Credit reports are now available online with a click of a button. These instant credit reports are instrumental in giving a person a clear picture of where their credit rating stands, and how potential mortgage lenders view their creditworthiness.

The major credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. They all provide instant online credit reports. These reports can be requested through online application forms that ask for name, age, address and social security number. They also request a fee that can be made by credit card online. Almost instantly, the credit report appears and shows information about the credit history, details of all open accounts and delinquencies if any. The FICO score is mentioned on the report, and companies that inquired about your credit are listed.

Other advantages of using the internet is receiving a free dispute credit report letter. A free dispute credit report letter can allow you to dispute any errors you find on your credit report. This is essential to getting and maintaining a good credit score. Furthermore, you can also use the internet in learning about reporting bad debt to credit report. This is another essential step in improving your credit score. The internet has an abundance of information regarding identifying and reporting errors on a credit report.

The government is bound by law to give a credit report to those who have been turned down by creditors. This credit report is accessible at any time of the year and can be accessed by lenders or borrowers whenever they wish. Other legal pre-requisites for obtaining a credit report include - having a valid social security number and the age of the person (above 18 years).

Many of the web sites on the internet offering credit reports online, offer a free 30 day trial. Take advantage of this trial and receive a free printable online credit report. After you receive this, you can then cancel the membership to that web site if you think you will no longer need to use their services.