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3 Ways To Get Your Free Annual Credit Report
By: Greg Quincy
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:
The three credit reporting agencies have created a website to request your
annual credit report.
1) Go to www.annualcreditreport.com
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 http://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 http://www.FinancialTipsForYou.com
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