Check credit free
In countries like United States, credit report of a person plays important role in getting loans and other similar facilities. There are three consumer reporting companies, also called as credit bureaus that provide credit report of a person. All lending institutions like banks, credit unions etc obtain credit report of a person before providing any type of loan amount. Sometimes, these credit reports contain errors also due to which a person suffers in many ways like high interest rates, denial of loan etc.
Thus, it is very important that a person checks his credit report at regular intervals for ensuring that report does not contains any type of error. All three credit bureaus provide free copy of credit report once in a year. This is required as per the FCRA or Fair Credit Reporting Act. These credit reports are provided free of cost and hence, are called as free credit reports. This is done so as to promote the accuracy as well as privacy of information as contained in the credit reports.
For the purpose of free credit check, three credit bureaus mentioned above have set up a central website that can be logged on to for getting free credit report. This web site is Annual Credit Report. A person can also obtain his free credit report for purpose of checking by calling at the toll free number 1-877-322-8228. Apart from above, for making a free credit check, a person can also write to the Annual Credit Report Request Service at P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. There is no need of contacting the three credit bureaus individually as all three provide credit reports through the web site and toll free number mentioned above. It is important to understand here that a person can order credit report from three consumer reporting agencies at the same time or from each of these agencies one at a time.
There are many other online as well as offline sources that provide free credit reports or free credit scores. However, these sources are not legally a part of free annual credit report program. Similarly, there are many sources that provide free credit check for introductory phase and after than, apply charges. Some web sites call this introductory offer as trial period. If a person has availed trial offer and has not cancelled it in appropriate time, he has to pay the necessary bill by means of credit card.
There is one more aspect regarding free credit check that needs to be understood. There are some web sites that use luring terms like free credit check, free credit report, etc in their names. Similarly, some web site misspell web site built by three credit bureaus for attracting more and more number of customers. Another way of earning money by providing so called free credit reports is by directing a person to other link in name of free credit report.
In the survey conducted in United States, it has been found that about 60% of people have found errors in their credit reports. Thus, it becomes very necessary that a person checks his free credit report supplied by three credit bureaus. Even a person can obtain copy of credit report, apart from free copy, by paying nominal charges. Equifax can be called at 1-800-685-1111, Experian can be called at 1-888-397-3742 and Trans Union can be called at 1-800-916-8800.
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