Ordering Free or Reduced-Cost Credit Reports

Consumers should check their credit reports periodically for accuracy, but it is especially important to ensure that your credit report is completely accurate before applying for any kind of credit.

You should check the reports at all credit reporting bureaus. The different reports often have very different information.

Most U.S. consumers are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the national credit reporting agencies.

Consumers are also entitled to a free copy of their credit report if they are denied credit based on the contents of a report.

You may order your annual FREE credit reports by phone, online, or by mail, at the addresses below:

(1) Online at www.annualcreditreport.com

(2) Call toll-free (877) 322-8228.

(3) Complete an “Annual Credit Report Request” brochure from the Federal Trade Commission and mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Purchasing Credit Reports
Even if you have already ordered your free annual credit report, you can still order additional credit reports at any time. But, there is usually a fee for the additional reports. This fee varies according to the consumer’s state of residence.

You can order credit reports for a fee by contacting each bureau using the information below:

TransUnion
Order by phone: (800) 888-4213
Order online at TransUnion

Experian
Order by phone: (888) 397-3742
Order online at Experian

Equifax
Order by phone: (800) 685-1111
Order online at Equifax.com

Factors to consider when ordering credit reports

Order from bureaus. Consumers should order credit reports directly from each bureau if they think they will need to dispute an item in the report.

• The reports provided by third party services often are not completely up-to-date.
• Three-in-one reports often omit important information that appears on a bureau’s version of the report.

Free annual reports. Each year, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report from each bureau.

• But, see below for information about investigation deadlines and free annual reports.

Reduced-cost credit reports. Residents of some states (including Maryland) qualify for reduced-cost credit reports.

• You may want to order your reduced-cost reports over the phone to ensure you are charged the correct amount for the state where you reside.
• But, you will not have instant online access to your report when you order by phone. The bureaus mail reports to the consumer when he or she orders by phone.

Bureau investigation deadlines. The bureaus must respond within a certain time period when a consumer disputes information in his or her report.

• But, the deadline sometimes varies depending on how you order your report.
• Under certain circumstances, bureaus have 45 days to investigate when a consumer disputes information in a “free” annual credit report.
• Bureaus usually have 30 days to investigate when a consumer disputes information in a credit report he or she purchased.

FICO score sold separately. The credit reports from the bureaus will not include a FICO score.

• Sometimes the bureaus will offer to provide a “credit score” for an extra fee.
• But, be sure you are getting the FICO score, and not the “Equifax score,” the “Experian score,” or the “Transunion score.”
• The bureaus’ internal scores are not very useful. They can be quite different from your FICO score.
• You want to know your FICO score. This is because almost all lenders use the FICO model to make lending decisions.
• Contact fico.com for more information on ordering your FICO score.