How To Get A Free Copy Of My Credit Report?
Here are steps to get a free copy of your credit report
Credit reports consist of personal details, credit accounts, inquiries, and public records that show your past credit history, loans, and credit card payments. It is therefore recommended that one should have his/ her credit report checked from time to time to detect such fraud.
I am glad to inform you that you are allowed to request a free credit report once a year from each of the three credit bureaus namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. In this article, I have explained how to get your free annual credit reports with easy-to-follow instructions.
That being said, find out which credit report you prefer
The first process of credit repair involves choosing where exactly you want to start, that is, which of the credit bureau reports to open first. Please remember that you are allowed to receive one free report from each of the credit bureaus once a year so it is advised to file for one report every four months. This also provides you with a way of tracking your credit all year round.
Put this on your calendar and don’t forget to ask for your free reports from the respective bureaus. For instance, you should get an Equifax report every January, while your TransUnion should be accessed in April, and finally, Experian in September. Then, recheck each report after four months of service to find out their current condition.
You can also order the report from all three bureaus if you have a preference for the same. Oh, ye be warned though it is possible to request the three reports at the same time, getting additional free reports requires waiting a full year.
So why not order your free credit report now?
Furthermore noteworthy is the only website the federal government has approved for online credit reports: AnnualCreditReportcom. Though they charge a monthly subscription and provide no actual credit report to the consumers, numerous bogus third-party websites falsely offer free credit reports. Never register for the free trial copies of credit reports from companies unrelated to AnnualCredit Report.com.
Following https: Access the free yearly credit report at //www.annualcreditreport.com; while visiting this page, you will be asked to provide basic identification information allowing access to your report. When you are connected to the Internet in a public area, never enter personal information including your name, address, date of birth, and Social Security Number.
Completing multiple-choice questions depending on the contents of your credit file will come next. Using the pertinent information from your past loan applications and credit history, rationally answer the questions. Just reviewing past bank statements will help you recall account numbers and former addresses.
Once the identity verification questions are answered and confirmed, either a physical copy or online access to the entire report is available. Once you have access to your credit report, first make sure you check every element of it.
This is important as it allows you to know what your credit report contains.
Now that you have access to your credit report, make sure you understand all of the contents included in the document
- Identifying Information Section: This will reveal your name, address, and telephone number, previous addresses and employers, and other relevant information. If you find any discrepancies in your name, your Social Security number, or your date of birth, report the same to the credit bureau.
- Credit History Section: The credit history section also provides details of any credit account that you have such as a mortgage, credit card, student loan, or retail account. It indicates the state of an account, credit limit or the amount of the loan, monthly payment, and the current balance.
- Payment History Section: In this section, you can see all the payments that were made on time, payments that were missed, and the severity level of the latter. This gives a good narration of your payment characteristics over some time.
- Recent Credit Inquiries Section: This happens when you apply for credit cards and loans in a company; the company pulls your credit report which results in an inquiry being made on the report. Monitoring of inquiries lets you know when there are fraud activity inquiries made by creditors who have extended credit to you also fall under.
- Public Records Section: The bankruptcies, tax liens, lawsuits, judgments, or wage garnishment details will appear in this section. It is advisable to take measures that would help in eliminating these negative items since they have a severe impact on your credit score.
Each of the three credit reporting companies is required to provide a procedure to allow the consumer to dispute any errors that may be contained in the credit report.
In case you notice an error, for instance, a payment made a day or two late, and you know that you were on the right side of the law, you should start disputing it. The credit bureaus have the responsibility to look into items that were disputed by the consumer as being inaccurate. The most efficient way of drawing the attention of the bureau to the errors in the credit file is by accessing the dispute portal on the bureau's website.
Although errors in credit reports can be corrected, it is always advisable to check your credit report from time to time. Overseeing your account a few times in the year will help give you a prompt warning in the event of fraud/identity theft. Be attentive to unknown companies asking for money, accounts you never signed for, and wrong debts assigned to you – all of this may refer to fraud or criminals stealing your identity.
The Bottom Line
Indeed, it is possible to get a credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion once yearly and use it to ensure that the financial accounts are correct, monitor payment behaviors, and identify errors or fraud. Just make sure you use the legitimate AnnualCreditReportcom website to obtain your report to be free from being scammed by fake websites. It is crucial to monitor your credit history because identity theft and weak credit become enormous concerns if not detected early.
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