Obtaining a Credit Report
The Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA requires all three credit bureaus to provide consumers with one free credit report every year. The report does not include one’s credit score, although the score can be purchased at the same time as the report request.
The free report is available from annualcreditreport.com, a website put together by the three bureaus. An online request form is available from the website, but those without Internet access can order by phone by calling 1-877-322-8228 or by mailing the request form to the Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5281. Online requests are usually processed immediately and produce results within seconds. Reports ordered by mail or phone can take around 15 days. In any case, there may be delays in delivery when there are problems in verifying information.