Credit Check Guide

Profile

Your Credit Starting Point

You do not need a perfect score to make progress. Start with what you know.

Name

Current credit score range

Date reviewed

What do you want better credit to help you do?

Reports

Pull and Save Your Reports

Check one or more reports and keep notes. You can use AnnualCreditReport.com or a trusted credit monitoring source.

Suggested free places to start: AnnualCreditReport.com for reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion; FreeCreditReport.com for an Experian credit report and score access; and Credit Karma for Equifax and TransUnion report monitoring.

Quick note: Free tools may require an account, may show different score models, and may offer paid products. Use them for education and monitoring, not as a guarantee of what a lender will decide.

Reports reviewed Equifax report reviewed Experian report reviewed TransUnion report reviewed Saved or downloaded a copy for my records

Report notes, login issues, or places to follow up

Review

Scan for Red Flags

Review the report slowly. Mark anything that needs attention.

Items checked Name, address, and identity information are correct All listed accounts look familiar Late payments are accurate Collections or charge-offs are familiar Balances and limits look reasonable Recent inquiries look familiar Public records, judgments, or bankruptcy information are understood Duplicate accounts or old accounts are not being counted twice

Anything inaccurate, unfamiliar, or worth disputing?

Utilization

Understand Balance Pressure

Credit scores often respond to payment history and balance pressure. If you have credit cards or lines of credit, compare balances to limits.

Total credit card balances

Total credit card limits

Past-due amount to address

Which account must stay current first?

Action

Choose a 30-Day Credit Priority

Pick one focus. Credit improves through repeated, specific actions.

Top priority

My next credit action

Action due date

Who can help me follow through?

Print

Printable Credit Action Plan

Keystone Credit Check

Credit Action Plan

Use this sheet to track what was reviewed, what needs attention, and the next action to take.

Credit
Plan

Score range-

Utilization-

Priority-

Checklist-

Credit goal: Not answered yet

Possible dispute item: No dispute item listed yet

Past-due amount: Not listed yet

Account to protect first: Not answered yet

Next action: Add your next action

Action due date: Not selected yet

Support person or resource: Not answered yet

Credit Reminders

Payment history matters: paying on time is usually the most important credit habit.
Lower balance pressure: using less of available credit can help over time, especially when balances are high.
Dispute with documentation: keep copies of reports, letters, account statements, and confirmation numbers.
Avoid panic applications: several new applications in a short period can make rebuilding harder.
Use AI carefully: after removing personal details like Social Security numbers, full account numbers, addresses, and birth dates, you can summarize what you found and ask an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude for possible next steps. Treat the answer as a planning aid and confirm important decisions with a qualified counselor or trusted financial professional.

Certificate of Completion