Wizzard
30 April 2007, 16:00
It is highly recommended you check your credit report frequently. The average person will only check there credit report during a major purchase; car or home. Most people will rely on the loan officer to check it for them. Here are some steps where a person can get a free credit report several times a year, three if single and six if married.
The first thing a person needs to realized is if they have placed a fraud alert with a Credit Reporting Agency (CRA), they will be unable to obtain one online.
Many people across the country think you have to pay for the report...this is just not the case. There are many websites out there who will provide a free credit report. I recommend people go to the site; www.annualcreditreport.com
This site will only give you a credit report from the CRA you select. Other sites will provide you with one report but it is merged. What this means is a person will get all three CRA reports on one sheet. The possibility is great to have someone elses report merged with yours. This is why the Federal Trade Commission recommends annualcreditreport.com
Here is what you do...
Log in and select your State of residence then follow the instructions. You will eventually arrive at a link for the three major credit report agencies; Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Select only one!!! Equifax and Experian are the two easiest to obtain. If you are single, you can get one every four months. If you selected Equifax on your first log in try one of the others on the next log in. If you are married, you can log in and obtain a report and two months later your spouse can log in and get another free report.
You can look at your report online but there is a catch...a hidden timer. When the timer runs out you will be unable to view the report any more. Before you log in, make sure your printer is ready, plenty of paper and toner or ink.
TransUnion is the most difficult CRA to get a report so I recommend you get this one last. It is also recommended to obtain your reports on an easily remembered date such as birthday, anniversary, holiday, etc.
If you are constantly monitoring your credit report you can identify potential problems before they get out of hand. REMEMBER: IF YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE FRAUD ALERT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VIEW YOUR REPORT ONLINE.
The first thing a person needs to realized is if they have placed a fraud alert with a Credit Reporting Agency (CRA), they will be unable to obtain one online.
Many people across the country think you have to pay for the report...this is just not the case. There are many websites out there who will provide a free credit report. I recommend people go to the site; www.annualcreditreport.com
This site will only give you a credit report from the CRA you select. Other sites will provide you with one report but it is merged. What this means is a person will get all three CRA reports on one sheet. The possibility is great to have someone elses report merged with yours. This is why the Federal Trade Commission recommends annualcreditreport.com
Here is what you do...
Log in and select your State of residence then follow the instructions. You will eventually arrive at a link for the three major credit report agencies; Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Select only one!!! Equifax and Experian are the two easiest to obtain. If you are single, you can get one every four months. If you selected Equifax on your first log in try one of the others on the next log in. If you are married, you can log in and obtain a report and two months later your spouse can log in and get another free report.
You can look at your report online but there is a catch...a hidden timer. When the timer runs out you will be unable to view the report any more. Before you log in, make sure your printer is ready, plenty of paper and toner or ink.
TransUnion is the most difficult CRA to get a report so I recommend you get this one last. It is also recommended to obtain your reports on an easily remembered date such as birthday, anniversary, holiday, etc.
If you are constantly monitoring your credit report you can identify potential problems before they get out of hand. REMEMBER: IF YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE FRAUD ALERT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VIEW YOUR REPORT ONLINE.