How to get a free credit report?
What’s in your credit report?
Your credit report is one of the most important documents in your life. If you’ve never seen yours, you’re missing out on one of the key tools for managing your finances.
Your credit report is a record of all of your borrowing and debt repayment from the last seven years. If you have a mortgage or a credit card, it’ll be on there. So will some other things that you may not have thought of. If you’ve ever had a court judgment issued against you, it’ll be on your credit report. If you’re behind on your child support payments, it’ll be on your credit report.
Why a credit report matters
Your credit history matters a great deal. It’s a record of your past that has a direct impact on your financial future. Credit bureaus use the information in your credit report to calculate your credit score. This score can determine whether or not you get a job, qualify to borrow money and how much you’ll have to pay for the privilege of purchasing on credit. People with damaged credit histories can pay up to 5 times more to borrow money than a person with a good credit score because lenders consider those with a low score as a high-risk.
How to get a free credit report
You may have heard about people getting credit reports free of charge and are wondering how to get a free credit report. It’s easy. Once a year, you can get a free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus by going to AnnualCreditReport.com. This is an official website authorized to issue credit reports. It will tell you how to get a free credit report from each bureau. If you don’t want to do it online, you can phone the Annual Credit Report Request Service on 877-322-8228. A representative will instruct you on how to get a free credit report by mail. You will need to verify your identity before they send it to you.
Why you should get your free credit report
Now that you know how to get a free credit report, the next question is why. It’s very important to check your credit report at least once a year. That way you’ll know where you stand in terms of getting credit. Also, you can check your free credit report for errors or signs of identity fraud. Identity fraud is a very serious issue that can destroy your credit history through no fault of your own. It can take years to sort out the mess. In the meantime, you’ll be paying for someone else’s malice or mistakes. The sooner you notice that there’s something wrong, the sooner it can be fixed.
Annual Credit Report Request Service
877-322-8228
www.annualcreditreport.com
TransUnion
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064-0390
800-916-8800
www.transunion.com
Experian
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-2104
888-397-3742
www.experian.com
Equifax
P.O. Box 105783
Atlanta, GA 30348
800-685-1111
www.equifax.com