Ways of Obtaining a Free Credit Report


The best gift a person can give him or herself is good credit. Even people that have worked their entire lives to maintain good credit find themselves faced with situations out of their control. Whether a person has poor credit needing to be improved, moderate credit that needs to be corrected, or outstanding credit and needing to keep it that way, obtaining a free credit report is the key.

The truth is that getting a free credit report is actually much easier than what most people think. While everyone should stay on top of his or her credit report and score, a person thinking about buying a home, car, or applying for a credit card or loan should make sure there are not any problems on the report. After all, even if reports from the creditors are great, the report might have excessive inquiries, which can also be damaging.

People need to understand that by law, they are allowed to obtain a free credit report once a year. Any additional credit reports would come at a price, although very nominal. The only exception is that if a person were to apply for a credit card or loan and be denied, that person has right to a free credit report, even if he or she has already had the one free report entitled to. However, in this situation, the person would have to ask for the report in writing and within a short timeframe.

The first method for obtaining a free credit report is by making phone calls. Each of the three reporting agencies has a toll-free number. By law, these credit bureaus are required to send a copy upon request using the above-mentioned scenarios. Even if the person hears a recorded message and has to leave information, these agencies take the free credit report request serious. The three credit bureaus and their numbers include:

? Equifax ? 800-465-7166
? TransUnion - 888-909-8872
? Experian ? 888-397-3742

The next method that a person can use to obtain a free credit report is by sending out a request via mail. Some people prefer this method in that they have proof that the request was made. Although not necessary, if someone needed to get the free credit report quickly, then he or she would have the option of sending the letter overnight and certified. In most cases, all the person needs to include in the letter is their full, legal name, address, previous address if they have been at the current location for less than two years, phone number, and Social Security number. The letter should be brief in that these agencies receive thousands of other letters daily. The addresses for each agency are as follows:

? Equifax - P.O. Box 105069. Atlanta, GA 30348
? TransUnion - P.O. Box 740241. Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
? Experian ? P.O. Box 2104 Allen, TX, 75013-2104

One final option for receiving a free credit report is by using the power of the Internet. Each credit bureau has a website with an online form. This form would be filled out, submitted, and in no time, the person would receive his or her copy of the free credit report. Addresses online for the agencies include:

? Equifax ? www.Equifax.com
? TransUnion ? www.TransUnion.com
? Experian ? www.Experian.com

Of the three methods for obtaining a free credit report, using the Internet is by far the easies and the fastest. However, no matter the choice, the most important thing a person can do is ask for a copy of the report from all three agencies. The reason is that while many creditors report a person?s credit to the three credit bureaus others only report to one or two. Therefore, if a person were only to order one free credit report and make applicable changes, the other two might have completely different information needing to be addressed but missed.

People also need to realize that as mentioned, these three credit bureaus receive upwards of 10,000 letters every day from other people wanting a copy of their free credit report. For this reason, these agencies are allows by the government 30 days to respond. That means someone needing to make changes or check the accuracy of the report needs to plan. For someone getting ready to apply for a loan, they need to consider this 30-day timeframe and send for the free credit report early.

Finally, even after receiving the free credit report and going through to make changes, once it has been submitted to the agency for correction and a new copy sent out, the individual may find that not all the requested changes were made. While the credit bureau employees work hard to catch everything, if a person has a large report or one with significant changes, some things might be overlooked. Therefore, after getting an updated copy of the free credit report, it may be necessary to go through the process again to catch everything.