Where to Get Free Credit Report
All consumers are encouraged to enjoy their privilege of checking their credit reports for free once every year. In this article, we will discuss the steps that you can do to receive a free copy of your credit report. But first, let’s discusswhy you should be concerned to know what your personal report contains. Why Check Your Personal Credit Report The three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, TransUnion - gather credit information from banks and creditors. In some cases, a creditor may report incorrect charges in your account which can result to inaccurate reporting. There are also instances when the bureau itself commits the error in recording the details in each consumer file. It is also likely that information from someone else’s credit profile gets mixed up with your report. As a result, negative details can badly affect a person’s credit rating. Your overall score may be much lower than it should be due to inaccuracies. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers have the right to dispute errors in their reports. Thus, by checking your own report at least once a year, you have the opportunity to check your file for errors and request for corrections immediately. How can you correct errors in your file? A consumer can send a credit dispute letter to the bureau that issued his/her report. Afterwards, the bureau will conduct an investigation regarding
the dispute made. The process can take up to 30 days, and then the bureau will send a letter to the complainant, informing him/her about the result of the investigation, along with the updated copy of his/her report. Order Your Free Credit Report To request your free report, you can visit AnnualCreditReport.com or call (877) 322-8228. You may also send a written request via registered mail at this address: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O.Box 105281,Atlanta, GA30348-5281. Take note that AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized resource where you can order your annual free credit report online. You might find other websites offering free reports, but remember that such offers might come with a catch. Watch out for online credit report services which might turn out to be a scam or a rip-off. You can order one free report each year from each of the three major credit bureaus. You can order all three reports at once, or you can order one report from each bureau at a time throughout the year. The regular fee is usually $9.50 for each so if you wish to order for a second time, you must pay the standard cost. Other Ways to Get A FREE Report There are also other instances when you may qualify to get a free copy of your report. For instance, if you have been denied credit by a banker, a lending company or an insurance company on account of your credit report, you can request for a free copy. If you are presently unemployed and plan to look for a job within the next 60 days, you are also entitled for a free report. In some States such as Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and Vermont, consumers are entitled to this service for free.