How To Get A Free Copy Of My Credit Report?
Here are steps to get a free copy of your credit report
Credit reports consist of personal details, credit accounts, inquiries, and public records that show your past credit history, loans, and credit card payments. It is subsequently prescribed that one ought to have his/ her credit report checked from time to detect such fraud.
I am happy to educate you simply are permitted to ask for a free credit report once a year from each of the three credit bureaus specifically Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. In this article, I have clarified how to induce your free yearly credit reports with easy-to-follow information.
That being said, find out which credit report you prefer.
The first process of credit repair involves choosing where exactly you want to start, that is, which of the credit bureau reports to open first. Please remember that you are allowed to receive one free report from each of the credit bureaus once a year so it is advised to file for one report every four months. This also provides you with a way of tracking your credit all year round.
Put this on your calendar and don’t forget to ask for your free reports from the respective bureaus. For instance, you should get an Equifax report every January, while your TransUnion should be accessed in April, and finally, Experian in September. Then, recheck each report after four months of service to find out their current condition.
You can also order the report from all three bureaus if you have a preference for the same. Oh, ye be warned though it is possible to request the three reports at the same time, getting additional free reports requires waiting a full year.
So why not order your free credit report now?
Furthermore noteworthy is the only website the federal government has approved for online credit reports: AnnualCreditReportcom. Though they charge a monthly subscription and provide no actual credit report to the consumers, numerous bogus third-party websites falsely offer free credit reports. Never register for the free trial copies of credit reports from companies unrelated to AnnualCredit Report.com.
Following https: Access the free yearly credit report at //www.annualcreditreport.com; while visiting this page, you will be asked to provide basic identification information allowing access to your report. When you are connected to the Internet in a public area, never enter personal information including your name, address, date of birth, and Social Security Number.
Completing multiple-choice questions depending on the contents of your credit file will come next. Using the pertinent information from your past loan applications and credit history, rationally answer the questions. Just reviewing past bank statements will help you recall account numbers and former addresses.
Once the identity verification questions are answered and confirmed, either a physical copy or online access to the entire report is available. Once you have access to your credit report, first make sure you check every element of it.
This is important as it allows you to know what your credit report contains.
Now that you have access to your credit report, make sure you understand all of the contents included in the document.
- Identifying Information Section: This will reveal your name, address, telephone number, previous addresses employers, and other relevant information. If you find any discrepancies in your name, your Social Security number, or your date of birth, report the same to the credit bureau.
- Credit History Section: The credit history section also provides details of any credit account that you have such as a mortgage, credit card, student loan, or retail account. It indicates the state of an account, credit limit or the amount of the loan, monthly payment, and the current balance.
- Payment History Section: In this section, you can see all the payments that were made on time, payments that were missed, and the severity level of the latter. This gives a good narration of your payment characteristics over some time.
- Recent Credit Inquiries Section: This happens when you apply for credit cards and loans in a company; the company pulls your credit report which results in an inquiry being made on the report. Monitoring of inquiries lets you know when there are fraud activity inquiries made by creditors who have extended credit to you also fall under.
- Public Records Section: The bankruptcies, tax liens, lawsuits, judgments, or wage garnishment details will appear in this section. It is advisable to take measures that would help in eliminating these negative items since they have a severe impact on your credit score.
Every one of the three credit reporting organizations has to have a process in place to let the customer contest any mistakes the credit report could have.
Should you find a mistake, like a payment made one day or two late and you know you were on the correct side of the law, you should begin to dispute it. The credit bureaus must investigate consumer disputes over items claimed to be erroneous. Using the dispute portal on the bureau's website is the most effective approach to getting the bureau's attention toward credit file mistakes.
While credit report mistakes may be fixed, it's wise to periodically review your credit report anyhow. A few times a year, monitoring your account will enable you to get a timely warning in case of fraud or identity stealing. Pay close attention to unfamiliar businesses requesting funds, accounts you never signed for, and incorrect debt allocated to you - all of which might point to fraud or criminal identity theft.
The Bottom Line
Indeed, it is possible to get a credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion once yearly and use it to ensure that the financial accounts are correct, monitor payment behaviors, and identify errors or fraud. Just make sure you use the legitimate AnnualCreditReportcom website to obtain your report to be free from being scammed by fake websites. It is crucial to monitor your credit history because identity theft and weak credit become enormous concerns if not detected early.
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