Credit Reports

You are entitled to a free credit file disclosure (credit report) once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

You may request your free credit reports online at www.annualcreditreport.com. You will be asked questions to authenticate your identity such as creditor names, loan payment amounts, employers and addresses. Please work through the screens, then view and print out all three credit reports. You'll need lots of paper and ink.

Other Internet sites advertising "free" credit reports are not free. If you have to give a credit card number or sign up for a monthly credit monitoring service, you are on the wrong website.

If you cannot obtain your free credit reports online, you may request your report by phone or request your report through the mail. Free credit reports requested by phone or mail will be processed within 15 days of receiving your request.

To request your credit report by phone, call 1-877-322-8228. You will go through a simple verification process over the phone. Your reports will be mailed to you within 15 days.

To request you credit report by mail, download the request form, print and complete the form, mail the completed form to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Bring what you can to your appointment. Don't be alarmed if you cannot get all three reports online. You may bring in mailed credit reports when they arrive.

Free credit reports do not contain your credit scores.