Credit Bureaus
Once you have established a credit history, it's important for you to monitor your credit report at minimum on an annual basis. A positive credit history is an asset, not only when you apply for a credit card, but also when you apply for a job or insurance or when you want to finance a car or a home.
Mistakes can happen and it is up to you to make certain that the information contained in your credit report is consistent with all three of the credit reporting bureaus. Often there is a small fee to access your credit report, however, if you have recently been denied credit, the fee is waived.**
Free Credit Reports
Consumers are allowed one free credit report from each of the three credit-reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) each year. Make sure you get your free credit report from a legitimate source! The following are three official methods to obtain your free credit report:
- Visit www.annualcreditreport.com
- Call 877.322.8228
- Write to: Annual Credit Report Request Service
PO Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
TIP: If you're trying to improve your credit score, a good way to track your progres is to get one report from each agency every four months.
For more on credit reports and scores, email our Financial Wellness staff or call 877.367.5428 and speak with one of our certified financial counselors.
You can also get your report and credit score from the credit bureaus listed below:
Equifax
800.685.1111
800.525.6283 (to report fraud)
www.equifax.com
Experian
888.397.3742
www.experian.com
TransUnion
800.888.4213
800.680.7289 (to report fraud)
www.tuc.com
**Once per year, you can request a copy of your credit report from each credit bureau at no cost to you.
