Annual Credit Report
The US Government stipulates that people can get a single copy of their credit report for free from the three major databases.
They have set up this web page to facilitate:
AnnualCreditReport.com
From the website FAQ:
AnnualCreditReport.com
AnnualCreditReport.com is a centralized service for consumers to request annual credit reports. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
AnnualCreditReport.com processes requests for free credit file disclosures (commonly called credit reports). Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) consumers can request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. AnnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to do so.
The three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies have always encouraged consumers to regularly review their credit reports. AnnualCreditReport.com offers consumers a fast and convenient way to request, view and print their credit reports in a secure Internet environment. We also provide options to request reports by telephone and by mail.
AnnualCreditReport.com is the only service authorized by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for this purpose. Please note that, as a security precaution, consumers should never provide their personal information to any other company or person in connection with requesting free annual credit reports under the FACT Act. AnnualCreditReport.com will not approach consumers via email, telemarketing or direct mail solicitations.
I just finished using this site and it's good. It collects basic information and then sends you to the three reporting agencies while maintaining a shell around the web page, if you select more than one agency, you need to return to the site but it keeps track of where you have been. Nice implementation.
Two flies in the ointment:
Equifax -- they try to sell you all sorts of other kinds of reporting and then, when you get to the place where you can actually print out your report, it starts asking for a username and password and doesn't offer a way to sign up without giving them a whole lot of other information.
TransUnion asks you up front to create a user account but it doesn't try to shill for pay services and ask additional questions. The problem with TransUnion was that it asks me to verify on credit cards, mortgages, addresses and work history. The options for credit cards are so old that I don't have the old canceled account numbers handy, the mortgages listed was for a car I bought about 10 years ago -- account closed with no money owed but I don't have that number handy either. The two address options I recognized were for the two houses my Mom and Dad owned in Seattle (he is David Halliday with no middle initial).
Found a couple bad names and addresses through the Experian report -- I'll be correcting these.
Posted by DaveH at December 3, 2005 9:23 PM