Credit Report Resources
Free Credit Reports
·www.annualcreditreport.com
Credit Monitoring Agencies
·Equifax, www.equifax.com, (800) 685-1111
·Experian, www.experian.com, (888) 397-3742
·TransUnion, www.transunion.com, (877) 322-8228
Credit Couseling
·Consumer Credit Counseling Service, www.cccsoc.org
·National Federation of Credit Counseling, www.nfcc.org
Check Credit Report For Mistakes Before Major Purchases
Mistakes happen. It can take a while to get them fixed, and you don't want a mistake in your credit report to hold up an important purchase. Check credit reports three to six months before applying for a mortgage, two to four months before applying for an auto loan, and one to two months before applying for a credit card. You can accomplish this by staggering free credit reports, one from a different credit monitoring agency every four months. There are other instances where you can get a free credit report like when you have been denied credit or are unemployed and plan to apply for a job in the next 60 days, or are receiving public assistance.
Fixing/Avoiding Mistakes
If you spot a mistake in your credit report, make the credit monitoring agency aware of it immediately. See the report or their website for the procedure for reporting errors. Send copies (not originals) of supporting documents. Identify the error, why you believe it is incorrect, and request that it be fixed or deleted. If you mail a written copy, send it by certified mail so that you have documentation that the credit monitoring agency received it. For claims not considered "frivolous," they have thirty days to contact the creditor that supplied the information, investigate, and reply to you. If the credit monitoring agency cannot verify the disputed information in the credit report, it must be deleted from your file.
Avoid mistakes by always filling out credit applications the same way. That is, always write your name and address the same way. And notify creditors immediately if you change your name or address. You can also notify the credit monitoring agencies.
Consider a Credit Freeze
You can freeze your credit on purpose to help protect against financial ID theft. Check out this guide on ClarkHoward.com for how to freeze/unfreeze your credit.