Free Credit Reports

You can and should get a free copy of your credit report every year.

All credit bureaus are required to give out one free credit report per year. You can order your free annual credit report online at www.annualcreditreport.com, by calling 877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

Note: The Credit Bureaus are not required to give out your credit score for free.

The charge for your score will cost $5.95 per bureau. Free reports are good for 30 days. Disputes filed after pulling your free report are handled differently. The credit bureaus have 45 days instead of 30 to respond to your dispute thus giving them more time to investigate. This can be costly in getting items removed. You can avoid the hassle by paying $34.95 and ordering your credit report at:

www.freecreditreport.com.

Beware! There are some sites out posing as the “free annual credit report” site that are engaged in fraudulent activities.