Silence is never golden when it comes to your credit report. And just because you ignore it doesn't mean it will go away or heal
itself. You have to be engaged, plugged in, in control and informed to maximize your ability to change it for the better.
That process begins with you getting a copy of your credit file from the agencies that are oh so willing to give it out to everyone
else it seems. This is a simple process that can be accomplished as easily as writing a letter and requesting it.
First figure out who has it. If you're like most people it probably can be found at one and probably all three of the "Big Three"
credit reporting agencies. They are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. There are several smaller local credit reporting agencies
but most are connected with the Big Three.
The cost of your credit report varies from state to state and can be found at their respective web sites listed below as well as
their addresses. It is usually $8.00 or less.
Experian http://www.experian.com
A copy of your credit report can be ordered by phone at 1-800-397-3742 and can be paid for by Visa or MasterCard. It will
be mailed to you within 48 hours. You can also contact them by writing to:
Experian National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-2104
A printout form can be accessed at their web site.
You can also receive this report free if:
You have been denied credit, employment, insurance or rental housing based at least in part on info in your Experian credit
report.
You're a resident of Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey or Vermont.
You are unemployed, a victim of fraud or on welfare.
Note: they have however discontinued their voluntary program of a nationwide complimentary credit report each year.
Equifax http://www.equifax.com
Click on "order your credit profile online."
You can receive a copy of your credit report:
On-line Visa or MasterCard
By phone 1-800-997-2493
By mail Check or money order
Equifax Information Service Center
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, Georgia 30374-0241
TransUnion http://www.transunion.com
On-line Visa or MasterCard
By phone 1-800-997-2493
By mail Check or money order
TransUnion Corporation
Consumer Disclosure Center
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064-0390
This letter of request must include some necessary information or they won't give you the file. They will want your full name
including your middle name and be sure to include Jr. and Sr. and so forth when applicable. Also include your date of birth,
SSN, current address and former address if you've not been at your current address for at least five years. TRW wants a list of
your full addresses for the past five years. Include your spouses name if you're married and your daytime and
evening phone numbers with area codes. Also, send along a copy of a billing statement from a utility
bill, your drivers license or any document that reflects your current name and address. Don't forget
to sign the letter so the credit bureau has your signature on file and they'll want it for security
purposes.
Let me tell you what's in that little report
Besides the basic stuff you would expect it also contains (no big surprise here) your credit history. But what's in that credit history may be a surprise.
Payment history on accounts that were reported to the credit reporting agency.
Name of the creditor and account/loan number.
Nature of the account (joint or individual)
Type of account/loan (revolving or installment, student loan, mortgage etc.)
Date account was opened or loan was established.
Credit limit on account/loan amount.
Current balance on account/loan. The dollar amount shown in this section of a person's report reflects the account
balance at the time the information was obtained. It does not reflect what has been paid on the account or charged
on the account since that time.
Account payment history, including number of late payment and whether an account has been referred to
collections or has been closed by the consumer or the creditor.
Date information on the account loan was reported.
Number of months for which information has been reported.
Amount of credit that has been extended to a consumer.
Whether the consumer is disputing information related to an account.
Inquiries
Your credit report also contains an inquiry section listing all those creditors and others who have checked it. Some of the
inquiries listed will be preceded by such abbreviations as AM, AR, and PRM. PRM indicates that the inquiry was made for
promotional purposes such as a review or screening for a pre-approved credit card offer and such. AM stands for account
monitoring and AR stands for account reviews, both of which mean that one of your creditors reviewed the info,
perhaps to determine whether your line of credit should be increased or to cancel your credit card.
This is an important section because lenders consider the number of credit-related inquiries to be an
indicator of how much credit you are trying to obtain. They may conclude that you will not be a
responsible user of credit if they see a lot of inquiries. Every time you apply for a credit card, a
mortgage loan, a car loan or some other type of credit your credit record is likely to reflect it so use
great discretion.
Public Record Information
This section of your credit report reflects credit-related events that are found in the public record, such as bankruptcies,
foreclosures, judgments and tax liens. They also sometimes make note of convictions (And you thought nobody would find out
about that little incident back in college.) And recently some states have begun to report child support delinquencies as well.
What your credit file says about you
Almost everyone with a few exceptions is surprised to find out what is and isn't in their report and how incomplete they usually
are. There is also a different picture in each of the Big Three that has a credit file on you. Some credit-offering companies tend
not to report regularly to credit bureaus, small department stores, auto dealers, mortgage companies, utility companies and
medical providers fall into this group. The ones that do tend to report regularly are bankcards, large department stores
and federally guaranteed student loans.
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