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How to Obtain Free Credit Reports

Today, consumers can get free credit reports easier than ever before. Credit reports and the information contained within them influence so many different facets of an individual’s life. Therefore, it is essential to obtain your free credit reports throughout the year so that you can monitor the accuracy of the information contained on them.

Lenders use credit reports to determine the feasibility of loaning money to an individual or extending him credit through a credit card account, installment loan, or home equity line of credit. Employers review the credit reports of potential employees to size up their applicants. Sometimes, credit is denied or provided to consumers on the basis of this one single document.

Credit reports are also referred to as credit histories. They contain pieces of information from every financial aspect of an individual’s life including credit card accounts, loan history, employment history, and legal histories. The Federal Trade Commission implemented the Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA to entitle consumers to three free credit reports every single year.

Consumers can obtain one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus, Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian. These bureaus are responsible for maintaining credit reports on consumers across the entire United States. Although these bureaus report the same type of information, variations do exist among them.

Whether you decide to obtain your free credit reports all at once or you decide to space your requests out and obtain one every four months is entirely up to you. Obtaining your credit report is also a good way to monitor your information for signs of fraudulent activity.

It is important to make sure that you obtain your free credit report from the right source. Websites have been designed to lure consumers in with the promise of free credit reports or free credit monitoring services. Unfortunately, once they sign up, consumers discover that they have just received a free copy of their credit report or a month of free credit monitoring
services in exchange for agreeing to sign up for a year’s worth of credit reports or services.

There is no need to go this route in order to obtain your free credit reports. Simply visit annualcreditreport.com, select the credit bureau from which you want to obtain your credit report, and complete the application. Information is also available on the website indicating the steps to take in order to receive your copy through postal mail or via a telephone request.
To file the request, you will have to provide your full name, social security number, date of birth, and current mailing address. If you have only resided at your current address for less than two years, you will need to provide your previous mailing address. For security purposes, you will be required to fill in a set of characters that are visible on your screen.

Several other conditions exist that allow consumers to receive additional free copies of their credit reports. Under federal law,
consumers are entitled to free credit reports if they are denied credit, turned down for employment, or denied insurance. Consumers must ask for their free copy under these circumstances within 60 days of notification that they have been turned down.

Moreover, consumers who have become victims to identity theft are also entitled to free copies. Individuals on welfare and the unemployed who plan to seek employment can also obtain free credit reports under federal guidelines.