credit report
Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan has spent more than two decades as a financial writer and managing editor, including 17 years as the editor for Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine, as well as her current role as Director of Content at Stockcharts.com. Her areas of expertise include futures and options trading strategies, stock analysis, and personal finance.
Doug is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst who spent more than 20 years as a derivatives market maker and asset manager before “reincarnating” as a financial media professional a decade ago.
Before joining Britannica, Doug spent nearly six years managing content marketing projects for a dozen clients, including The Ticker Tape, TD Ameritrade’s market news and financial education site for retail investors. He has been a CAIA charter holder since 2006, and also held a Series 3 license during his years as a derivatives specialist.
Doug previously served as Regional Director for the Chicago region of PRMIA, the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association, and he also served as editor of Intelligent Risk, PRMIA’s quarterly member newsletter. He holds a BS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology, Stuart School of Business.
A credit report tells a potential lender about previous loans you’ve taken and whether you’ve paid them back on time or ever defaulted. A poor credit report may force you to pay a higher interest rate the next time you borrow, or prevent you from getting the loan in the first place. You can get your credit report free annually from one of the major reporting agencies.