List Three Credit Bureaus

Credit can affect many aspects of an individual's life, including the ability to get loans, open a checking account and to be eligible for a mortgage. By law, as stated by the Federal Trade Commission, you have the right to a free annual credit report. Consumer credit is reported through the three major credit bureaus: Equivax, Experian and TransUnion. These companies also offer various offer services for consumers.

Equivax

Equifax is one of three major credit bureaus that provides customers with access to their credit report at their website (see Resources). Customers accessing it can either take advantage of the free credit report or subscribe to one of their various products. They offer identity theft protection that sends you an alert when a potential case of fraud occurs on your report. The customer can also purchase a report that includes Equifax, Experian and TransUnion along with a credit score (see Resources). An individual can also contact Equifax through the customer service section on their site or at the following contact information:

Equifax Credit Information Services Inc.

P.O. Box 740241

Atlanta, GA 30374

888-766-0008

Experian

Experian is another of the major credit bureaus. They offer consumers personal and small business services. For the individual, they can keep track of their credit through a subscription service that protects their identity, offers a comprehensive report and a score from all three bureaus and a credit check. Experian also offers educational opportunities for consumers on managing their credit and learning to recognize credit fraud. They can also file a dispute through the website if an error appears on the report. Small businesses can use Experian services to check customer credit scores and to monitor their own business credit. Consumers can also contact the company at 888-397-3742.

TransUnion

TransUnion (see Resources) is the last of the three major credit bureaus. Consumers can access the website to dispute credit report errors and education on credit. For consumer education, TransUnion has videos that cover various topics. There are also services offered for identity theft protection and credit monitoring on a subscription basis.They can also download a mail-order form at the same link and send it to the following address for a free annual credit report:

Annual Credit Report Request Service

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

800-888-4213