One of the smartest things any consumer can do is to get a copy of their credit report and score.  While you may scared of what you might find, it is even worse to let inaccuracies go unchecked and potentially harm the good credit that you have worked so hard to build.  Getting your credit score and credit report is actually a very simple matter that will only take a few minutes and can even happen at no charge to you.

 

Each American is entitled to one free credit report each year.  This free report will come from each of the three major credit bureaus and is the result of the 2003 Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions.  Before this act went into law, credit reports would cost consumers about ten dollars to get a copy.  However, now all major reporting agencies including Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian will have to provide a copy of a consumer’s report upon request from a centralized source.  There are several ways to visit this source and request your credit report.

 
Free Credit Score at TransUnion
 

Consumers also have the choice of receiving the three reports at the same time, or you can choose to get them at different times.

In addition to every American being entitled to one free credit report each year, there may be certain circumstances in which you can get another free copy without having to wait another twelve months.  For example, consumers can also get a free credit report if they have been denied a loan, job or insurance policy based on your credit report, you have applied for unemployment or you reside in state which allows you more than one free credit report each year.  For example, residents of Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and Vermont are already eligible for an additional free report.  In addition, residents of Georgia can get two free annual credit reports from each of the three reporting agencies.  However, many residents are unaware that they are eligible for more than one free credit report each year.  In fact, getting this second report is not as easy as getting the first and consumers must contact each of the three credit reporting bureaus in order to make a request.  While this might require a little extra effort, financial experts say it is worth it in order to make sure that all of the information on your credit report is correct and you won’t find any surprises which could hurt your overall score.

Getting a free credit report is easy and many experts say that consumers should get reports as often as possible and even try to time them so that one will arrive each quarter of the year.

Check out FreeCreditScore.com and annualcreditreport.com.  For those who don’t have a computer or prefer to do things another way, a request can also be submitted by phone and calling 1-877-322-8228.  Consumers can also make their yearly request by mail.  However, you will have to complete a form located on the back of the Annual Credit Report Request brochure and then mail it to:  Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, Georgia, 30348-5281.