Everyone is entitled to receive one free credit report  from each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) annually. This is according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a provision by the federal government to give consumers the opportunity to check their personal credit for free.

At the start of 2012, it’s good to request for your free annual credit report to make sure that all the details in your file are accurate.  You should be aware that the FCRA gives you the right to dispute errors in your credit report.  Errors can be an incorrect detail in your personal information, unauthorized charges or incorrect charges in your accounts, or outdated remarks such as a record of charge off, foreclosure or bankruptcy that is older than seven years.

Where can you request for your free credit report? The three major credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, TransUnion have set up a website especially for this purpose.  You can visit www.annualcreditreport.com to order for your free annual report.  You can also call 1-877-322-8228, or fill out the Annual Credit Report Request form from annualcreditreport.com (https://int.annualcreditreport.com/cra/order?mail) and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Take note that www.annualcreditreport.com is the only resource online authorized by the federal government to distribute annual credit reports to consumers.  If you see other websites or companies that offer free credit reports, you may discover later on that the service is not entirely free since you will be required to sign up for other services in exchange for the free report.

You can get all your three reports from the three bureaus at once or order one copy from each bureau at different times throughout the year.  If you are planning to apply for a personal loan, a car loan, mortgage or a credit card this year, you should definitely check your credit report first prior to comparing deals from different creditors and submitting an application.

In case you find errors in your report, you can immediately ask the bureau that issued your report for the necessary corrections.  You can do so by sending a letter through registered post mail.  Upon receiving your dispute letter, the bureau will investigate on the matter which can take up to 30 days.  If your dispute is valid, the necessary corrections will be made and you will receive an updated copy of your report for free.  Taking this step can boost your credit score and can give you the advantage you need when applying for a new credit account.

You can also request for a free copy of your credit report if you are presently unemployed and you plan to look for a job within the next 60 days.  Other circumstances that make you eligible to request for a free report is when you suspect to have been a victim of fraud or if you have been denied credit by creditor because of your credit history.

About the Author
Melanie Mathis is a credit analyst and a writer for 8 years. She has been participating in the programs of http://www.newhorizon.org such as their continuous effort in giving out Free Credit Repair and Building Ebook. NHBS also has a list of recommended Credit Cards for Bad Credit

About Melanie Mathis

Melanie Mathis is a credit analyst and a writer for 8 years. She has been participating in the programs of NHBS, Inc such as their continuous effort in giving out Free Credit Repair and Building Ebook. Connect with Melanie Mathis on Google+

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