Free Credit Bureau Report

Sonny Collova asked:




How to Improve Your Credit Reputation

What can you do to make sure that your report accurately and fairly reflects your creditworthiness? In this article series, you will learn

Your legal rights when it comes to credit reporting. How to fix mistakes on your file. How to exercise your legal rights when things go wrong.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was enacted in 1971 to give Americans the opportunity to find out what information is contained in their credit files, and to help ensure that the information being exchanged with others is correct and complete. When Congress passed that law, however, the credit-reporting industry was much different from it is today.

In the early 1970s, if you wanted to see your credit file, you probably would have gone down to the local credit bureau office and asked to see your file. The clerk would disappear into a room lined with folders and bring out your report-a page or more of notes describing your payment history. Today, if you want to order your credit file, chances are you’ll order it online or from a large national credit reporting agency in another state.

The original FCRA was important legislation when it was passed but became outdated in the electronic age. Using that law to regulate the modern credit reporting system was something like applying horse-and-buggy traffic laws to automobiles.

The following are your rights, including those under the newer credit reporting law passed in 1996.

Your Credit Report: Legal Right #1

You Have the Right to Find Out What Your Credit File Says

If you have never seen your credit bureau, get it. If you have not seen it in the past year, it may be time for a “check-up.”

Here’s a good example of why it’s important to check it: My friend’s car died on her one weekend. She had been hoping to nurse it along, but it just couldn’t hang on any longer. Suddenly, she had to buy a car right away. She went shopping, found one, and applied for the loan. She knew her credit wasn’t perfect, but she was also confident that she knew everything that would show up on it. Apparently, it contained some surprises.

The finance manager told her she had to order a copy of her credit report (which she could only get by mail, since the local credit bureau office no longer handles consumer requests), wait for it to arrive, then explain and dispute the mistakes. That took about a week. In the meantime, she had to scramble for transportation.

Don’t wait until there’s a problem to get your credit report. Order a copy at least once per year or if you are thinking about getting a car loan or mortgage, get a copy ahead of time.

If you have been turned down for credit recently because of information in your credit report, it is fairly easy to get a copy of the report by mail. The rejection letter (called an “adverse action” letter) you received from the bank or credit card company must list the name of the credit bureau from which it obtained your credit report. Save your rejection letter! Call the credit bureau listed on that letter, tell them you have been turned down for credit based on information in their report on you, and ask how to get a copy of your credit report.

If you have not been turned down for credit recently and you want to see a copy of your report. You can order your annual free report from annualcreditreport.com. This is the government mandated site set up by the big three credit reporting agencies. This free annual report will not have your credit scores.

Gail

Patsy Rose asked:




Almost ten years ago, I was looking to buy a new home. A builder was advertising a “no down-payment mortgage”. With my permission, he pulled a copy of my credit report and told me that I had problems. I knew that I was entitled to a free credit report. Without a credit card, I began searching on-line for a source. The builder told me that the credit bureau was in town and that I could get a free credit report without a credit card if I went directly to the credit bureau. I could not even find the address.

For your information, if you are ever denied credit. The lender is required to provide you with the name and address of the credit bureau which provided them with the information they used in reviewing your application. You are entitled to a free credit report, without a credit card, within 60 days of the denied application.

This builder was a little strange. He printed out a copy and waved it in front of my face, telling me that he was not supposed to even let me see the report. He told me that in a couple of years, I might be able to qualify for his program. I had no idea what information he was talking about. I had owned and recently sold my own home because I had moved to a new city. I decided to rent for a while, just in case I did not like the new town. I did not have an active credit card, because I do not like credit cards. They sometimes get me into trouble. But, I was sure that this alone was not reason to refuse me into his no down payment program. So, my search began for a free credit report without a credit card. The builder said that I should be able to get one on-line, but that I would probably have to pay a fee. This made no sense to me, because I knew that I was entitled to a free copy.

I found a site that offered a free credit report without a credit card. They said they would send me my “free credit report” in the mail in a couple of weeks. My free credit report without a credit card turned out to be a magazine. The title was “My Free Credit Report”. This was my free copy, but they wanted me to know that subscribing was easy. I would be billed in three easy installments. I think that at this point, I gave up looking for a free credit report without a credit card. Having a case of “sour grapes”, I decided that I was not ready to buy a new house anyway.

Today, because of a recently enacted law, commonly called the FACT act, consumers can view and print a free credit report without a credit card, on-line, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The website was created by the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. The website was created to make it easier for people like me to find their free credit report without a credit card. Actually, it was created to make it easier for anyone to access the information stored on their credit reports. You are entitled to a free credit report without a credit card once in a 12 month period, if you have been denied credit within the past 60 days, if you are unemployed and planning to look for a job within the next 90 days and for various other reasons. The website address is http://www.annualcreditreport.com. It will come up if you type in free credit report into a web search engine, but other offers and services will pop up as well. If you type in “free credit report without a credit card”, it will not show up on the first page at all. Misspellings of the website address are being used by companies to attract customers to the services they offer. In order to avoid an experience like mine, you can type the website address correctly or access it from the Federal Trade Commission’s official consumer credit website. Hope this information makes your search for a free credit report without a credit card a little easier.

