The Importance Of Your Annual Credit Report

Obtaining an annual free credit report can keep you on top of your credit and allows you to check if there are any errors on your credit report. By receiving a credit report annually you can keep one step ahead in making sure there are no problems with your credit score.

There are three big firms that are nationally operated which you can receive an annual free credit report The “big three” are: Equifax, TRW, and Trans Union Corporation. You can contact any of these credit bureaus to receive an annual free credit report. You can also check your local agencies as well but they generally charge a fee for this service.

The last thing you can do is fill out completely the form on the back of the Annual Credit Report Request brochure and then mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281. Make sure that you go through the centralized agency as by obtaining your report from other agencies you will not receive an annual free credit report but you will be charged for their credit services.

If you are going to view your free annual credit report online, then you need to be aware of unofficial sites. There is one way to ensure that the website you are viewing is official: The website will have HTTPS in the address bar when you are entering sensitive information, rather then the traditional HTTP. This will be because you are swapping sensitive information and then no one will be able to see what you are typing.

Your free credit report score is a great way to just get a glance at your credit rating. You will see where you are on a scale based on the bank’s rating system. There will be a side of the bar that is green that will indicate that you have a high credit rating, but there is also a red side of the bar, which of course indicates that you have a bad credit rating and you need to improve it sooner rather then later. Your rating will be written down and you will see where you are on their chart. You will obviously want to be nearer the green side of the bar when you receive your free credit report score.