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What You Need To Know To Get Your Free Annual Credit Report
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Dean Iggo
Obtaining an annual free credit report can keep you on top of your credit and allows you to check if there are any errors on your credit report. By receiving a credit report annually you can keep one step ahead in making sure there are no problems with your credit score.
There are three big firms that are nationally operated which you can receive an annual free credit report The "big three" are: Equifax, TRW, and Trans Union Corporation. You can contact any of these credit bureaus to receive an annual free credit report. You can also check your local agencies as well but they generally charge a fee for this service.
The free credit reports will not automatically be sent out to you as the consumers need to request getting a report one of the following ways. You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com and obtain a credit report. This is the only authorized source for credit reports where customers can access their information online. This service is free of charge. You can also call 877-322-8228 to receive a free credit report. The last thing you can do is fill out completely the form on the back of the Annual Credit Report Request brochure and then mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281. Make sure that you go through the centralized agency as by obtaining your report from other agencies you will not receive an annual free credit report but you will be charged for their credit services.
It does not take much time or effort to receive an annual free credit report. It is an important document as it could have ramifications to your employment, loan applications, and benefits. Considering the service is free there is no reason not to check up on your credit score to see if it can be improved or there are errors which need to be addressed. Checking on your credit should be an annual ritual as it is more important to know the status of your credit that the score that it holds.
Dean Iggo is the webmaster of www.ezcreditscore.net - Learn why your credit report is so important and simple steps to repair bad credit
My credit was fine a week ago, now it's not - what happened?
There are a few things that can cause your credit to take a dive without you knowing it. The first is an inquiry. In this case a credit card company, utility company or mortgage company might request a look at your credit information. You might have done some work to better your rating in the last couple of months; however it takes a few more months for that information to show up. Another more obvious problem might be the failure to pay your bills on time. And lastly charge offs might be another reason for receiving bad credit. A charge off is when you didn't pay a bill, forgot to pay a bill, and it has become obvious to a company that you are never going to pay the bill. The company will write off your incompetence as a loss on their books for their taxes.
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