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YMMV is an abbreviation for “Your Mileage May Vary.” Basically, it means one person's experience with a product may be different from another's.

YMMV is often used in online forums to describe credit cards…

• Whose terms vary from cardholder to cardholder;
• That don't have clear-cut approval requirements; or
• With offers that are available only for a limited time or to certain people.

YMMV is an informal term, however. And you are unlikely to see it on any credit card company websites.

USDOE/GLELSI means “U.S. Department of Education/Great Lakes Educational Loan Services Inc.” It'll appear on your credit report if you have a federal student loan managed by Great Lakes Loan Services. Next to it, you should see the status of your student loan and whether you've paid it on time.

Here's what USDOE/GLELSI means on a credit report:

• USDOE/GLELSI stands for U.S. Department of Education/Great Lakes Educational Loan Services Inc. Great Lakes is one of the largest student loan servicers in the U.S. And it was recently bought by an even bigger company, Nelnet.
• Student loans may appear on your credit report right away. But the status will just appear as “deferred” until your payments come due and your lender starts reporting monthly payments to the credit bureaus. If you pay on time, it will benefit your score. If you don't, your score will take a hit.
• The only reason you'd see USDOE/GLELSI on your credit report is if you've taken out a student loan. If you haven't, that might mean that someone else has fraudulently taken one out in your name. If you suspect fraud, you should call Great Lakes at 1 (800) 236-4300 and file an identity theft report.

Like all types of credit, it's important to make your student loan payments on time in order to keep a good credit score. And the sooner you pay them off in full, the less interest you have to pay.

To find out if someone opened a credit card in your name, get a copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You'll be able to see all of the credit cards opened in your name on those reports. It's important to check all three reports for fraudulent accounts, as each report might contain different information. Not all creditors report to all three bureaus, nor do they report under the same timeframes.

You can check your latest TransUnion credit report for free on WalletHub at any time.

If you suspect someone has opened a credit card in your name, freeze your credit reports with each of the three major credit bureaus as a precautionary measure. This will stop anyone from opening additional accounts in your name. All credit freezes are free of charge.

Next, contact the card's issuer to get some info about the account. If it turns out to be fraudulent, you'll want to get the authorities involved. Contact the FTC to report the identity theft and establish a record of the incident. Then, use the record of your report to file a dispute with the credit bureaus and get the information taken off your credit reports.

Here's how to find out if someone opened a credit card in your name:

1. Pull your credit reports. You can get your TransUnion credit report for free from WalletHub. That's updated daily. You can also get your reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion once per year through annualcreditreport.com.

2. Check your reports in detail. Go through all the accounts listed on your credit reports and make sure they're legitimate. Confirm the balances are accurate as well. If you see an account that you believe is fraudulent, you'll need to file a dispute with the credit bureaus, contact the issuer and more.

3. Consider a credit freeze. This shuts off access to your credit report from anyone but you, preventing fraudsters from opening more accounts in your name. You will have to request a separate freeze for each of the three major credit bureaus, but each is free. If you wish to apply for credit, you can request a temporary lift of the freeze, even for just one lender.

4. Contact the credit card issuer. The final step in figuring out if someone opened a credit card in your name is to call the card's issuer. Explain that you did not open the account and inquire as to the address and other information used to do so. Also, request that they suspend the account while it is under investigation. This will prevent a fraudster from running up more debt on an account in your name.

If the credit card's issuer finds that the account is fraudulent, be sure to file an identity theft report with the FTC. You can also call their Consumer Response Center at (877) 432-3117. In addition, make sure to dispute the account (and any other fraudulent information) on all three of your credit reports. Provide any documentation you get from the issuer and law enforcement to support your case. Until it's removed from your credit reports, any negative information from the fraud will hurt your credit score.

You should take these steps as soon as you discover someone opened a credit card in your name. There are also a variety of things you can do to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. For example, you'd be wise to regularly review your credit card statements and credit reports as well as sign up for free 24/7 credit monitoring.

You cannot self-report your financial information to credit bureaus as an individual, but there are services that can help you relay information about certain types of bill payments to your credit reports. Third-party companies are able to push things like rental payments, utility or telecom bill payments, and even bank account information to your credit report.

Including payment history that would not ordinarily make its way to your credit reports could have a positive impact on your credit score. Certain credit score algorithms will include this information once it's reported, like FICO Score 8 or any VantageScore model, but not all of the different score calculations or lenders will necessarily include the self-reported data.

Services that help you self-report to credit bureaus:

Experian Boost connects to your checking account and adds information about on-time utility, phone, and internet service payments made from that account to your Experian credit report. Certain credit score models, like the FICO Score 8, take that into account when calculated using data from Experian credit reports.

UltraFICO is a pilot program that links to your bank account and incorporates information about your balances and transactions into your FICO score. Only certain lenders currently have access to the UltraFICO program.

eCredable Lift links to your utility accounts and automatically reports payments to TransUnion credit reports.

Both RentTrack and PayYourRent report rental payments to all three major credit bureaus, but may not be compatible with all types of rental situations or property managers. There are lots of other rental reporting programs, too, from CreditMyRent to Rent Reporters.

Alternative credit reports that include more payment types:

PRBC (Payment Reporting Builds Credit) is a company that offers an alternative to traditional credit reporting and scoring methods by including common types of bill payments like insurance, subscriptions, utilities and more in its calculations. Creditors are legally obligated to take PRBC credit report data into account due to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. This does not mean that they need to give it much weight or use it instead of a traditional credit report, however.

Pros & cons of self-reporting services:

Self-reporting alternatives:

Self-reporting can only do so much to your credit score. There are several other ways to build or enhance your credit beyond expanding what data is collected. Secured credit cards offer a path to begin building credit from scratch or rebuilding damaged credit. You could also be added as an authorized user on a trusted family member's credit card account, which would help you build credit as long as they make on-time bill payments.

Credit-builder loans are another option. They're like reverse loans, where you pay the lender each month, showcasing your ability to make regular on-time payments, before you ultimately get the money back. Self credit-builder loans are one notable example. Self even allows you to easily open a secured credit card account at the end using the funds you've deposited for the loan.

Checking your credit report can also provide context on what to act on. WalletHub offers free credit reports and credit scores, along with personalized suggestions on what to do to improve your credit standing, how much your score could increase, and how long it will take.

Credit reports are free. More specifically, a credit report doesn't have to cost you a thing. The major credit bureaus do sell their credit reports – for $1 to $16, often as part of a bundle with credit score access and credit monitoring. But there's no reason to pay for any of that.

For one thing, everyone is entitled to a copy of their TransUnion, Equifax and Experian credit reports every 12 months through AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also get free daily credit report updates from WalletHub, along with free daily credit scores and free 24/7 credit monitoring. There are a number of other free credit report providers, too.

Plus, by law, you have the right to a free credit report if you are:

• Rejected for credit, insurance or employment (your credit history must have influenced the decision; requests must be made within 60 days of being notified)
• A victim of identity theft or fraud (requires placing a fraud alert on at least one credit report)
  
• Receiving public welfare assistance
• Unemployed (but plan to apply for employment within the next 60 days).

It's also worth noting that credit bureaus legally can't charge more than $12 for a credit report. But Equifax sidesteps this rule by selling credit score and report bundles for $16 apiece.