There are several ways to get a free credit report.
If you are in the market to restore, correct, or improve your credit report, make sure you choose the best way to get your hands on your credit report.
Some ways of obtaining the free credit report are better than others.
We'll discuss a few of them today.
The first way, and best way for that matter, is to call the Annual Credit Report Service at (877) 322-8228 and ask for your free copy.
This approach and sending a request in the mail is the best way to get each credit bureaus standardized report.
The standardized credit report is the easiest to read.
You can also go online to get a free report from the Annual Credit Report Service, but it won't be the standardized credit report and is not quite as easy to read.
Also, don't give other people the opportunity to steal your identity by doing it online.
You can also try and get a copy from a mortgage company or mortgage lender, but many of these companies have a policy that inhibits their employees from giving you a copy of your credit report.
You may have to talk to a few people before you can actually find someone that is able to provide you with a copy.
Aside from the unwillingness of these types of lenders to actually give you a copy of your report, you really should avoid having a credit inquiry unless you are in the market to obtain financing.
This type of inquiry is considered a "hard inquiry" and counts against you, whereas the inquiry from the Annual Credit Report Service is considered a "soft inquiry" and does not count against you.
You may also contact each of the three major credit companies directly and request a copy.
The same logic applies here as previously mentioned; order by telephone or in writing (rather than online) to get the standardized version of your report.
The three major bureaus are Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union.
Their telephone numbers respectively are (888) 397-3742, (800) 685-1111, and (866) 726-7388.
One can also get their hands on a copy of a credit report by contacting a credit monitoring service.
Don't bother with this.
They generally sign you up and then they get you with their monitoring fees.
The first 30 days are free and then guess what happens.
You forget.
That's how they get you.
Sure, you can cancel, but the first month is non-refundable.
What if you don't notice the charge on your card? This could continue for months and add up to quite a bit of your cash being gone.
If you are in the market to check out your credit report for any reason, you can get a copy for free.
Don't over complicate things or buy any of the bells and whistles that are available.
Get your standardized version directly from the bureaus or from the Annual Free Credit Service.
There is one very important thing to remember about the scoring you'll see if you view a consumer credit report; the scoring is different on a consumer credit report than a credit report ran by a leasing company or mortgage company.
The consumer credit reports can be somewhat misleading due to the fact that the scores are usually higher on the consumer credit report than what they are on the report the mortgage or equipment finance company has.
If you are in the market to restore, correct, or improve your credit report, make sure you choose the best way to get your hands on your credit report.
Some ways of obtaining the free credit report are better than others.
We'll discuss a few of them today.
The first way, and best way for that matter, is to call the Annual Credit Report Service at (877) 322-8228 and ask for your free copy.
This approach and sending a request in the mail is the best way to get each credit bureaus standardized report.
The standardized credit report is the easiest to read.
You can also go online to get a free report from the Annual Credit Report Service, but it won't be the standardized credit report and is not quite as easy to read.
Also, don't give other people the opportunity to steal your identity by doing it online.
You can also try and get a copy from a mortgage company or mortgage lender, but many of these companies have a policy that inhibits their employees from giving you a copy of your credit report.
You may have to talk to a few people before you can actually find someone that is able to provide you with a copy.
Aside from the unwillingness of these types of lenders to actually give you a copy of your report, you really should avoid having a credit inquiry unless you are in the market to obtain financing.
This type of inquiry is considered a "hard inquiry" and counts against you, whereas the inquiry from the Annual Credit Report Service is considered a "soft inquiry" and does not count against you.
You may also contact each of the three major credit companies directly and request a copy.
The same logic applies here as previously mentioned; order by telephone or in writing (rather than online) to get the standardized version of your report.
The three major bureaus are Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union.
Their telephone numbers respectively are (888) 397-3742, (800) 685-1111, and (866) 726-7388.
One can also get their hands on a copy of a credit report by contacting a credit monitoring service.
Don't bother with this.
They generally sign you up and then they get you with their monitoring fees.
The first 30 days are free and then guess what happens.
You forget.
That's how they get you.
Sure, you can cancel, but the first month is non-refundable.
What if you don't notice the charge on your card? This could continue for months and add up to quite a bit of your cash being gone.
If you are in the market to check out your credit report for any reason, you can get a copy for free.
Don't over complicate things or buy any of the bells and whistles that are available.
Get your standardized version directly from the bureaus or from the Annual Free Credit Service.
There is one very important thing to remember about the scoring you'll see if you view a consumer credit report; the scoring is different on a consumer credit report than a credit report ran by a leasing company or mortgage company.
The consumer credit reports can be somewhat misleading due to the fact that the scores are usually higher on the consumer credit report than what they are on the report the mortgage or equipment finance company has.