How to Request Credit Report When Turned Down for Credit

When you apply for a loan or a credit card, you may not always get a positive response from the creditor. Based on the information they receive from one of the three major credit reporting agencies--TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax--they may turn you down. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you are entitled to receive a free copy of your credit report from the agency consulted by the creditor. With this credit report, you can check for errors in the report and discover what might have led to the rejection.

Instructions

Getting Your Free Credit Report

1

Learn which credit reporting agency provided the information. Creditors receive information from one of the three agencies to make their determination. You will receive a notification in three to seven days following the rejection explaining why you were denied and telling you which agency provided the information used to make the decision.

2

Contact the specified agency. If you act within 60 days, you can receive a free copy of your credit report from that agency. The notification letter should include the address, phone number and/or website of the specific agency.

3

Review your credit report. If your request is made online, you will receive immediate access to the information. If you make the request in writing or over the phone, you may need to wait several days or weeks to receive the report. When it arrives, carefully review the information included, looking for errors.