FREE CREDIT REPORT

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act or FACT Act requires each of the three credit reporting companies to provide you a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. A credit report contains information about you and your credit/payments history. This information is used to evaluate you applications for credit, insurance, employment, renting a home and for other purposes.

Get Your Free Credit Report

Visit annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228. You can also contact the credit reporting companies:

• Equifax (equifax.com) 800-685-1111
• Experian (experian.com) 888-397-3742
• TransUnion (transunion.com) 800-888-4213

Order from all three for a more accurate appraisal of your credit score — each company derives its information from different sources. Some experts advise staggering your reports over the course of one year to track your status with a free report every four months.

You Can Also Get a Free Report if…

• A company takes adverse action against you, such as denying you credit
• Your report is inaccurate because of fraud
• You are unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days
• You are on welfare

If You Find Inaccuracies in Your Report…

• Tell the credit reporting company — they must investigate right away, and must forward your data to the company that provided the inaccurate information
• Tell the creditor in writing that you dispute the item

An employer or prospective employer cannot get a copy of your report without your written consent.