The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up one central website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual credit report. To order, click on www.AnnualCreditReport.com, call 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Free annual credit reports requested online are viewable immediately upon authentication of identity. Free annual credit reports requested by phone or mail will be processed within 15 days of receiving your request.

In addition to consumers who are eligible for a free credit report through the Annual Credit Report Request Service; consumers in some states are eligible for a free credit report under state law. The following states have laws that make free credit reports available to consumers: Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont.

To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources.

• Identification and employment information: Your name, birth date, Social Security number, employer, and spouse’s name are noted routinely. The consumer reporting company also may provide information about your employment history, home ownership, income, and previous address, if a creditor asks.
• Payment history: Your accounts with different creditors are listed, showing how much credit has been extended and whether you’ve paid on time. Related events, such as the referral of an overdue account to a collection agency, also may be noted.
• Inquiries: Consumer reporting companies must maintain a record of all creditors who have asked for your credit history within the past year, and a record of individuals or businesses that have asked for your credit history for employment purposes for the past two years.
• Public record information: Events that are a matter of public record, such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, or tax liens, may appear in your report.

You can purchase a credit score by contacting one of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies.

Equifax – www.equifax.com
Experian – www.experian.com
TransUnion – www.transunion.com

You can also purchase a credit score when you request your free annual credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com

The problem is that there are a lot of imposter sites that lure you in with a “free” annual credit report, but they take your credit card information which enrolls you into their credit monitoring service or another similar product. Some sites are outright frauds that aim to steal your personal information. To read more about fake sites, see www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/fakealrt.htm. The FTC filed suit against one imposter site and sent warning letters to many others.

These fake sites have nothing to do with the FACT Act, and you shouldn’t go through them to get your free annual credit report. But, many people get snagged into them because they are confusing these bogus for-profit entities for the actual entity that is authorized to provide the free reports under the FACT Act.

The only place to get your free annual credit report is called AnnualCreditReport.com. The URL is https://www.annualcreditreport.com It is the only service authorized by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to provide free annual credit report under the FACT Act. The site is secure, so the information you submit is safe.