By Karen Datko, Money Talks News
Let’s get right to the point: You need to pull a free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com at least once a year.
Doing so is an excellent way to make sure your identity has not been stolen. Also, you could discover mistakes in your credit report that could unfairly damage your credit score.
So, how do you get your credit report for free? Let’s walk through the process, step by step:
1.Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and click “Request Yours Now!” Then, click “Request Your Credit Reports.”
2.Fill in the personal information form. The web address for AnnualCreditReport.com begins with “https,” which tells you the site should be secure. There are other assurances of security. For instance, it says your Social Security number “will be encrypted for your protection.”
3.Pick which credit report you want to see. You’re entitled to one free report from each of the three big credit-reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — every year.
4. Answer some questions. When you choose a specific report, you will be sent to that credit-reporting agency’s website. You will be asked some questions so that the agency can verify your identity. You might want to have credit cards and loan account numbers handy, just in case you’re asked to produce them.
The multiple-choice questions can be tricky. For instance, you might be asked things such as:
- What county you lived in several years ago
- Which phone number you used previously
5. Then, you will be delivered to your credit report.
You will also have the option to print out the report.
6. When you’re done, click on “return to AnnualCreditReport.com.” If you want, you can ask for your other two reports. But it might make more sense to review one of these reports every four months. You get just one free report from each of the big three credit bureaus a year, so generally it makes sense to spread out these requests.
