How To Get My Free Annual Credit Report?
The Ultimate Guide on How to Obtain Your Free Annual Credit Report
A credit report includes records of your past credit history which includes payment records on your accounts, credit balances, and information on credit accounts you have established. This information is then used to determine the credit score that is used by the credit lender to determine the qualifications of the borrower at the time of asking for a loan or credit card. It is critical to occasionally check the credit report so that you can verify that the information provided in the report is correct and relevant.
The FCRA section four also mandates that each of the three major nationwide credit reporting agencies; Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, furnish you with a free copy of your credit report at your request, once every twelve months. You can request a free credit report every year from each bureau to assess the details provided by each bureau to ensure there are no errors or issues that require resolution.
Ordering Your Free Reports
The only legal way through which people can request their free annual credit report from the three agencies is through the official website known as annualcreditreport.com. This centralized service was developed by the three agencies to cater to FCRA-free credit reports.
When accessing the website, you are supposed to give information such as name, date of birth, social security number, and address to get the identification check. According to my research, three credit agency websites and annual credit report dot com all have secure connections for your personal information. Insight: Proving accurate identifying details is necessary to get your correct reports.
Upon completion of the verification process, another menu will pop up, which enables the option of selecting which credit report out of the three that you want. So, the choices are to get your reports directly from Equifax, Experian, and/or TransUnion. You can order one, two, or all of them at the same time you want but it is recommended to take all of them at once. Having all three reports at once lets you compare the reports to ensure nothing wrong is listed in any of them.
After that, you will choose which companies’ report or reports you need, and answer some security questions based on your financial history from the past. So long as the details are accurate, you can easily access your reports through the website, at any time.
There is information that if you feel that any information is false or incomplete, there is information available on the website, which outlines how to dispute the items with the agencies. It is for this reason that it is a good practice to check your reports at least once or twice a year. It is also advisable to challenge errors on your credit reports immediately as this will go a long way in defending your credit scores.
Other Options To Get Your Reports
Besides, by the provision of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are allowed to obtain free copies of your reports by ordering directly at annualcreditreport.com or
A phone call to order your reports from each of the nationwide consumer reporting agencies. Please visit www.annualcreditreport.com for the contact details and operation times of Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You will still have to enter your details and respond to questions that are used in identity confirmation before you can get your reports via phone.
By mail Access the form called Annual Credit Report Request Form from annualcreditreport.com Print the form and complete your details such as your full name and current address, previous addresses, date of birth, Social Security number, etc. This form enables one to choose the agency report or agency reports of their preferred choice. You can request your reports through the mail by filling out the request form and posting it to the Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box, Atlanta, GA This process of requesting one’s reports through the mail takes longer time as compared to online or via telephone.
Let me add some points that would be good to know when you should not order your free reports:
Though it is beneficial to check your credit reports annually for free, there are circumstances when checking your reports could pull your credit scores down. This is when a potential lender pulls your credit reports for purposes of considering your new credit application at the same time that you are running your free annual credit reports.
Thus, it is recommended to avoid applying for new credits and requesting your free annual credit report within days, or even weeks to months. This way, you are still able to check your credit regularly and maintain your score but not at the time when the creditworthiness is being assessed.
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