Annual Credit Report
You probably already know that you should review your credit report at least once a year. Most financial experts suggest that consumers do this to make sure that there are no fraudulent accounts on the reports and that everything listed is as accurate as possible. Depending on where you live you may be entitled to a free copy of your credit report from the three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
How do you go about getting your hands on your free copies of your credit reports? Here are the three best options:
1. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com and request copies.
2. Send your request in via telephone by calling 1-877-322-8228.
3. Send your request in via mail to P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta GA, 30348-5281
By far, the quickest way to get your hands on your credit reports is to request them through the website. After a short series of questions to verify your identity you’ll get instant access to the reports. With all three methods (Internet, phone, mail) you choose whether you want to see copies of all three credit reports or if you instead only want one or two. While some people prefer to see them all at once so they can compare them all, other people choose to spread them out throughout the year so they can check to make sure there is no fraudulent activity going on.
Keep in mind that you don’t receive copies of your credit score using the free annual report method. The purpose of the free report is to allow you to make sure that everything is accurate, not to see what your creditworthiness is. When potential lenders request a copy of your report they get the full report including the score, but they pay for it. Your free report will be a complete listing of what you need to see in order to know that there are no errors listed.
You should also keep in mind that the website AnnualCreditReport.com is the only website you should use if you want a free copy of your credit report as mandated by law. Other websites may offer free copies of your report - including your score - but then you have to enroll in a membership program that either monitors your credit or gives you a certain number of peeks at your credit report for a fee. Some folks don’t even realize they have signed up for a costly credit monitoring service until after the charge shows up on their credit card statement.
If you are anxious to know what your actual credit score is then you can purchase access to the score by using AnnualCreditReport.com or by going directly to the websites of the three major credit bureaus:
Do you really need to know your credit score? It’s a good idea to know what range your score falls in if you’re about to apply for a large loan, but on a day to day basis your score is not a big deal as long as you keep up with your payments and don’t max out your accounts.
