Yes, you can now get your credit report without paying a dime.
And unlike before, now it is truly free. No longer do you have
to sign up for a "free" credit report by signing up for "credit
monitoring protection service" for a low annual fee of $79 a
year! The days of dodging the annoying charges and service fees
for a free credit report are over.
Under the 2003 Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, you
have the right to a free copy of your credit report within a 12
month period from the big three credit report bureaus (Experian,
Equifax and TransUnion). The goal of this new government act is
to ensure that Americans have the right to stay informed about
what these three credit reporting bureaus say about you without
having to pay for it. Since identity theft, fraud and errors are
quite common today, why should you have to pay for a copy of a
report to fight back against these problems?
Here are the 3 ways to get your free annual credit report:
1) The three credit reporting agencies have created a website to
request your annual credit report. Go to
www.annualcreditreport.com to order your report.
2) Call (877) 322-8228 to request your free credit report.
3) Complete a form from the Federal Trade Comission,
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/include/requestformfinal.pdf and
mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box
105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
If you go directly to the three agencies or use any other type
of service you may end up having to pay or sign up for the
subscription services I mentioned above! Make sure you use one
of the 3 methods I have listed to get your annual free credit
report.
You can get the reports from all 3 agencies at once or stagger
the reports from each one during the course of 1 year. The
advantage of staggering the reports that you receive is to keep
track of how any major changes in your financial picture affect
what is on your credit report. For example, if you plan on
getting a second mortgage over the coming year, or applying for
student loans, ect. it might be wise to get a report before and
after these major events!
This new Act does not supplant the other methods you can take
advantage of to receive a free credit report. If you are
applying for unemployment or been denied a loan, or need a
credit report in order to get a job, you still have the right to
obtain a free credit report.
Take advantage of this new government regulation and make sure
all of the information listed by all three credit reporting
agencies are correct. Any errors or omissions can reduce your
credit score and end up costing you a lot of money when you
apply for any type of credit.
About the author:
Greg Quincy is the publisher of the website
www.financialtipsforyou.com, offering his insights and personal
finance budget tips that he has gained from working in the
financial industry and the economic challenges of raising a
family. Copyright © 2005 FinancialTipsForYou
