How to Get a Free Credit Report
Each year you are eligible to get a free credit report however, in order to get your free annual credit report you should not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. Instead you can obtain your free credit reports by doing one of the following:
- Go to www.annualcreditreport.com and submit your request.
- Call toll-0free: 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 30348-5281
The form can be found at www.ftc.gov/credit .
You also want to keep in mind that you can get a free credit report if one of the following occurs:
- Your application for credit, insurance, or employment is denied based on information in your credit report.
- You are receiving public assistance.
- You are unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days.
- Your report is inaccurate because of identity theft or fraud.
What Information is in a 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.
Warning
The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports, but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.