How To Access My Free Credit Report
Under the regulations laid down by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, each of the 3 credit bureaus, namely, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian have to provide every consumer with a free credit report. Getting my free credit report is not a difficult task. All that has to be done is place an order to the bureaus, and the report is accessible or mailed to me.
The first thing that must be done to access my free credit report is to place this order by phone or email. It can also be accessed online at the central website of the 3 bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
The phone numbers of each of the three bureaus at which the orders can be placed are given below.
TransUnion – 800 888 4213
Experian – 888 EXPERIAN
Equifax – 800 685 1111
It takes approximately a fortnight for the reports to reach the consumer after the orders are placed. To have a quicker access to my free credit report, I have to visit the website and place the order. On logging in for this purpose, some personal questions are asked to verify the identity of the consumer and to prevent identity theft. When these questions are answered correctly and to the satisfaction of the bureaus, my free credit report is made accessible to me.
But these are not the only ways in which the credit report can be accessed.
I can get a copy of my free credit report, when I have been denied credit, denied employment, in case of identity theft and if I lodge a complaint and wish to place a fraud alert. My free credit report is also available when I am unemployed but aim to get employment within 60 days of placing the request or if I am on welfare. But the report will be made available under such circumstances only on giving a written declaration.
There are many other companies too that specialize in credit and offer free credit reports. However, there are some hidden charges. You may be aware that the free credit report does not contain credit scores. When you buy the credit scores from these companies, the credit report is available for free.
After accessing the credit report, it is of importance to check it for negative items that may be errors or any expenditure that may indicate identity theft. When such negative items are visible, contact the bureau and place a fraud alert.