How and Why to get a Free Copy of Your Credit Report

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act allows consumers to get a copy of their credit report for free once a year from the big three national credit reporting firms: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The reports can be requested all at once or staggered. A credit report contains information on where a person lives, how the person pays bills, and whether the person has been bankrupt, arrested or sued. There are three ways to get them:

1. https://www.annualcreditreport.com/
2. Call 877-322-8228
3. Print out the annual credit report request form (41K PDF - Do you need the free PDF reader?)

For more information read Your Access to Free Credit Reports from the Federal Trade Commission. Educational materials on managing your credit include tips on how to legally improve your credit report, explains the system creditors use to help determine whether to grant you credit, how to dispute and correct inaccurate information in your credit report, help with identity theft, and more.