FREE CREDIT REPORTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
Free credit reports are now available online now from the Federal Trade Commission website at: http://www.ftc.gov/credit/ or http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Ordering your free annual credit report: The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up on central website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order click on http://www.annualcreditreport.com. or call 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
General directions for use of http://www.annualcreditreport.com: You need to create a user name, password, confirm the password, and create a secret question and answer. Then you move on to answer some specific questions about yourself so they can ensure that you are the person you are requesting the report for (it says its illegal to get a report for someone else). You will need to know your employment history; account numbers for installment loans, student loans or mortgages; and your account numbers for revolving accounts like credit cards. Each of the three reporting agencies will walk you through their own series of personal questions. You have to be careful to read the screens because if you press the back key or forward key at a certain point you may get booted out of the site and have to start over. Once you get through the initial set of questions the site sends you to a Transunion site to get your report from them. You have some options which include things such as disputing claims. You will then print the actual report but you should probably make sure you print your report number so that you can re-access the report online within the next thirty (30) days if necessary. When you finish with the Transunion report click the back button and get the next report until you have completed all three reports.
Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are only providing free annual credit reports through http://www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.