3 Report Credit Score - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax: How to Get Free Credit Reports

Based from recently passed laws of the Federal Trade Commission, you can get 3 report credit score once a year from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus – Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

It’s very easy to order yours online.  Just visit the official federal website: http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com.  You may also visit their individual websites: www.experian.com, transunion.com, and .  However, when you visit their private sites, you might be charged with additional fees for their services, so it is best to visit the federal site.  Take note that before you can order a credit score report, you will be asked some sensitive information to process your request.  This is necessary to prevent cunning ID thieves from obtaining a copy of another person’s credit report without their permission.

Always be wary of websites with supposedly “free” service but will be converted to a paid one after the trial period.  If you are not quick enough to cancel during a certain time, they will start charging fees to your credit card.  In some cases, a “free product can come with strings attached.  Also beware of telemarketing calls, internet ads, or e-mails that will promise to obtain a free credit report on your behalf.  There are tricks and frauds all over the internet so they can get their next ID theft victim.

If you want to be very cautious in obtaining your credit score report, you have to be aware of these possible risks:

	Never order your credit reports using a public computer unless you are sure that they have certain safeguards existing. This will prevent shoulder surfing where people can watch or even photograph the information that you will enter in a public place.
	Bear in mind that your privilege to have a free credit score report does not obligate you to subscribe to any service or purchase any product.
	Carefully type the addresses of the websites above, copy and paste it exactly, or just click on the link to make sure that you are indeed in the authentic websites in getting your credit report. Even if you only have one mistyped letter, you can be taken to a fraudulent website that is set up by thieves just to access your information.

If you are not comfortable in using the website to request your free annual credit report, you can also use traditional methods such as telephone and mail.  It is really not necessary for you to order from the three major companies at the same time, but you can do so if you want to. 

The information contained in your credit score report may be different from one company to the other.  This does not mean that the information on one report may be inaccurate.  It might just be different.  You can contact the three credit reporting companies through their phone numbers:

	Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com
	TransUnion: 1-800-916-8800; transunion.com
	Equifax:1-800-685-1111;

It is also important to learn about credit scores and what they mean, so that you can understand your financial standing.  Request free credit reports regularly so you can stay on top of the situation if there are identity thefts, information that is out of date and other errors that need to be changed.  Knowing your FICO credit score will not only help you in your shopping for a car lease, credit card, mortgage, or loan, but it can also save you countless headaches and thousands of dollars as well.