How Do I Receive My Free Credit Report?
With the introduction of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, every United States citizen is given the opportunity to obtain one credit report annually completely free of charge. Though the process of actually receiving the report is simple, knowing where and how to get the report is vital to the procedure. Because of the importance of knowing and understanding your credit score, being knowledgeable of this process is necessary in taking control of your own credit future.
The three agencies responsible for generating credit scores, Equifax, Experian and Transunion, have combined their resources to create a single website that enables U.S. citizens to have their free credit report sent to them. The website, AnnualCreditReport.com, offers a simple to understand format that enables those who qualify to view and print their report from the comfort of their home computer. The first step in the process asks for personal information such as name, address, date of birth, social security number and one past home address. Secondly, the site requests that the user choose a single company from which to receive their credit report; though every citizen is given a free copy of each of their three reports, they must choose either to receive them all at once, or in intervals throughout the year. After all information has been given and all query boxes filled, the report is generated and given in document form, giving the report holder the option of either saving and/or printing the report for their personal records.
Along with its main service, the site offers a number of resources for those who wish to learn more about credit reports and the process used to obtain them. Along with a brief description of the site and its founding companies, a thorough “frequently asked questions” section is included in order to help in answering the many inquiries that both users and potential users may have concerning the service, including the security measures the site employs, explanations of general terms, and tips on improving credit scores. But even though the site does offer a number of important extras, its main goal is to guide users through the simple steps of receiving and understanding their credit report and scores. Though the credit report is free of charge, a fee must be paid in order to receive your actual credit scores. The fee, though, is inexpensive, and generally less than fifteen dollars.
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