A Consumer’s Rights to Free Annual Credit Report
It has been stated over and over again that consumers are eligible for a free copy of each of their three credit reports each year. As of September 2005, every state in the United States began participating in allowing consumers to access their free credit report. In order to obtain their free copy, they need to visit the official site at www.annualcreditreport.com.
How to Order Your Free Copy
It is usually suggested that a consumer order their free credit report directly by phone (1-877-322-8228), but they can also order their free credit report from the website located at www.annualcreditreport.com. One important thing for consumers to remember is that there are many companies that will claim they are offering a consumer their “free credit report” only to begin charging them for credit monitoring services a month later. Be sure that you only visit the official website in order to get your annual credit report.
How Many Credit Reports Should I Order?
Upon requesting a credit report, consumers will have the option to order just one credit report or all three credit reports at the same time. Though a consumer can easily order all three, it is recommended that they space out their three reports in order to do their own free credit monitoring. As an example of the pattern to order their reports:
JAN 1 – Order TransUnion
MAY 1 – Order Experian
SEP 1 – Order Equifax
Now a consumer can easily monitor their credit reports throughout the year as oppose to waiting 12 months to see them. This cycle can continue to repeat throughout the year as well.
Why Get Copies of a Credit Report?
There are numerous reasons a consumer should get copies of their credit report, but the most common reasons to get a copy are:
- Information in a consumer’s credit report can help them determine their own credit worthiness prior to even applying for a new form of credit.
- One of the best ways to tell if a consumer has become a victim of identity theft is by monitoring their credit reports.
- Looking over your credit report can tell you whether or not there are any inaccuracies on your credit report that can affect your overall FICO score and credit worthiness.
It is important to note that if you are a victim of identity theft, you are eligible to receive a free copy of your credit report. You will need to provide proof of identity theft from either the FTC report or your police report.