by Dana Coyle

Created on: January 11, 2009

There are several ways to get a truly free credit report. But beware, there are lots of advertisements and websites claiming to offer "free" credit reports that actually require you to sign up for one of their services to get your "free" report.

NOTE: If you are asked for credit card information to access your report you are NOT getting your free credit report.

1) The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) of 2003 added the consumers' right to free credit reports to the already existing Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Under FACTA, every consumer in America is entitled to one free report annually from EACH of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, for a total of THREE free reports per year.

The official, government-sanctioned site to get your free credit report per your consumer rights is www.annualcreditreport.com. When you access the report online it will be available for viewing and printing immediately. You can create a username and password to go back in and view it for the next thirty days. The information will not change during that 30-day period.

If you prefer to mail or phone in your free credit report request, it will take a few weeks to receive it back in the mail. The phone number to request your free report is 1-877-322-8228.

NOTE: Many people prefer to monitor their own credit by getting one of the three, free reports every four months. This allows for effective, consistent review of your credit reports throughout the year.

2) You are entitled to a free credit report if you have been turned down for a loan, credit card or insurance. The company that denied your application is required by law to send you a letter with the details on why you were denied along with instructions on how to obtain your free credit report from the credit bureau that provided the information to the company.

NOTE: You have 60 days after you receive the denial notification to request your free report.

3) If you are currently unemployed and intend to seek a job within the next 60 days, you can send a letter to the credit bureaus telling them so and request your free credit report from each of them.

4) If you are on public assistance, you can also send a letter to the three credit bureaus requesting your free report.
CREDIT BUREAU ADDRESSES

Equifax P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374, 1-800-685-1111
Experian P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013, 1-888-397-3742 TransUnion P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022, 1-800-888-4213

5) If you think there may be fraudulent information or activity on your credit report, you can place a fraud alert with all three credit bureaus and get a free report from each to check your credit file for accuracy.

CREDIT BUREAU FRAUD ALERT CONTACT INFO
Equifax : 1-800-525-6285; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian : 1-888-397-3742; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion : 1-800-680-7289; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

6) Some banks and credit card companies offer their customers a free credit report periodically. Look on your statement or call the customer service number to find out if you are eligible for this service.

Remember, it does NOT count against your credit score when you check your own credit reports. Getting your free reports that you are entitled to throughout the year is a great way to stay proactive against identity theft and to increase your financial fitness.

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