With the increasing importance of credit reports in our everyday lives, the Federal Government has passed a law requiring the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, to supply on free credit report per year to each person. Since the credit bureaus also sell these same credit reports, you won't find them to eager to tell you how to get a free one!
However, it is your right to see what the credit agencies are saying about you, and here is how you do it for free:
- Visit www.annualcreditreport.com and receive an electronic copy online, or
- Call toll free 1-877-322-8228, or
- Fill out a request form (available at the above web site) and mail it in.
It is entirely your choice whether you order all three credit file disclosures at the same time or order one now and others later. The advantage of ordering all three at the same time is that you can compare them. (However, you will not be eligible for another free credit file disclosure for 12 months.) Also, be aware while the credit bureaus are forced to give you a free copy of your credit report, there are not forced to give you your credit score as well. For that, you still have to pay.
One last word or caution, there are many advertisements out there for free credit reports. These are NOT free, and typically come with monthly services that you have to pay for. Please see our next section on Credit Report Scams for more information. |
