Christian Emerson asked:




In 2005 the government put into place a new law that mandates that all of its citizens be able to gain access to each one of their credit reports from all three major credit bureaus at least once a year for free. After this law was put into place the demand for credit reports has shot through the roof with all sorts of companies coming out of the woodwork in an effort to satisfy such a demand. The problem with the vast majority of these companies is that they cannot truly offer you a free credit report without you signing up for another one of their products first. This has created a ton of confusion for consumers who have heard about the new government mandate and subsequently went looking for a place to access their credit reports for free.

The good news is that there is an alternative website that can offer you access to your credit reports without the need to sign up for a free trial and without the need to submit any of your credit card information. This website is located at AnnualCreditReport.com, and it is the only website that is fully endorsed by the government to provide people with access to their credit reports once a year for free. This website will not ask for your credit card information and it will not require that you sign up for some free trial to gain access to your reports, and as long as you haven’t already exhausted your once a year entitlement then you should have no trouble going to this website to look at your credit reports for free. Don’t become another victim of one of the many credit report companies that require you to buy something just to get access to your reports as these companies are simply taking advantage of people’s lack of understanding of the government mandate.

Joyce

Jay Brahmanheimer asked:




Many people that are currently suffering in the financial straits of our failing economy are looking for ways to better their money situation. One of the ways that people can get a handle on their finances is to know exactly where they stand in regard to their credit rating. Here are a few suggestions on what to do when looking for a free credit report.

We have been conditioned over the years to understand that when something is offered at no cost, typically there is a catch. Perhaps it is a way of getting you to stay at a hotel that requires you to buy a timeshare. Other times, free gifts are offered if you purchase a certain amount of merchandise from their corporation.

In regard to our finances, we need to be careful in regard to how we look on paper, especially when we are trying to do something large such as purchase a house or become more economically stable. It is important that our rating is high in order for us to receive the additional credit that we need.

One of the things to watch out for in regard to understanding your overall rating is that it is based upon certain criteria. Not only is it based upon how many payments you have made on time, but the overall amount that you have access to in total.

So when looking at an offer that provide you with a free credit report, always remember that they must do this by law and that they have something that they are trying to sell. Most of them offer a more detailed report which examines all three of the major credit bureaus.

Although the cost is nominal, you simply need to be aware that it exists and not to be upset if they offer you one of their services. They are online which cost them money and therefore to offset those costs, they need to provide a service or a product to compensate not only their employees but their presence on the World Wide Web.

Once you have decided which company to choose, there will be many packages. Choose the one that best fits your needs and use that one. The prices will range anywhere from a few dollars to over $100 depending upon the information that comes with the package.

If you decide to choose one of the packages, always sure to use a credit card that you can pay off immediately. One of the greatest difficulties in our society today is having a charge and forget mentality. Therefore, regardless of how much it is, make a note to yourself to pay it off so that interest does not accrue.

Finding credit help or information that is affordable can sometimes be a challenge. However, once you have it, you will have a road map or guideline of what you need to do to improve your rating. Get your free credit report today.

Louise

Gerald Washam asked:




Understand Your Credit

Trying to understand how credit works can be frustrating. Most people do not even know where to begin when trying to identify their personal credit rating. There are three major credit bureaus that report your credit status. These three credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. All three also keep your FICA or credit score. This score can give you the best idea of how your credit ranks.

FICA…What Is It?

FICA scores range from 375 to 900. In general, the higher your credit score the better you will be able to obtain credit. A FICA score under 620 makes obtaining credit difficult. You should identify what your score is and if it isn’t a good number you should then work on making it better. Creditors use your FICA score to determine whether to give you credit and sometimes base interest rates on this score. It is a very important number to know.

Your FICA Score

To determine your credit score you should request your credit report from the three major credit bureaus. The new legislation passed that allows you one free credit report every twelve months does not require the credit bureau to give you your FICA score, so you will probably have to pay for these reports. The contact information for each bureau is as follows:
Equifax 800-685-1111 http://www.equifax.com

Experian 888-397-3742 http://www.experian.com

TransUnion 800-916-8800 http://www.transunion.com


You should receive a copy of your personal credit report that includes your FICA score. Your FICA score is listed along with a comparison to the general population. This lets you know where you fall on the scale from excellent to poor. The credit bureau may include information as to why your score is not higher. Once you have your score you can then determine what you need to do to make it higher.

Raising Your Score

Some simple things can be done to help raise your FICA score. Paying your bills on time, keeping a small amount of unused credit available, keeping your debt low, and avoid inquires to your credit report can all help improve your credit score. Some things like, length of credit history, length of time on your job, and length of time at residence are things you can do nothing about, but that will also affect your FICA score. Practicing good credit methods will help you to obtain a better FICA score.

If you are worried about your personal credit you should really check out your FICA score. Then work to improve it. It may take time, but everyone has the ability to have good credit.

Tim

Tim Gorman asked:




With many consumers continuing to hamper their ability to save money by falling deeper and deeper into debt due to relying on credit and overextending themselves learning how to raise their credit score by 100 points is becoming more important. Nationwide the average credit score is rapidly dropping and most lenders and loan providers are being forced to deny loan applications and requests for credit. Let’s be honest, the financial knowledge and money management skills of the common consumer is not where it should be causing turmoil and financial distress in many.

