CBR Foundation for Financial Education, Inc.

 Providing financial education
   to the community

Contact us

phone: (262) 637-9580
fax: (262) 637-1660
email: info@cbracine.org

Fast Facts about Free Credit Reports

Three good reasons to get a copy of your credit report

  1. The information on your credit report affects whether you can get a loan and the rate of interest you will pay. Insurance companies and some prospective employers also use the information on your credit report. (Your current employer can only get a copy of your credit report if you agree.)
  2. You should check your credit report for accurate and complete information. If you find errors or inaccuracies, you can file a dispute.
  3. Keeping tabs on your credit report will help you guard against identity theft. For example, an identity thief can use your personal information to open a new credit card in your name. Then, when you don’t pay the bills, it’s reported on your credit report.

Information you’ll need to provide

Your name, address, Social Security Number and date of birth are required of everyone.

Sometimes you’ll be asked for information that only you know—like the amount of your mortgage payment. This helps to further verify that it is really you who is requesting the report. Each credit reporting agency may ask you different questions since the information from each reporting agency may differ.

Security

It is safe to provide your social security number and other information to credit-reporting agencies from the annualcreditreport.com site. There are software programs that encrypt your information before sending it, and it can only be decrypted by the credit reporting agency you selected. If you aren’t comfortable with this, you can always call or mail in your request.

Ordering all three at one time or spreading them out

You only get one free credit report per year per credit reporting agency. You can order all three at the same time or you can spread it out over the year.

  • The advantage of ordering all three at the same time is that you can compare the three reports.
  • The advantage of ordering them one at a time is that you can keep track of changes or new information that may appear.

In both cases, if you suspect there will be inaccuracies on your reports, consider how long it will take you to prepare a dispute. According to your work style, you may find one way easier than another. However, doing them all at the same time does save some time if you’ll be providing the same information more than once.

How to Order

There are three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Your free report MUST be ordered using one of the following methods. Do not contact the individual agencies unless you want to purchase your credit report or your credit score.

Via the Internet: www.annualcreditreport.com
By phone:

(877) 322-8228

You will go through a simple verification process and the reports will be mailed to you.
By mail:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

You will need a request form to order your reports by mail.

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