A government study says 20 percent of consumers had an error in a credit report issued by a major agency.

The Federal Trade Commission study also says 5 percent of the consumers identified errors in their reports that could lead to them paying more for mortgages, auto loans or other financial products.

The study looked at reports for over one-thousand consumers issued by the three major agencies.

The FTC hired researchers to help consumers identify potential errors.

The FTC says the findings underline the importance of consumers checking their credit reports.