Clarence

Greg Mckeon asked:




One of the biggest threats to consumers is the lack of credit report monitoring. Most of us know that fraud exists but don’t realize just how big the threat is. Con artists prey on the naive and the greedy and they’ve honed their skills for years duping their victims out of money and possessions. It may not be surprising then that identity fraud has become so widespread because consumers still embrace the DIY mode of prevention; but honestly it’s too many avenues to keep abreast of. While you’re watching A, B and C, D, E and F are left vulnerable.

Proactive credit bureau monitoring could minimize the risk of financial and identity theft. The credit bureaus are updated by vendors of your whereabouts all the time. Use a new address and you can be sure that the credit bureau will soon have it listed on your credit report. Apply for a new credit card and the inquiry is listed on your credit report. This is why credit report monitoring is so vital to keeping your identity protected.

Just imagine some imposter posing as you, using your information including your sacred social security number. It becomes life altering when someone is out there posing as you ruining your good name and credit. And while the majority of us request our free yearly credit report, there are a vast number of people who don’t and this group won’t find out that someone has stolen their identity until they happen to come across some peculiar information. Which group are you in? Will it be the protected or un-protected group?

Fraud is the type of crime that keeps on giving; here are a few reasons to consider why credit report monitoring is so important;

The yearly credit report you just reviewed had no suspicious items listed so you’re at ease and feel protected. The following month an imposter opens 3 new credit cards in your name with a new address. You have no idea that this has occurred. The new credit card billing statements began going to the new address and the imposter is paying the minimum payments; it may be a rarity but they have successfully became you and you still have no idea that this is occurring. The imposter feels confident and successfully gets approved for 2 new car loans; this time they have no intention of paying and the imposter disappears. You still are unaware that your identity has been stolen because no one has notified you.

This is nothing new because imposters steal identities everyday for various reasons. In some cases they only want credit and some will even pay the minimum payments; others are just buying time to see how much they can get away with until they completely disappear once the credit limit has been reached.

All of those scenarios has happened and become frequent each year. While all cannot be completed prevented, it certainly can be minimized because if you were utilizing a credit monitoring service they would have alerted you the second a new address or application for a credit card hit your credit report.

Every instance of a request for new credit or a vendor reporting a new address will show up on your report however if you’re not taking advantage of good credit monitoring then an imposter could do damage twice-fold before you find out.

Some of you may be very proactive and keep regular updates on your credit report while others should really invest in a service that specializes in credit report monitoring and quick alerts of fraud. In today’s age of the unknown you need all the help you can find.

Frederick

Pierre Smith asked:




In these days more and more people are having problems with debt. Every quarter, about 170,000 home owners in the United States go into foreclosure. Along with that, identity theft is becoming increasingly common. Depending on both of these facts, it is really important to obtain your credit report from time to time to see what is going on. There are some options to obtain your credit report. When you are denied credit, insurance or a job due to something in your credit report, you are able to call for one, because that company has to inform you which credit agency provided the information. You have the right to get a free credit report from that agency within 60 days of being turned down. However, if you would like to see your credit report at any time you want, you should consider to pay a small fee to obtain it.

Besides, you can find some options to get your absolutely free credit report. If you only would like to check your free credit report once a year, you can call for a copy of your respective report by writing to one of the three major credit reporting agencies, because you have a right to get a free credit report once a year this way. If that free annual report is all you require, this way works just fine for most people. To get the free report though you do have to enter your data, which is needed to keep your report safe. You may be asked about your full name, your current and former address, social security number, date of birth, and your phone numbers in order to gain access to your credit report.

Another option to get free online reports is to sign up for a service you have to pay for. Such a service enables you to get online access to your information at any time you want so that you are able to keep your eye on details that are going on. This option is perfect for people who might be worried about identity theft, or are trying to repair credit to make any type of major purchase. This way is not only ready to hand, it is really easy and fast as well. To get access to this kind of service you need your associated account password. You should always assure to keep it really hard to puzzle out and to change it frequently so that only you can get access to your data.

It may be wise to check your credit now, if you haven’t do so of late. You can simply check it online. Many people don’t understand what they are looking at when they open it. However, there are some online sources helping you how to read a credit report and what all the different facts stand for. If there are facts that are not correct, you are able to get them fixed, though occasionally this will take some time. Whenever you are afraid about identity theft, one of the most important things you should do is obtaining your online credit report.

Annette