A free credit bureau report can make you aware of your credit but it's also important to be aware
of your rights with respect to the report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act(FCRA) governs how your
credit report is maintained and ensures that you have the right to keep it accurate, complete and
private. And with the knowledge of your rights, you should be able resolve any problems that
you have with your free credit bureau report.
The FCRA establishes the rights and procedures with respect to how a credit bureau and
others handle your credit report. For instance, if information in your report is used to deny
an application of some kind, then you must be given the name, address and telephone number
of the credit bureau that supplied the report. You may then get a free credit bureau report if
you request it within 60 days of the denial.
Access to your free credit bureau report is limited to only those with a legitimate business
need or to meet court orders or other legal requirements. Your consent is needed to allow access
by employers or if the report contains medical information. You also have the right to keep
companies who offer pre-approved accounts from gaining access to your credit report.
If there's inaccurate information in your free credit bureau report, the bureau must
investigate the disputed item. If the item can't be verified, usually within 30 days, it is
either deleted or corrected. After the bureau finishes it's investigation it must send you
a summary of the results.
If your dispute causes a change to your free credit bureau report, the bureau must send
you a free copy with the change. And if you ask, the credit bureau must make the change known
to those who requested your report in the last six months or last two years if an employer.
If you feel that changes to disputed information in your free credit bureau report were
inadequate, you have the right to have a 100-word explanation included in your report.
And if disputed information is removed but then later verified and put back in your credit
report, you must be notified of this change.
To get your free credit bureau report and free 30 days of credit monitoring, please go to
free instant credit reports.
