Free Credit Report

If you were to tell someone that they can have a certain item for free, more than likely their response would be, “what’s the catch?” In the case of credit reports there is no catch, you can now get a free copy of this report through the three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnions, and Experian. Let’s take a look at the law and how you can benefit from it.

An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the three national credit reporting agencies to provide one free copy of your credit report to you annually. Beginning on December 1, 2004 and culminating on September 1, 2005, the Federal Trade Commission is requiring that these agencies offer reports on a rolling, phase in basis. In other words, on December 1, 2004, if you live in certain western states you became eligible at that time and every three months later additional states were added. By September 1, 2005, residents of all states are eligible.

Fortunately for consumers, you need not contact the three reporting agencies separately to obtain your free credit report. You can order right online at www.annualcreditreport.com; or by calling 877-322-8228; or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

The form is available online where you can print it out and mail it in: www.ftc.gov/credit.

If you need copies more often, you can contact the three reporting agencies and request copies. You will pay for this service.

To buy a copy of your report, contact:

Equifax
800-685-1111
www.equifax.com

Experian
888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
www.experian.com

Trans Union
800-916-8800
www.transunion.com

There are also private companies who will obtain all three copies of your credit report for you as well. There is a fee involved, but you may find their services to be less of a hassle than contacting the three companies separately.

So, how can you benefit from the law? By ordering copies of your reports from the companies on a four month rotating basis. Most consumers will find this plan to be sufficient and it will allow for you to compare/contrast the reports of each agency. Of course, if you already suspect fraud you will want to order all three reports at once and notify each agency to place a “fraud alert” in your credit file.

All in all, the new law is a big win for consumers. Take advantage of this “windfall” as soon as you become eligible to do so.

Matthew Keegan — The Article Writer — writes on a variety of business, financial, and personal interest topics. You can view additional samples of his work at http://www.thearticlewriter.com

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American consumers are now entitled to receive one free copy of their credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union are now all required by law to furnish to you a copy of your credit report. This is good news for consumers; please read on for additional helpful information.

As of September 1, 2005, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that the three national credit reporting agencies provide one free copy of your credit report to you annually. You do not need to contact the three reporting agencies separately to obtain your reports, instead you can order them online at www.annualcreditreport.com; or by calling 877-322-8228; or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it in.

The mailing address is:

Annual Credit Report Request Service

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

The online form is available here: www.ftc.gov/credit.

If you need copies more often, you can contact the three reporting agencies and request copies directly from them. You will be charged for any reports over and beyond your one free annual report.

To purchase a copy of your report, contact:

Equifax

800-685-1111

www.equifax.com

Experian

888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)

www.experian.com

Trans Union

800-916-8800

www.transunion.com

What is the best way for you to benefit from the new law? That’s easy: order copies of your reports from the companies on a four month rotating basis. Most consumers will find this method to be adequate as it will allow for you to compare reports from each agency. Naturally, if you already suspect fraud you will want to order all three reports at once and notify each agency to place a “fraud alert” in your credit file.

There are also several private companies who will get a hold of all three copies of your credit report for you as well. There are fees involved, but you may find their services to be less of a hassle than contacting the three companies separately.

In summation, the new law is a bonus for consumers. Published reports indicate that many credit reports contain errors in them; this law gives you the opportunity to correct “their” mistakes by setting the record straight and at no cost to you.

Copyright 2005 — Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: advocacy, automobiles, aviation, business, Christian themes, family, news, product reviews, travel, writing, and more. Samples from his portfolio are available right online.

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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: 1-800-916-8800

The 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.

This article was written by Kriss Standke who is an accomplished Webmaster and publisher of Free Credit Report Spot, Credit Score Resource, and Check Credit Report Online where he provides detailed and informative articles, tips, and advice on free credit reports, how to get yours, and what to do with the information once you receive it.

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