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Experts agree — it’s important to check your credit report
regularly to verify your accounts, look for suspicious activity
and correct any errors. Now, you can get that information
for free thanks to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions
(FACT) Act. To get a free credit report, you can
log on to
AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also request a copy
by calling 1-877-322-8228 or completing the
Annual Credit Report Request Form (pdf) at
FTC.gov and mailing it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
All Wisconsin & Illinois residents are allowed one free
credit report per year from each of the three major credit
reporting companies. For more information about the FACT
Act, go to the Federal Trade Commission's Web site,
FTC.gov,
or call toll-free 1-877-FTC-HELP.
When you get it, here is what to do:
- Check for any errors.. Make sure that all of your
personal information
is correct and that no one has mistaken you for another
consumer.
- Look for outdated information.. Make sure that the
report shows that bills have been
paid off or accounts that have been closed.
- If you find any mistakes, contact the credit reporting
agencies and have
them investigate.
There is no deadline for ordering free reports. You can
get one copy from each of the three agencies. You can space
them out and get one report every four months if you choose.
Watch out:
You won't get a copy of your actual credit score -- at least
not free. That would cost you up to $7. The companies may
also try to sell you other services, but you don't have
to pay for the credit report.
I tried this out just to see how accurate the report
was compared to the credit report that was pulled when I
got my mortgage. It was actually very accurate. This is
going to be a very useful resource to verify that other
persons credit is not being reported on your own. Good Luck!
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