 TITLE: What Is a Credit Report? CONTENT: What to Look for in a Credit Report\n-----------------------------------\nWhen you examine your credit report, it's a good idea to to do the following:\n*   **Be certain you recognize all the accounts listed on your report.** If not, get in touch with the lender listed for that account to find out what is happening and to check for the possibility of identity theft.\n*   **Make sure the account status information is correct for your accounts.** If it is not, start by calling the lender to ask about the discrepancy, then initiate a dispute.\n*   **Check the credit utilization ratio on each revolving credit account.** To do this, divide the reported balance for each by its credit limit, then multiply by 100 to get a percentage. You also can calculate an overall utilization ratio by dividing the sum of all your balances by the sum of all their credit limits. Remember to keep your utilization ratio below 30% on individual accounts and overall. END