The fastest way to get a free copy of your credit report is to obtain the report through www.annualcreditreport.com. You may also obtain a free copy of your credit report by calling 1-877-322-8228, or through the mail 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. The Federal Trade Commission also has a short video on free credit reports that you can review as well.
The FCRA requires certain credit reporting agencies to provide you with one free copy of your credit report per year. The important thing to remember is the correct website to visit in order to obtain your free credit report. The website is:
When you visit the website, you will need to know basic details about your financial life in order to answer security questions. Initially, you will enter obvious items like your name, address, and social security number. As you enter a specific credit reporting agency website, you will answer more difficult questions about your financial history to verify your identity. Examples include prior street address names and numbers, monthly payment amounts for certain debts, and maybe even the names of prior roommates.
You do not need to purchase anything to obtain a free copy of your credit report. You may be solicited for optional items like credit scores and credit monitoring, but you need not purchase anything in order to see your free credit report.
Because their are three main credit reporting agencies, I like to review one free report every four months by staggering the individual reports that I obtain for free. A good reference point is near your birthday with scheduled reminders to get another free report four months later. By viewing credit reports in this fashion, you are getting periodic snapshots to make sure that no new inaccuracies are on any credit report.
I would print off and maintain in your records the copies of the reports that you obtain. This creates a baseline snapshot of your credit file if you are ever the victim of inaccurate credit reporting, identity theft, a mixed credit file, merged credit file, or multiple credit files. Monitoring the contents of your credit file is important in protecting your future. Do not delay, get a free copy of your credit report today.