3 Free Credit Reports For You
If you were to tell someone that they can have a certain item for free, more than likely their response would be, "what's the catch?" In the case of credit reports there is no catch, you can now get a free copy of this report through the three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnions, and Experian. Let's take a look at the law and how you can benefit from it.
An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the three national credit reporting agencies to provide one free copy of your credit report to you annually. Beginning on December 1, 2004 and culminating on September 1, 2005, the Federal Trade Commission is requiring that these agencies offer reports on a rolling, phase in basis. In other words, on December 1, 2004, if you live in certain western states you became eligible at that time and every three months later additional states were added. By September 1, 2005, residents of all states are eligible.
Fortunately for consumers, you need not contact the three reporting agencies separately to obtain your free credit report. You can order right online at www.annualcreditreport.com; or by calling 877-322-8228; or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
The form is available online where you can print it out and mail it in: www.ftc.gov/credit.
If you need copies more often, you can contact the three reporting agencies and request copies. You will pay for this service.
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 are also private companies who will obtain all three copies of your credit report for you as well. There is a fee involved, but you may find their services to be less of a hassle than contacting the three companies separately.
So, how can you benefit from the law? By ordering copies of your reports from the companies on a four month rotating basis. Most consumers will find this plan to be sufficient and it will allow for you to compare/contrast the reports of each agency. Of course, if you already suspect fraud you will want to order all three reports at once and notify each agency to place a "fraud alert" in your credit file.
All in all, the new law is a big win for consumers. Take advantage of this "windfall" as soon as you become eligible to do so.
Matthew Keegan -- The Article Writer -- writes on a variety of business, financial, and personal interest topics. You can view additional samples of his work at http://www.thearticlewriter.com
MORE RESOURCES:
 AFP | Your Money One Thing You Can Control: Your Credit Score New York Times, United States - Your credit score, however, is something that you have a fair bit of control over, since it reflects your behavior as a borrower. ... Credit Crisis Collapse What Happens Next? Regional financial experts focus on lending; say credit crunch is ... Market news this week for strong stomachs |
 Calgary Herald | Stock markets end week of credit crunch worries Newsday, NY - Credit-crunch worries continued to weigh on US stock markets Friday, but the hemorrhaging evident for most of the week was contained. ... Video: Stocks Fluctuate After Fed Corporate Debt Plan Easy credit and financial crisis Overseeing Finance's New Era |
 Voice of America | Global leaders seek answer to credit crisis San Francisco Chronicle, USA - At the same time, loan markets everywhere remained broken, especially the critical wholesale credit markets, in which financial institutions lend each other ... Video: Bernanke: More Economic Pain Ahead TREASURIES-Surge in Europe as shares skid on credit woes Stocks down despite government moves to free up credit |
 The Associated Press | US will work with partners on credit crisis: Bush CBC.ca, Canada - It was the 21st time in 26 days that the president has spoken publicly about the credit crisis gripping financial markets and dragging down stock markets. ... Meeting G7, Bush Vows World Economic Fix |
 New York Times | Lehman Credit-Default Swap Payout Could Climb as High as $365 Billion Washington Post, United States - By Heather Landy NEW YORK, Oct. 10 -- In what may shape up to be the most expensive payout ever in the credit-default swap market, sellers of insurance ... STOP FINANCIAL WMD'S: Credit Default Swaps Insurance on Lehman Debt Is the Industry’s Next Test Lehman Credit-Swap Auction Sets Payout of 91.38 Cents (Update1) |
Fears Grow That Tight Credit Could Crush GM, Ford NPR - Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit of both companies and their financing arms this week. AFP/Getty Images Ford F-150 trucks sit at a dealership in ... Video: Money Minute: GM, GE, Oil GM, Ford too big to fail? CREDIT WATCH HITS GM, FORD |
 BBC News | IMF endorses G7 plan to fight global credit crisis CTV.ca, Canada - The International Monetary Fund is backing a plan by Canada and the other G7 countries to fight the worldwide credit crisis, which continues to play havoc ... Video: IMF: Timing right for G7 Credit CRISIS ALERT Press demands some G7 credit crunch punch |
 Boston Globe | Transcript: President Bush's Radio Address FOXNews - The Fed has joined with central banks around the world to coordinate a cut in interest rates — a step that should help free up credit. ... Text of Bush's remarks Friday on the economy Comprehensive strategy to tame crisis: Bush Bush says financial rescue plan big enough to work |
DTCC Addresses Misconceptions About the Credit Default Swap Market MarketWatch - Since that time, the vast majority of credit default swaps traded have been registered in the Warehouse. In addition, all of the major global credit default ... |
 Dividend.com | CME Group Details On Future Credit Default Swaps Market istockAnalyst.com (press release), OR - ... owned in the past (we just rebought CME Friday morning) are positioning for a piece of the very huge (and very troublesome) credit default swaps market. ... Credit swaps dragged out of shadows State Controller Chiang to Treasury Secretary Paulson ... Financials Got You Down? CME Pitches Credit-Default Swaps the ... |
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