Get Your Credit Report – Free

(This article appears in the Sept./Oct. 2013 edition of The American Postal Worker.)

Joyce B. Robinson, Research & Education Department Director

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide a free copy of your credit report, upon your request, once every 12 months.

Credit reports include information about where you live, your bill payment history, and whether you’ve been sued or have filed for bankruptcy.

Nationwide credit reporting companies sell this information to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or buying or renting a home.

Contacting the Companies

To order your report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 toll free.

Ordering a report from a different agency every four months will provide frequent updates and help ensure the accuracy of the information.

To request a report, you will have to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, include your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, the credit reporting company may ask you for information that only you would know. Your report should be processed and mailed to you within 15 days.

Only www.annualcreditreport.com is authorized to give the free annual credit report you are entitled to under the law. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports” and “free credit services” are often not legitimate. Services are not free and are automatically charged to your credit card after a trial period. Other imposter sites try to sell you something or collect your personal information for scams. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from www.annualcreditreport.com or one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link or give personal information. It may be a scam.

Correcting Inaccuracies

If you find inaccurate information, write the credit reporting agency, list the name of the company, and identify the information that is inaccurate. After the company receives notice of a dispute, it must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results to the credit reporting company. If the company finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide credit reporting companies so they can correct the information in your file.

When the investigation is complete, the credit reporting company must give you the written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. This report does not count as your annual free report. If an item is changed or deleted, the credit reporting company cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the company verifies that it’s accurate. If an investigation doesn’t resolve your dispute, request that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and provided to anyone who received a copy of your report. You will be charged for this service.

How Long?

Accurate negative information is reported for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years. Information on criminal convictions, responses to your applications for a job paying more than $75,000 a year, and information reported on more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance remains on your record indefinitely. A lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and provides information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them.

To file a complaint, visit www.ftc.gov/complaint or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).