New Law Promotes Access to Free Credit Reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies ? Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion ? to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for 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.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling  1-877-322-8228  or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

To buy a copy of your report, contact:

Equifax: 800-685-1111; www.equifax.com
Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com
Trans Union: 800-916-8800; www.transunion.com  

There is a central site that allows you to request a free credit file disclosure once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. See link to left for details ~ please read fine print.

Jamie Friedman, RE/MAX Kauai, and Agent Image are not responsible for the information on these sites. Links and data are provide as a courtesy.