How important is your credit score when financing a car purchase? Extremely.
When shopping for a car, if you're planning to finance it's also important to shop for the best rate.

The higher your credit score is, the better (lower) the interest rate will be when you borrow money to pay for the car.

Before you start shopping though, you need to know what your credit score is. The first thing you should do now and at least every couple of years, is obtain your credit report for free.

You can get a free report under Federal Law once per year. To get the report go to annualcreditreport.com.
This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

You can also call one of them at: Equifax: 800 525-6285, Experian: 888 397-3742, or TransUnion: 800 680-7289

The sites are secure meaning that there is very little chance that your personal information will be disrupted. You will have to share your social security number in order for the report to be generated.

There is a FAQ (frequently asked questions) tab on the site that will answer most questions you may have.
For another $14.95, you can sign up with one of the 3 sites individually and receive your credit score also.

Read the Report Carefully for Errors
Some of the information that appears on the report may be outdated or inaccurate. If you see an obvious error, contact one of the three reporting companies at their web addresses:
Equifax - equifax.com
Experian - experian.com
TransUnion - transunion.com

You will be able to dispute any negative findings on your report and/or you can speak with a representative from one of the companies. Use the toll free numbers above to do so.

You may also need to contact the bank, store, or other institution listed on the report if there is an error. Sometimes simple oversights such as a small fee remaining on a long cancelled credit card can appear. While this may have little to no impact on your credit, you should try to have it removed to prevent future problems.

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