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The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a government mandate that entitles all U.S. citizens to a free credit report each year. The goal of the FCRA is to make sure that each individual stays informed, avoids identity theft, and is treated fairly when it comes to credit worthiness. In the past, not everybody was entitled to a free credit report. Instead, consumers had to pay or qualify based on certain activity within the credit report. A few states have required that residents periodically be entitled to a free credit report, but it has become the standard nationwide.
Since there are 3 credit bureaus and each one is required to give you a free report on an annual basis, you can request one from each of them at different times of the year. Please click here to add this site to your favorites, so you will easily be able to access this information in the future.
You will request your first free credit report from Equifax. You can request this report online at: annualcreditreport.com
When you fill out the form the first time, request only the Equifax credit report. In 4 months you will want to request one from
Experian and in 8 months you can request one from Trans Union. Since these reports are very similar, you should
spread them out over the year in this fashion. This way you have regular access to credit reports with having to pay any fees.
Each bureau will offer you paid subscription services, but they are NOT necessary in order to receive your report, I suggest you simply
decline the offers.
For those of you who want to request one by mail, you can use the following form:
Please make sure to indicate at the bottom of the page that you want
the Equifax report.
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Credit Score | Home Equity | Debt Consolidation | Identity Theft