Obtain Your Credit Report
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and Transunion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The three nationwide credit reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.
To order your report, you can:
1. Visit annualcreditreport.com, or
2. Call 1-877-322-8228, or
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
The information above is provided in summary. For complete details, please refer to the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer information on Free Credit Reports.
Disputing Errors on your Credit Report
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), both the credit reporting company and the creditor (or information provider) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. If you notice errors in your credit report, take the following action:
Step One: Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. A sample letter is available here. Include copies, not originals, of documents that support your position. Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested so you can document what the credit reporting company received.
Step Two: Tell the creditor (or information provider), in writing, that you dispute an item. A sample letter is available here. Include copies, not originals, of documents that support your position. Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested so you can document when and what the creditor (or information provider) received.
The information above is provided in summary. For complete details, please refer to the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer information on Disputing Errors on Credit Reports.