Your Free Credit Report
The Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. (Your credit score is not included in these free reports).
A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or filed bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.
The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and an address through which you can order your free annual report. To order go to annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service,
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348
Beware “Imposter” Websites
Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law – annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “Free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to you.
Annualcreditreport.com and the nationwide consumer reporting companies will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from annualcreditreport.com or any of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. Forward any such email to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) at spam@uce.gov.
