The best way to know what your credit report shows is to order your Free Credit Report and review it carefully. This also is the first step toward improving your credit score.
An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. Under federal law you are entitled to a copy of your credit report annually from all three credit reporting agencies.
It is good idea to view your credit report frequently to monitor for any mistakes, inaccuracies, and evidence of any possible fraud or identity theft. Order your credit report once a year to make sure there are no errors on it.
You may get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major consumer reporting agencies annually. To request a copy of your credit report:
Visit www.annualcreditreport.com
Alternatively call 1-877-322-8228 to order your free credit report
Annual Credit Report mailing address:
Annual Credit Report Request Form mailing address:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
Note:
Do not contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion individually.
You may only order your free credit report with the method listed above.
You may order reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order from only one or two. The law allows you to order one free copy from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months.
When you order your free credit report, have ready your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth maiden name, if applicable. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly car loan payment.
Under federal law, credit reports are also free after you have been turned down for credit based on information in your report. However, you must ask the agency that produced the credit report for a copy of it within a specified period of time, usually 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The name, address and phone number of the consumer reporting company should be on the notice.
You are also entitled to one free report a year if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days.
Be aware that information on your credit report may vary from one credit reporting agency to another. This is because not all creditors report their information to every credit-reporting agency. For this reason, you may want to order a report from each of the three credit-reporting agencies.
Please note your free annual credit report will not include your FICO® Score.
You may also order a copy of your credit report for a fee. A consumer reporting company may charge you up to $14.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period. To order a copy of your report, contact:
Experian
1-888-EXPERIAN
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com
Equifax
888-378-4329
www.equifax.com
Trans Union Corporation
888-909-8872
(to order a credit report or ask a question about your credit report)
www.transunion.com
