.experian.com. Generally, there's a fee that must be paid unless
you have been turned down for credit because of something in a
report. The MBA also recommends bringing credit card balances
down to less than 30 percent of each card's credit limit, and not to
apply for any new lines of credit. Also keep credit card accounts open
rather than closing some and lumping all debt into a single account.
It's better to have a number of credit cards with each debt less than the
30 percent limit than it is to have only a single card with more than
30 percent of your available credit used.