New Jersey Free Credit Report

Anyone who is old enough to have heard about or actually have a credit card has some idea of what a credit report is.

Many people aren’t sure of what they are good for or how often an individual should get theirs to stay on top of their financial situation.

There are ways to get a credit report for free without any fear of the information it contains ending up in the wrong hands.

Now it’s time for a quick tutorial on what a credit report is.

A credit report contains items of both private and financial information. It usually contains personal information regarding whether or not the individual has ever been sued and/or arrested.

The financial information included in credit reports gives detailed description of how the named person pays their bills, if they have filed for bankruptcy, and the location of their home.  For business purposes different companies may request the information on a person’s credit report from any number of the nation’s consumer reporting agencies.

Employers, credit, and insurance companies are just a few that may feel inclined to access this personal data.

It is important for the consumer to periodically check their credit report to verify the information on it.

In some cases a paid off account may show up as unpaid or there may be items on it that the consumer has no knowledge of.

Seeing the report will ensure the consumer an opportunity to correct any errors. Credit reports are usually correct and knowing what is listed there and credit ranking would be helpful to the consumer.

Where to get a copy of your free credit report ...

Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or FACT, every individual has the right to request a free copy of his or her credit report from one of the three national consumer-reporting companies or they can be obtained from all three once a year.

They are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

The consumer can order their credit reports through the regular mail, over the Internet, or by phone. It isn’t necessary to contact all three companies individually. If the consumer wants to order by mail they need to print the appropriate form found at ftc.gov/credit and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

The credit report request will be processed and returned to the consumer within 15 days of the agency receiving it. In order to access the credit reports instantly the Internet is the way to go. The request should be made to annualcreditreport.com. The telephone number to use for requesting this information by phone is 1-877-322-8228. Receipt of the report is typically within 15 days of ordering it.

As long as the consumer requests this information through the above mentioned proper channels the personal details needed to obtain the report are perfectly safe to give.

The consumer will need to provide their full name, date of birth, and social security number, and address. It is important to note that there are many companies online claiming they can get a person’s credit report for free.

Most of these are scams and should be avoided.

The FACT act ensures consumers the right to access their credit information. This act allows each person to have this vital document free of charge once a year. With FACT in place to protect the consumers’ best interests, there is no reason to not obtain a free credit report.