Credit Check Free Tools
As well as providing an insight into how your credit report is compiled, and seeing who contributes data to your credit files, the credit agency may also offer free credit check tools to help you. Monitor services can inform you of significant changes to your credit file. The advantage here may be that you are alerted quickly if there is unusual activity on your file - for example this could be an indicator or early warning of identity theft. If you notice that a transaction or a credit application has been recorded which you are unaware of and know you did not make the application yourself, it could be a case of someone else applying for credit in your name. Other tools may help you to understand the mechanics of the credit score which lenders may use, and the credit agency may have their own credit score guidelines which they will show you when you run your own credit check.

Free Credit Check
The reason that the credit agency may give you a free credit check to access your report is that they are obliged to give you access to your statutory credit report, although a fee may be payable. By encouraging consumers to view their own files the agency may be informed of mistakes or errors. This is in the agencies interest, as lenders want accurate details and want the credit reference agency to provide accurate data when they rely on it to credit check potential clients.