Complain about a product or service

Free Credit Reports Now Available Nationwide

September 1, 2005
Beginning today, all consumers living in the U.S. have the right to order a free copy of their credit report thanks to a new federal law, known as the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), adopted by Congress in 2003.

Your Credit • Free Credit Reports • Equifax • Experian • Trans Union • Consumerinfo • Freecreditreports.com • Certegy • Chexsystems --- News • TransUnion to Provide Credit Scores to Millions • Class Actions Challenge LifeLock • FreeCreditReport.com Can Get Expensive • Children Becoming Prime Identity Theft Targets • Study: Seniors Not Familiar With Credit Freezes • Feds Propose New Rules for Credit Bureaus • Experian To Offer Credit Freezes To Consumers • Two Credit Bureaus Offer Consumers Credit Freeze in 50 States • No 'Free' Lunch on Credit Report Sites • Insurer Unlawfully Poached Consumers' Credit Reports • ConsumerInfo.Com Settles FTC Charges • Rep. Frank Promises Hearings On Credit Bureaus • PayPal, Equifax Team Up To Offer "Free" Credit Monitoring • Free Credit Reports Available Nationwide Starting Sept. 1 • Marketer of "Free Credit Reports" Settles FTC Charges • Credit Bureaus: Biggest Threat to Your Identity • Escape From Plastic Prison • Experian, ConsumerInfo.Com Named in Class Action Suit • Free Annual Credit Reports Required by Next Year • Big 3 Charged • Trans Union Ordered to Stop Selling Consumer Data • Equifax in Trouble Again

Over the last year, the free credit report has been made available gradually to consumers in different regions of the country. Beginning September 1, consumers in states along the east coast will become eligible and the program will be up and running nationwide.

Free credit reports are becoming available to consumers during a year in which news about data security breaches involving sensitive information like Social Security numbers has made big headlines.

Over 50 million consumers have been put at heightened risk of identity theft because sensitive information maintained about them by companies, universities, or government agencies has been lost or stolen as a result of lax security practices.

"All the data security scandals this year have underscored how important it is for consumers to monitor their credit reports regularly to detect possible identity theft," said Susanna Montezemolo, policy analyst with Consumers Union's Financial Privacy Now campaign. "This new law makes it easier for consumers to keep an eye out for fraud and to make sure their reports offer a fair picture of their credit history.

Consumers in the west, south, and Midwest already have the right to one free credit report annually from each of the nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union).

On September 1, so will consumers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories.

The new law enables consumers to request their free credit reports through a central web site, toll-free telephone line, or by mail and gives them the option of making a single request to get copies of their report from all three major credit bureaus. Consumers can order their credit reports by clicking on www.annualcreditreport.com, calling 877-322-8228, or filling out the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

"Consumers should be sure to order their free credit reports through the centralized channels created by the new law or they may end up getting duped into paying for extra services," said Montezemolo. "If consumers run into trouble getting their reports at no charge or have other problems, they should call the FTC's toll-free number -- 1-877-FTC-HELP -- for assistance."

Having good credit can mean the difference between paying a high or a low interest rate for a loan or whether consumers are offered insurance, jobs, or housing. To help consumers take advantage of this new law, Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports has published "Your Credit Matters," an online guide with detailed advice on how to order a free credit report, review it for accuracy, and correct mistakes if you find them. The guide is available at: www.consumersunion.org/issues/creditmatters.html.

In "Your Credit Matters," Consumers Union offers tips to consumers on how to review their credit reports since they often contain inaccuracies. For example, consumers should look to make sure that their name, address, Social Security number and all other personal information are correct.

They should make sure that there are no accounts, debts, bankruptcies or court judgments on their report that don't belong to them. And they should make sure that payment histories and balances are correct and that any errors they have reported have been fixed.

In addition to highlighting other credit report information to review, the guide offers helpful tips and information about correcting errors, including new rights available to consumers who find mistakes and contact information for each credit bureau to report disputes.

The guide also offers advice about what consumers should do if they discover they've become a victim of identity theft. And it provides useful information on obtaining and understanding credit scores, and how consumers can monitor their own credit.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |