So, how do you get your credit report in the first place? There are three major credit reporting agencies that will offer you the one free credit report that you are entitled to each year. They are Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. You need to contact each of them individually, in the following ways:
- Equifax – They can be found online at www.equifax.com. You can also order your free credit report by mail, although they only offer this option for free to residents in the following states:
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If you would prefer to get your free credit report by mail, send your request to Equifax Information Services, LLC; Disclosure Department;
- TransUnion – Online, they are at www.transunion.com. As with Equifax, you can also make your request via mail by getting a copy of their mail request form online and sending it to the address provided. You can also telephone them at 1-877-322-8228.
- Experian – Online, they are at www.experian.com, where you can make a request for a credit report from this credit reporting agency. As with TransUnion, you will need to download a form from their website if you wish to request your credit report by mail. By phone you can call 888 397 3742.
There are also many websites that will allow you to download your free credit report from their websites, but they will only be forwarding you to one of the above websites anyway. However, they are worth checking out for the information that you can find on them. Here are a few:
- www.annualcreditreport.com
- www.freecreditreport.com
- www.creditreport.com
- www.freecreditreportinstantly.com
The important thing is to obtain your free credit report, so you can get an indepth view of where you are now, and how far you have to go to repair your credit. Most of the time when you download your credit report, you will be able to view and save it instantly. Save it to your computer’s “My Documents” file if you can. That way you’ll be able to print it out and refer to it as much as you need.
Also, some of these sites offer low-cost memberships that will alert you if a new item comes onto your credit report. I personally don’t feel that purchasing a membership is all that necessary, as if you are keeping a sharp eye on your finances (which of course, you should be doing), you really don’t need to pay someone to tell you when something is added! In a perfect world, of course, there would be nothing added until the present situation is dealt with.
Once you get a copy of your credit report, it’s vital that you know how to read it. There are going to be an awful lot of numbers, abbreviations and terms that would make the most seasoned geek roll their eyes! Trade lines, charge-offs, account review inquiries — what does all this gobbledegook mean?
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Some interesting stuff:
Check Out The “Credit Secrets Bible”
Check this out before opening your wallet:
Don’t Pay Someone Else Thousands, Do It Yourself!
