Check your Free Annual Credit Report

Many people do not think about credit until they apply for a loan or service through a provider or lender that runs your credit. At that point, most lenders will provide you with your credit score and share any factors that are affecting your credit. Typically, you do not receive a copy of your credit report though. So what happens when that lender or provider denies your request due to inaccurate or negative information on your report? (Note: If there happens to be negative but accurate information on your credit report, be sure to reach out to your local banker to discuss ways you can rebuild your credit). To clear up inaccuracies on a credit report takes time but if you are in need of a loan or service sooner than that, it can put you in a bind. It typically takes a credit bureau 30-45 days to respond to a dispute on a credit report. That is simply a response which does not necessarily mean it will be resolved in that time.

To avoid this dilemma, consumers (that’s you) are allowed to review their credit report for free once a year at annualcreditreport.com. There is no fee to do this and it does not hurt your credit to pull it!

What will this credit report show you? It will display identifying information, credit accounts (which can include credit limits), credit inquiries and public records. With this information, you can confirm and determine not only that companies are reporting your credit and payment history accurately, but also ensure that no one has taken out credit in your name that you did not authorize. Identity theft does happen, unfortunately. If you ever find yourself in this predicament, contact each of the major credit bureaus right away to put a freeze on your credit (See contact information below). And ALWAYS notify your financial institution(s) so they are aware that your identity has been stolen and therefore, extra caution should be used when conducting any transactions in your name or discussing anything with you over the phone.

And if everything looks great on your credit report, then feel good about your financial situation and the steps you have taken to ensure you are in “good standing”.

To contact the major credit bureaus:

• Experian.com/help OR 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
• TransUnion.com/credit-help OR 888-909-8872
• Equifax.com/person/credit-report-services OR 800-685-1111