How to Get Your Credit Reports
You should order a copy of your credit report from all of the four credit reporting agencies listed below. To get a truly accurate portrayal of your credit, you must get reports from all four companies as each agency may show different information. These four companies are the four major reporting agencies in the United States and these are the only reports that you need to obtain.
There are hundreds of companies out there that call themselves credit bureaus. A credit bureau is a private company (not a government agency) that records and sells information about you and your credit history to potential lenders, employers and even landlords. They are in business to make money, keep that in mind when you feel pressure to pay for and view your report from another agency that you have never heard of. The four listed below are the bureaus that most lenders consult when evaluating your credit worthiness.
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Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Phone: (800) 685-1111
Web: http://www.equifax.com -
Experian (formerly TRW)
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Web: http://www.experian.com
Phone: (888) EXPERIAN (888-397-3742) -
Trans Union
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
Web: http://www.transunion.com
Phone: (800) 916-8800 -
Innovis Data Solutions
Innovis Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1358
Columbus, OH 43216-1358
Web: http://www.innovis.com
Phone: 1-800-540-2505
Innovis is the newest major player in the world of credit bureaus. If you’ve never heard of them you are not alone. I have been researching this company and most of the reports and articles that I have found are a year or more old and the information is dated. I have not yet heard from Innovis themselves so I must go on information obtained from researching outside sources. Just about everything written about this company implies that they are secretive and that they move about in a “Stealth Mode” in fact, it is only recently that they have included a way to contact them in order to obtain a copy of your report on their website. See our Innovis Report for more information.
Be prepared to provide the following information when you request a credit report:
- First, middle and last name (including Jr., Sr., etc.)
- Current address.
- Previous addresses in the past two years, if any.
- Social Security number.
- Date of birth.
- Current employer.
- Phone number (both work and home).
- Applicable fee. usually between $15 and $20
Once you update your personal information with the credit reporting agencies you will have alerted creditors that you have updated information in the system and they will find you. If you have been “laying low” and avoiding collection calls and harassment that is about to end. Your creditors will begin to contact you again. If there are multiple outstanding debts, you must be prepared to deal with them. Legal proceedings (garnishments, judgments) will go forward. In the case of legal problems you need to see an attorney.
Be brave and do what you have to do. A good credit rating is so important in this country, and sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!
GET YOUR CREDIT REPORT FOR FREE (REALLY!)
Soon you’ll be able to get your credit report for free. A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months, from annualcreditreport.com.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights and how to order a free annual credit report.
A credit report contains information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.
How do I know when I’m eligible to get a free report?
Free reports will be phased in during a nine-month period, rolling from the West Coast to the East beginning December 1, 2004. Beginning September 1, 2005, free reports will be accessible to all Americans, regardless of where they live.
Consumers in the Western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) can order their free reports beginning December 1, 2004.
