The wise consumer knows what is in her credit report and makes it a habit to check the report at least once a year. Federal law guarantees every consumer the right to a free yearly inspection. Checking your credit report lets you know what your credit history looks like, as well as giving you the chance to correct any mistakes.
Right to Inspect
The federal Fair Credit Reporting act, or FCRA, guarantees every consumer the right to look at his three credit reports once each year without charge. The Federal Trade Commission has authorized one website, AnnualCreditReport.com, as the only government recognized site through which all consumers may obtain their reports every year.
Contact
If you're unable to get your report online, or prefer not to do so, you can also obtain them through other means. You can call 1-877-322-8228 to request your three reports, or send a written request to; Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. To get your reports by mail, you'll have to obtain and complete an Annual Credit Report Request, which you can get from FTC.gov.
Other Sites
While AnnualCreditReport.com is recognized by the FTC as the sole authorized website that offers free information, a slew of competitors tout their ability to provide consumers with "free" credit reports. While they often do this, it typically comes with a price, such as receiving your credit report for free but only if you sign up for a credit "monitoring" service or other such program.
Credit Scores
While the FCRA guarantees you the right to view your credit report every year, that right does not extend to credit scores. Companies that create credit scores use the information in your credit report but use their own calculations and formulas to determine your score. These scores are the property of each company that creates them. You can usually obtain your credit score by contacting the companies that create them, such as FICO, the company that calculates one of the most widely used scores.
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