It’s Called Currency

Don’t let those cute and catchy commercials trick you into paying for your credit reports when you can get them for free. By law, you can request a copy of your report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) once every twelve months.

There are three ways to request the reports:

1. go to AnnualCreditReport.com
2. call 1-877-322-8228
3. complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

You can also get a copy of your credit report if you

• apply for a loan, job, or insurance and are turned down,
• are unemployed and plan to apply for jobs in the next 60 days,
• are receiving public assistance,
• believe there are mistakes on your report due to fraud, including identity theft, or
• are a resident of one of the seven states that have state laws providing an additional free copy of your credit reports
  1. Colorado
  2. Georgia
  3. Maine
  4. Maryland
  5. Massachusetts
  6. New Jersey
  7. Vermont

Some people get all three reports at once while others stagger them as a form of identity monitoring. I recommend getting them all at the same time the first time so you can compare them and work on removing any errors. I was amazed at how different some of the information was between the different agencies. I even had an “alias” listed on one because I once had a phone number listed under another name to avoid paying to have it unlisted. (What genius decided to make us pay to not be listed in the phone book, anyway?)

A review of your credit reports will help you to see what makes you look good—or not so good—to the loan officer, landlord, insurance company or employer who has paid to see the information you’ve obtained for free. Take the time to make sure it’s accurate, complete and up-to-date.

More info: FTC: Your Access to Free Credit Reports

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