| How to Get Your Credit Report for Free Dec 21st 2012, 02:00 Your credit score is critical in today's world. It may be used by employers, landlords, insurance agents, and banks to evaluate your applications for credit, housing, insurance, or employment. You should therefore be sure that the information contained in your credit report is accurate and up-to-date. You can do this by monitoring your credit. The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check your credit report at least once a year, and has enacted several laws to ensure that you can get your credit report for free on a periodic basis. Here you'll learn just how to do that. In The U.S.A. - Request your report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, should you request one, once every 12 months. You may request your free copy in one of three ways:
- Online. To request your report online, and view it instantly, visit the website that the three credit reporting agencies—Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian—co-sponsor: AnnualCreditReport.com at https://www.annualcreditreport.com. In order to verify your identity, you will be asked five basic questions about your finances and previous addresses before you will have access to your report.
- By phone. To request that your report be mailed to you by phone, call 1-877-322-8228 and ask for a copy of your report from each of the three reporting agencies. You will go through a simple verification process over the phone, and should receive a copy of your report within 2 to 3 weeks of your request.
- By mail. To request your report by mail, you will need to complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form available at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf. Then mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can expect to receive a copy of your report in approximately two to three weeks from the date your request is received by AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Re-order a credit report. If you have already obtained your free report under the FCRA's 2003 amendment, determine if you're entitled to another free credit report. The FCRA also provides for certain situations in which consumers are entitled to a free credit report, regardless of when they obtained their last free report. Some situations that may entitle you to a free report include:
- You had a credit, insurance, or employment application denied because of information on your credit report. The employer, insurer, or bank will send you a notice that includes the contact information for the reporting agency that provided the report used. You have 60 days from the date you learn of the denial to contact the agency and ask for a copy of your credit report.
- You are unemployed and plan to begin looking for a job within the next 60 days.
- You receive government welfare assistance.
- You are a victim of fraud of identity theft and believe is has result in inaccurate information being placed on your credit report.
- Your state laws may also give you the right to obtain an additional free credit report every 12 months. A listing of states with laws entitling residents to an extra free report can be found on the reporting agencies centralized website at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq#statelaw.
- If you are entitled to another free credit report for any reason, you must request it from each of the three reporting agencies. Each agency has a different procedure for requesting and obtaining your report.
- Equifax (https://aa.econsumer.equifax.com/aad/landing.ehtml). Request your report by calling: 800-685-1111 or writing to Equifax Disclosure Department, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374. When writing, be sure to include your name, social security number, current and previous addresses, date of birth, and telephone number. For your protection, you will also need to verify your identity by providing copies of certain documents. For a list of acceptable documents, see Equifax's Acceptable Forms of Identification page at https://help.equifax.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18.You may also request your report online by visiting the Equifax website.
- Experian at https://www.experian.com/consumer/cac/InvalidateSession.do?code=CDIDEC. Request your report by calling 866-200-6020 or visiting them online at https://www.experian.com/consumer/cac/InvalidateSession.do?code=CDIDEC
- TransUnion at https://disclosure.transunion.com/dc/disclosure/disclosure.jsp. Request your report by calling 800-888-4213, writing to TransUnion LLC, 2 Baldwin Place, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022, or visiting them online at https://disclosure.transunion.com/dc/disclosure/disclosure.jsp. When writing, be sure to include your name, social security number, current and previous addresses, date of birth, and telephone number.
International - Get informed. If you're in need of international credit services, Equifax[1] offers business-class credit reporting. If you're based in the U.S., it's best to go with a reputable U.S. organization like Equifax.
- Research the options. There are a number of international credit reporting agencies, as a quick search on Google will attest.
- Visit Graydon (http://www.graydon.co.uk/) in the U.K. While they're a paid service, they offer a free credit check as part of their "get to know us" offerings. They also offer international credit reports and other credit-based financial services.
- Monitoring your credit is also one of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft, as it allows for early detection of unauthorized activity.
- Your credit score is not part of the free annual credit report you are entitled to under the FCRA, and must be purchased separately from the credit-reporting agency.
- Read your report thoroughly for errors. If you suspect some unauthorized activity may be taking place in your financial accounts you should place a fraud alert.
- Under federal law, you're entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment, and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company. You're also entitled to one free report a year if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you're on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft.
- If you are under 13 years of age or you are requesting a credit report for your child under 13 years of age because you suspect that the minor's information has been used fraudulently, contact the credit reporting agencies directly and report the illegal use of your child's information to law enforcement.
- When using http://www.annualcreditreport.com, you may want to use a browser without any extensions or add-ons as it may interfere with your request. You typically only have one chance to submit the information correctly or you will be informed to make your request by mail.
Edit Warnings - There are many companies offering consumers free credit reports and then billing for services that the consumer has to then cancel. Be aware of such scams, and remember that AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized source for the free annual credit report to which federal law entitles you.
- According to the FTC, Annualcreditreport.com and the three consumer-reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from annualcreditreport.com or any of the three reporting agencies, you should not reply or click on any link in the message. Such emails should be forwarded to the FTC at spam@uce.gov.
Edit Things You'll Need - Social Security number
- Social Insurance number (for Canadians)
- Current address
- Date of birth
- Information on current loans and credit cards for verification purposes
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