All consumers need to review their personal credit reports periodically. Doing so ensures the accuracy of information. Credit reports can contain errors that are damaging to credit scores, such as late payments and unfamiliar accounts. Fortunately, each consumer can receive one free report a year from each of the three bureaus.
Where to Get a Credit Report?
Free credit reports are commonly advertised on commercials and in print ads. However, Annual Credit Report is the only agency that's authorized to give consumers a free copy of their personal reports, says the Federal Reserve Board. Other companies that claim to issue free reports usually only do so after consumers enroll in a credit monitoring or credit repair program. Annual Credit Report offers "no strings attached" credit reports and consumers aren't required to provide credit card information before accessing their information.
Online Request
Going to Annual Credit Report's official website (see Resources) is a quick way to obtain a credit report. Consumers requesting credit report information can input their personal information in the fields to verify their identity, and then review their entire credit history immediately. There's the option of reviewing reports from one or all three credit bureaus.
Telephone Inquiries
Annual Credit Report also takes telephone requests for personal credit reports. Simply call the agency's toll-free number: 877-322-8228. This number connects you with a representative who works for the agency; and after asking a few questions to confirm your identity, the representative will process your request for a credit report and mail the documents to your home address.
Postal Mail
Annual Credit Report also accepts requests for credit reports through postal mail. Acquiring a report using this method will require downloading a credit report request form from the agency's website, completing the fields within the document and then mailing the request to the agency. The address to submit a mail request for a credit report is:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Other Methods
Because Annual Credit Report will only process one credit report request a year, consumers who need access to their credit report after receiving their free report can acquire this information by contacting Experian, TransUnion and Equifax directly (see Resources). The official website for each bureau includes a link to request credit reports. There is a nominal fee for reports.
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