Viewing your free credit report is simple and you can get yours every year from one or all of the three consumer reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It only takes a few minutes to view and download your free credit report so there isn’t any reason not to do so. Your annual free credit report has the skinny on what’s in your credit file that a lender sees whenever you apply for consumer credit. A credit report lists the full history of your credit accounts. Credit bureaus don’t actually place information in your files, they only maintain it. When requesting your free credit report, it is important to review it for any inaccuracies, making sure it is up-to-date and complete. Any errors in your credit file could be costly.
If you haven’t got around to requesting your free credit report in a while, it is recommended that you get a copy from each of the credit reporting agencies. The advantage of ordering all three credit reports at the same time is that you will be able to compare them. Then you would not be eligible for another free credit report for another 12 months. The advantage of requesting your free credit report ordering one now and others later, one credit report every four months for example, is that you can keep track of any changes or new information that may appear on your annual free credit report. So if you request yours from only one credit agency today you can still request from the other two at a later date. That way you will have access to your updated credit report every four months throughout the year.
Requesting Your Free Credit Report Is Simple
You may get your credit reports directly from each of three consumer reporting agencies websites, Equifax.com, Experian.com and TransUnion.com or from their central source website AnnualCreditReport.com.
When requesting your free credit report, you may wish it inquire about getting your credit score. Your credit score is used by a lender to help them determine whether you might qualify for a particular credit card, loan, or service. Most credit scores estimate the risk a company incurs by lending you money or providing them with a service. In other words, the likelihood that you would make your payments on time in the future. The higher your credit score, the less risk you represent to a lender.
Keep These In Mind
When requesting your free credit report, you will need to have the following information at hand:
- Your social security number
- Former addresses and dates you lived there
- Credit card account numbers
- Employment history
If you find errors in your credit report, send dispute letters to the three major credit reporting agencies. The credit bureaus have 30 days by law to investigate and make corrections.
The value of maintaining a clean credit report and having a high credit score could be worth thousands of dollars to you over the course of a loan, that’s why requesting your free credit report is so important. People with the best credit get lower interest rates and even preference for employment opportunities.
Remember, requesting your free credit report is always quick, easy and secure. Get yours today.
