Free Credit Report Access

As of September first 2005, all Americans are able to request and obtain a free credit report from each credit bureau once every year. Checking our credit report regularly is vital to ensure accuracy and protect against identity theft. The sooner we check our credit reports, the more time we have to dispute inaccuracies and improve our credit information. This is important because the information contained in our credit reports is used to determine our credit score which in turn is used by financial institutions to calculate the rates we pay on loans, by insurance companies to figure the amount we pay on our policies as well by employers to decide if we will make a good employee when applying for a job. We all need to check our credit reports from each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union). This means that we must go through the process three separate times.Spreading our requests out over a 12 month time period, is a good way to keep a constant eye on accuracy. Remember, we are all eligible for one free credit report from each agency each and every year, so be diligent and keep a close eye on yours.You can obtain a FREE Credit Report from Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union by completing and mailing the Annual Credit Report Request Form to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. This form can be printed from www.ftc.gov/credit There is also a toll free telephone number to call to request a copy of your free credit report: 1-877-322-8228. You will need to provide the following information to get your free credit reports: Your Social Security number, your name and address including your previous address if you have moved in the past two years, your date of birth, as well as some other information that only you would know such as the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.If you request a copy of your free credit report online, you will be able to obtain it right away. If you call in or mail your request with the Annual Credit Report Request Form, your request will be processed and mailed to you within 15 business days after its receipt. This time period may take longer if the nationwide consumer reporting company needs more information to confirm your identity. If there happens to be an abnormally high volume of requests for free credit reports at the time you request yours, you will be notified that your report will be mailed to you sometime after 15 days of receipt.To purchase a copy of your credit report, you may call the consumer reporting companies direct with the following telephone numbers:Equifax: 1-800-685-1111 Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742) Trans Union: 1-800-916-8800The cost to buy a copy of your credit report is generally $9.50 or less for each agency.Each nationwide consumer reporting company gets information from different sources so the information contained in any one report may not be the same. The information may not reflect all of your credit info so requesting a free copy of your credit report from all three major agencies is the best way to get the full story of your credit.

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