The Fair Credit Reporting Act(FCRA) provides various credit rights and among them is how to
get free credit reports. At one time the information in your credit file was kept as secret as a
classified government document. But with the passage of the FCRA you're guaranteed both access
to your report and the specifics on how to get free credit reports.
The FCRA requires credit bureaus to provide you with your credit report
and have the information explained to you. In addition, it states how to get free credit
reports if:
- you've been turned down for credit, employment or insurance within the last sixty days;
- you're unemployed and plan on applying for a job in the next sixty days;
- you're on welfare;
- you've been notified by a collection agency that their report to a credit bureau
maybe or has adversely affected your credit rating;
- or you're a victim of credit fraud.
If information in your credit file has been used against you, you need to request your
free credit report from the credit bureau that created the report that was used. For specifics
on how to get free credit reports and whether any supporting documents are required, you
can contact the appropriate credit bureau:
- Equifax (800-685-1111)
- Experian (800-682-7654)
- TransUnion (800-916-8800)
If you don't qualify under the FCRA guidelines on how to get free credit reports, you can
still get your free credit report and free 30 days of credit monitoring by going to
free instant credit reports.
