Getting Your Credit Report

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) you are entitled to a free credit report within 60 days of being denied credit, employment, insurance, or rental housing based on information in the report.

You are also entitled to a free report once a year if you certify: you are unemployed and seeking employment; you are receiving public welfare assistance; or you believe your credit file contains inaccuracies resulting from fraud.

Otherwise, you will need to pay a fee (no more than  $8.00) for each report you request. Equifax, Experian (TRW), and Trans Union are the top three credit bureaus. Since not all creditors "report in" to each credit bureau, financial experts suggest you request your credit records from all three.

Links and postal addresses for all three companies are below. To order your credit report, they will ask you to provide the following information:

• Full name (including Jr., Sr., etc.)
• Spouse's first name (if married)
• Current address
• Phone number
• Address(es) for the past two years if applicable
• Social Security number
• Birth date
• Current employment information
• Signature
• Any fees

If you need to order your credit report, remember that Quicken.com visitors receive a significant discount. To learn more visit the Quicken.com CreditCheck Monitoring Service.

Credit Bureaus

Experian (TRW)
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 949
Allen, TX 75013-0949
1 888 EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742)