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Monitoring your credit information is vital in today’s world of identity theft and credit errors. With the state of the economy, it is vital that you ensure your credit is as good as possible. Your annual free credit report can be an invaluable tool during this process. What is a free annual credit report? Where can you apply to get a copy of your credit report? What credit bureaus are included in this program? These and many other questions can loom when considering getting a copy of your credit history. Below, you will find the information you need to make the best choice possible.
To get your annual free credit report, you need only visit a single website. AnnualCreditReport.com gives you access to your credit information through the three major credit bureaus. Equifax, TransUnion and Experian are the world’s largest, most comprehensive credit bureaus; you are entitled to one free credit report from each agency, once per year. How do you go about getting those reports? First, you will need to sign up with AnnualCreditReport.com; this is a quick process, during which you will put in your contact information, your name, your address, your date of birth and your Social Security number. You will never be asked for credit card or bank account information.
Once you have entered your personal information, you will be able to choose which credit bureau you would like to start with. You can get your annual free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus at one time, or you can choose to receive one every few months. Choosing to stagger your reports may be a good option; this allows you to keep an eye on your credit during the entire course of the year, rather than giving you all the information at one time.
What information is contained in your annual free credit report? You will find information about tax liens, wage garnishments and legal judgments rendered against you. You will also find detailed information about your credit limit, the percentage of that limit currently available to you and about your home loans. You will find credit card information, auto loans listed, any bankruptcies filed and debts that may currently (or previously) in collections. After 10 years, a bankruptcy will fall off and after 7 years, your debts in collection will fall off. However, you will not find your credit score on your annual free credit report; you’ll need to pay for this information.