In order to raise a credit score prior to applying for a new loan there are a few things everyone should implement before allowing the lending agencies or institutions to conduct a credit check them. As you can expect, the first item up for grabs is to order a copy of your free credit report from the three major credit bureaus in order to review it for any errors or inaccurate data. Numerous studies have shown nearly 7 out of every 10 credit reports contain bad information which negatively impacts approximately 25% of today’s consumers.

Although it sounds bad there is actually a bit of good news. The credit bureaus are required by law (the Fair Credit Act) to review and respond to any inquiries or disputes you may have on your credit history or report within 30 days upon notification from the consumer.

With that said, once you have received your free annual credit report you will need to conduct a full review of your report in order to identify any inaccurate information or inefficiencies in your credit data in order to dispute these credit report errors with the credit bureaus.

The easiest way to perform this important task is to take out a highlighter and highlight any inaccurate information on your report making sure to annotate why the data is erroneous. This may include accounts marked as open when they are actually closed or vice-versa, late payments that never took place or in some extremes having the wrong account numbers or social security number on the file. You should also highlight any potential problem areas that you feel may be holding your credit score down.

Next you should start the dispute process with the credit bureaus. Because this action can require some time to complete (as long as 30 or more days) you should start this process immediately. Try to focus on the 2 or 3 items that you have deemed as the most harmful to your credit score and work to have them eradicated from your record first. While undergoing the dispute you can also see if you can increase your current amount of available credit by calling some of your lenders and asking to have your credit limit increased. This has the net effect of improving your credit to debt ratio which will immediately help improve your credit score.

Shirley

joycelyn asked:


I heard on CNN Headline News that you can obtain one free credit report per year from each of the 4 major credit bureaus.

Does anyone know the names of each credit bureau, the number to call (or address) and what you need to do to get a copy of your credit report?

Albert

Helen March And Karen Ciancio asked:


Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the 3 major credit bureaus and are required by law (Fair Credit Reporting Act – FCRA) to provide you with a free annual credit report at your request.

Once every 12 months you can request a free copy of your credit report. Your credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or whether you have filed for bankruptcy.

The 3 major credit bureaus sell the information in your report to your creditors, your insurers, employers, and other businesses. Those businesses use your report to assess and evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or even renting a home…

You are also entitled to one Experian, TransUnion or Equifax Free Credit Report during any 12-month period no matter where you live, if:



You are unemployed and intend to apply for a job in the next 60 days.

You are on public welfare assistance.

You believe your credit report contains inaccurate information due to fraud.

You have received notice of an adverse decision within the past 60 days:

You were denied credit

You were denied insurance coverage

You were denied employment



Otherwise, each of these 3 major credit bureaus may charge you up to $9.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period.

You can request a copy of your Equifax free credit report here:

Equifax Information Services LLC

P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374

or call 800-685-1111

Another alternative is to print out the Annual Credit Report Request Form at the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) site and when filling out the form, be sure to mark only the Equifax free credit report. (Save the free report requests from TransUnion Credit Bureau and Experian Credit Bureau for another time.)

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) recommends that you obtain an application for the free annual credit reports through:

annualcreditreport.com or

Call: 1-877-322-8228 or

Mail the request to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service,

P.O. Box 105281,

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

For more information on your rights and application to access to your Equifax free credit report, visit the FTC site at ftc.gov.

Your Equifax free credit report is a snapshot of your borrowing and bill paying behavior over the last 24 months. The report will provide you with a credit score. With careful planning and as time goes by you have the power to change it for the better.



Maurice

Searcher’s Curious Account asked:


I heard on CNN Headline News that you can obtain one free credit report per year from each of the 4 major credit bureaus.

Does anyone know the names of each credit bureau, the number to call (or address) and what you need to do to get a copy of your credit report?

Greg

Tima.ashar asked:


payments, late payments, defaults, credit billing information, and personal information. It is

important to have a look at this document even if you do not have any substantial credit history to

ensure that the report is accurate and does not misrepresent facts. Another reason for keeping a

check is the prevalence of identity theft.

The credit report is an important document in today’s credit based economy, when most of us

own/use not just one but many credit cards. It matters a lot when you go to take loans and home

mortgages. This is because the interest rates on these deals are influenced by the soundness of

your credit history and credit score.

A free credit report is easy to get hold of. Have a look at it and browse through all the sections carefully. Make sure your personal, biographical records are accurate. Find out if there is any error in reporting bill payments you made to credit card companies or credit companies. If there are old records of defaults and late payments, find out if these can be removed.

Check your credit score against the average national score. If it is low, find out if that may affect the interest rates you may be offered. Find out ways of improving the scores from people who deal with such issues.

The three major credit bureaus offer paid credit reports with credit scores and other related services. Visit their websites and learn more about managing your credit history.

Identity theft has emerged as a modern white-collar crime. The criminal makes use of your identity to take loans or even get a job, and alters your address for correspondence so that all relevant mail is redirected to some other address. Keeping watch on your credit report can help you identify purchases you never made.

For more information visit – government free credit report

The author is a freelance writer and associated with http://government-free-credit-report.net



Rose

leatha asked:


I heard on CNN Headline News that you can obtain one free credit report per year from each of the 3 major credit bureaus.

Does anyone know the names of each credit bureau, the number to call (or address) and what you need to do to get a copy of your credit report?

Raymond