How Can I See My Credit Report for Free?

Your credit report lists the debts you have paid or that you currently owe --- as well as any judgments or liens against you. A credit report also details a list of inquiries made by various entities for consumer reasons. Any time an individual person or a credit card company runs your credit report, it creates an inquiry. If a creditor sees too many inquiries on your report, it could have a negative effect. A creditor could see those inquiries as you trying to access credit in multiple places and being constantly turned down for one reason or another. Your credit report does not include your credit score. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to obtain one free credit report from each of the major credit reporting agencies --- Transunion, Equifax and Experian --- every 12 months, upon your request. You can obtain it from the Internet or through the mail. All additional credit reports have to be purchased.

Instructions

Online Procedures

1

Visit annualcreditreport.com. This website is safe and recommended by the Federal Trade Commission as the only true source for receiving your free annual report from each credit reporting agency. Select the agency from which you would like your credit report retrieved --- Transunion, Equifax or Experian.

2

Fill in the required information fields within the credit report request process. Along with your name and address, you will need your social security number and any previous address, if you have not been at your current address for more than two years.

3

Read the terms and agreements section for your own knowledge. Though it is a legitimate website and procedure, the terms and agreements detail highly specific information that you will not find in the product's advertisement. After reading the terms and agreements, if you accept them, mark them as accepted.

4

Submit the online form after you have completed all the required fields. This should take you to a verification page.

5

Verify your identity. The website is very secure in this procedure, and you will be asked to verify your name, a current or previous address, any telephone numbers you have possessed and any places of employment, as well as any current debt. Once you verify yourself according to the information on your credit report, you will gain access to your credit report for the respective agency.

6

Print a copy of your credit report for your records immediately. The agency is only required to give you access to that specific page once and once only. If for any reason you should exit the credit report page without printing it, you will not have access again unless you pay for it. After you have printed it, review the report for any reasons you deem necessary.

Written Procedures

7

Obtain a copy of the Annual Credit Report Request Form from annualcreditreport.com. Request that the form be sent to you through the mail or print it from the website in PDF format.

8

Fill in the required information fields within the form. Along with your name and address, you will need your social security number and any previous address if you have not been at your current address for more than two years.

9

Sign and date the form in blue ink. This distinguishes the form as having an original signature and also signifies a legal movement in documentation. Be careful if you fold the form; the ink could smear.

10

Address the envelope to : Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281.

11

Mail the form at your nearest post office. Send it certified with insurance, if possible, so you will have a certified receipt of your mailing and the credit reporting agency will have to sign for its delivery. Once received, the agency should send you a physical, detailed copy of your requested credit report.