A Credit Report

by Mindy Kowalski

Getting a credit report is a good idea if you are not sure about what your credit score may be.  If you are planning on applying for a loan, buying a car, putting a down payment on a house, or simply applying for a credit card, you are going to want to know what kind of credit you have beforehand, and a credit report is the only sure way of knowing.  If you’ve been rejected from a loan or credit card, a credit report will help you figure out why. 

The good news is getting a credit report doesn’t have to be such a chore anymore.  You don’t need to make any appointments, fill out any paper work, or even leave your house so long as you have an internet connection.  There are a number of different sites today that offer you a credit report upon signing up.  Prior to applying for a new credit card several years ago, I tried one of these site out just for the heck of it.  Right off the bat I noticed a number of sites that claimed that they will give a credit report for free, so I tried one of these to start. 

The first site I tried was indeed free, however I still have yet to receive a credit report from them.  They required a credit card number, which I gave them, and bunch of other personal information, and then said that I would receive my credit report in the mail.  Well, its several years later and I haven’t gotten one.  Fortunately, they did not charge my account for anything, but nevertheless I regret ever signing up with them. 

Your best bet, I soon learned, in getting a credit report is to use one well known and respected credit services such as Experian, or Equifax.  There will charge you a small fee, usually around $30 USD, or more if you want a more detailed report.  Getting an accurate credit report is well worth this small fee, however. 

Overall, my advice before getting a credit report is to spend a few minutes researching different credit report sites.  Don’t be fooled by offers of free credit reports, because there are likely strings attached.  Additionally, there is always the danger that the site you are signing up on is a complete fraud designed just for collecting peoples personal information for illegal use.  Looking into it a little before signing up for a credit report may save you a lot of headaches later on.

When we shop for autos or houses or even appliances or electrical or computer equipment, and we want to finance the items (get them on a loan to own or credit basis), the ones doing the financing will run a credit report with one of the 3 major credit bureaus: they will consult with or contact Equifax, Experian, and/or TransUnion.  Listed here in alphabetical order are some of the particulars of each of the three major credit unions:

Equifax – www.equifax.com – Equifax offers services and products to protect against identity theft, to manage and check credit, and to prepare for a major purchase.  Equifax also provides tools for checking the value of a property, credit ranking, and the latest in business solutions (for B2B, B2C, and direct marketing, for example) and news …featuring such valuable articles as “Small Businesses Beware: ‘Rip Me Off’ is Written all over You;” “Yo Say You Can Smell Phish in Your In-box?” “Credit Union Thwarts Phishers and Reveals How;” and “Websites Let Users Send Email to Future.”

TO CALL
For general concerns, call 1-800-685-1111
To report or investigate fraud, call 1-800-525-6285

TO WRITE
To send snail mail correspondence, write to
PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374

Experian – www.experian.com – Experian also offers products and services to protect against fraud, to check 3-credit bureau reports, to check vehicle history (with a credit report), and to get further educated—understanding your credit and heeding customer alerts (such as those on Experian’s Katrina victims help pages and how to beware of phishing).

TO CALL
For general concerns, or to report or investigate fraud, call
1-888-397-3742

TO WRITE
To send snail mail correspondence, write to
PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion – www.transunion.com – Like the latter two, TransUnion offers products and support services for credit monitoring, provides fraud-prevention education and help, and free credit card report disclosures.  As well, you can subscribe to the newsletter, to stay updated and get helpful credit tips; can find much information on preventing fraud or resuscitating your credit if you have been a victim of fraud; and can dispute credit card items you suspect or know to be false.

TO CALL
For general concerns, call 1-800-888-4213
To report or investigate fraud, call 1-800-680-7289

TO WRITE

To send snail mail correspondence, write to
PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022

If you need to, use all three major credit bureaus, then, for help or support…or use one, as each of these three offers a combined, 3-in-1 report.