A credit bureau gathers information about how consumers use credit. In other words, they collect information from as many consumer financial transactions or inquiries as they can. They then sell access to that combined information to anyone who has a legally-recognized reason (permissible purpose).

Let me start by saying that this is a first-rate secured credit card. Really, the only downside to the Navy Federal Credit Union nRewards Secured Card is that to be eligible, you have be in the military or related to someone who is. But if you meet the eligibility requirements, this is one of the best cards out there for rebuilding or establishing credit.

Free Access to Credit Scores Act — Consumers already have the ability to request their free credit report once a year, but a credit report does not include your credit score. These two items are often confused to be the same, which they are not. You generally must pay to see your credit score — it’s a three-digit grade that predicts how risky you are to a lender.

Writing a quality credit dispute letter will help you get the results you want to improve your credit score. There are many samples available on the Internet, but you have to ensure that they contain certain elements before you copy and use them. Here are some qualities of a successful credit dispute letter and advice on including them in yours.

When it comes to secured credit cards, the Citi Secured MasterCard is one of the good guys. You’ll see why this is a good card for consumers with bad credit when we get to the rates and fees.