Free Credit Report
You should review your credit report regularly to confirm the accuracy of your personal information. An incorrect or inaccurate credit report can cause you to be denied credit or pay exorbitant interest rates and fees. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the information on your credit report to be accurate, timely and complete. Applying this law and doing a periodic check on your credit file will help you safeguard against identity theft, which is rampant in the U.S., and credit reporting errors, which frequently stain many consumers’ credit records.
Fortunately, the law entitles you get a free copy of your credit report under the following circumstances:
- Any time a company denies your application for credit, insurance, or employment (you must ask for your credit report within 60 days of receiving the notification).
- Once a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days.
- Once a year if you’re on welfare.
- Once a year if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft.
Annual Credit Report
The law also allows you to request a FREE credit report annually from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union). If you request your free credit report online, you must visit www.annualcreditreport.com. You will be directed to each corresponding credit bureau’s website and must provide the credit bureau with the following personal information:
- Your name, address, social security number, and date of birth
- Your previous mailing address if you moved in the past two years
- Personal credit file information, such as the name of your mortgage company and the amount of your monthly mortgage payment
If you cannot access your credit report online, as an option to get a free annual credit report, you can call 877-322-8228 or download the Annual Credit Report Request form at www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf. Mail out the completed form to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281 and allow 15 days to receive your credit report in the mail.
As secondary option, you can buy a copy of your credit report from:
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Get Your Free Credit Report Evaluation: (800) 213-9968
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