Credit Reporting Agencies » Credit Report Info

One Annual Credit Report for Free

Sep 162010

On December 4, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) act that provides one free credit report to all citizens of the United States per year. This came about as the result of a rise in identity theft and the need for citizens to able to view and monitor their credit reports to check for accuracy of information.

Now, all United States citizens are entitled to one free credit report each year from any one of the three credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This one free credit report can be very valuable to the everyday consumer as it is used by most lending institutions and credit card companies to evaluate you and decided if you are a good credit risk.

There are various ways you can go about getting your free credit report. You can go to any of the credit reporting agencies’ websites: www.experian.com, www.equifax.com, or www.transunion.com. There will be links there that can guide you through getting your free credit report.

Probably one of the easier ways, however, to go about it is to visit either of the following websites: www.annualcreditreport.com or www.freecreditreport.com. They will guide you through the process by asking a series of questions and asking personal things to help determine that you are who you say you are. Within a few moments, your free credit report will appear on your computer screen and you will be able to save it to your computer and print it out so you can check for any mistakes.

Many people feel that the FACT act is one of the best pieces of legislation to come into effect in a long time. Many years ago, the everyday consumer would have to pay money to see their credit report. The information was almost held hostage unless that person wanted to “pay up”. The FACT Act was written and passed to prevent this.

Legislators agreed that people should have access to information about them and that they deserved to be able to see what the credit reporting agencies have compiled about them. So now, each and every American can get a free credit report each year.

We urge you to get your free credit report right now if you haven’t already. It is how lending companies decide if you can get a car loan, a home loan, or a line of credit. For many Americans, this is very important. So, go get your free credit report and stay on the road toward having a clean credit record.

Annual Free Credit Report

Free Credit Report No Responses »

Sep 162010

As a consumer in the United States, the Federal Government decided back in 2003 that you are entitled to receive a free annual credit report so you can monitor your credit and your credit rating. The FACT Act was passed unanimously so that all Americans could get a free annual credit report and be able to keep track of what the credit reporting agencies were compiling on them.

This is groundbreaking in that people are now able to see what lenders see, correct any errors that are on the report, and keep track of their credit to prevent any blemishes that might damage their worthiness as a credit risk. Before the FACT Act was passed, the only people privy to this information was the lenders and the credit reporting agencies.

There are two ways you can go about receiving a copy of your free annual credit report. First, you can go directly to any of the websites of the credit reporting agencies. These agencies are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Their web addresses are www.experian.com, www.equifax.com, and www.transunion.com.

You will have to answer a few personal questions and provide proof of your identity based on some of the information on the credit report. Then the report appears directly on your computer screen so you can view it, download it to your computer, and/or print it out.

The second option you have to obtain your free annual credit report is to go to either www.freecreditreport.com or www.annualcreditreport.com. They will eventually be directing you to the credit reporting agency of your choice, but they will be able to easily guide you through the process of getting your free annual credit report.

It is very important that you take advantage of getting your free annual credit report each year and checking it for accuracy. Mistakes can be made, and they can affect the decisions of lenders when you apply for a line of credit or a loan. Just one mistake can make the difference between a yes and a no from the lender.

You will also want to monitor your free annual credit report for any information that does not apply to you. It can alert you to identity theft if you see that there is information on there that isn’t yours such as a credit card you never applied for or a loan that you never sought out.

The free annual credit report is a great tool for consumers to have when it comes to their credit. Not using it is a huge mistake, so go out and get your free annual credit report today if you haven’t already. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.

Credit Report

Free Credit Report No Responses »

Sep 162010

Your credit report is a snapshot of everything you have ever done in your life that has involved your use of credit. It is a very important that you monitor your credit report regularly to make sure there aren’t any inconsistencies or mistakes that could adversely affect your future applications for credit.

There are three credit reporting agencies that compile your credit information into one easy to read report. Not all companies report to all three bureaus and they are not required to report to any of them. However, you will find that many companies will go ahead and report credit transactions to at least one of the three companies.

The three credit reporting agencies are: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. No one company is any “better” than the other. They all have different ways of making credit reports, but they all generally operate in the same way. You can find them easily on the web at: www.experian.com, www.equifax.com, and www.transunion.com.

The FACT Act was passed in 1997 and provided one free credit report each year for anyone who requests one. Although it’s a good idea to get a copy of all three reports, you will only get one for free. You can get the other two by paying a small fee – usually in the $15 to $20 range.

To get your free credit report, you can go to either www.freecreditreport.com or www.annualcreditreport.com. You will have to enter in your personal information and then your credit report will appear directly on your computer. You can then print it out and check it for accuracy.

We can’t stress enough that you should check over your credit report on a regular basis. Often, mistakes can be made and you can take steps to removing that information so that you won’t be denied credit solely because an error was made. The credit reporting companies are often eager to work with you to repair mistakes. You will need to contact them with proof of the inaccuracy and it will be removed.

Since the decision to offer you credit whether it be for a credit card, a home loan, or a car loan is made solely on the information contained in your credit report, you should strive to keep your credit record clean and free from errors. Your credit score is determined by the information on your credit report as well and you want your credit score to be as high as it possibly can be so you can get loans for what you need or want. Just don’t get into trouble with credit. Then your credit report won’t appear so good to a potential lender.

Free Annual Credit Report

Free Credit Report No Responses »

Sep 162010

The second option you have is to go to either www.freecreditreport.com or www.annualcreditreport.com. They will eventually be directing you to the credit reporting agency of your choice, but they will be able to easily guide you through the process of getting your annual credit report.

It is very important that you take advantage of getting your annual credit report each year and checking it for accuracy. Mistakes can be made, and they can affect the decisions of lenders when you apply for a line of credit or a loan. Just one mistake can make the difference between a yes and a no from the lender.

You will also want to monitor your annual credit report for any information that does not apply to you. It can alert you to identity theft if you see that there is information on there that isn’t yours such as a credit card you never applied for or a loan that you never sought out.

The annual credit report is a great tool for consumers to have when it comes to their credit. Not using it is a huge mistake, so go out and get your annual credit report today if you haven’t already. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.