How To Get a Copy of Your Credit Report

If you are ever denied credit, insurance, or even employment in the USA, and it is due to information that was supplied by a credit reporting agency (CRA); then you have a limited amount of time to request a free report from this agency. If you are wondering how to get a copy of your credit report, you should know that the company who made the initial request for your report must provide the name of the CRA it used along with its address and telephone number.

If you contact the CRA within 60 days of receiving a denial notification then the report is free. You are also entitled under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to one free copy of your report a year if you can prove that you are unemployed and will be looking for a job within 60 days, that you are on welfare, or that your report is inaccurate because of fraud A CRA might otherwise charge up to $9.00 for a copy of the report.

It is very important that you find out the cause if you are denied credit. If you ever want to own a house or have an emergency and need credit, having an unresolved issued on your credit report can come back to haunt you. You need to get a copy of your report and check it for any inconsistencies or mistakes.

If it turns out that there is a mistake on your credit report you must contact the CRA in writing regarding the information that you believe is incorrect. It is a good idea to include copies (never originals) of documents that can support your position. Remember to include all the details that will identify you such as your complete name and address. List all the problems you see with the report along with the correct information. Use polite, but not familiar language. Request that they delete the false information. Including a copy of the report with the items you dispute circled is also a good idea.

By law, the CRAs must reinvestigate the items you dispute within about 30 days. They are also required to forward all relevant information about the dispute to the source of the information. If the initial information proves to be incorrect the CRA must notify all nationwide CRAs so that everyone has the correct information. After a dispute has been resolved, it is wise to get another copy of your credit report to make sure that everything is correct.

It is possible that you might have to do a little research through your own records and bank files to find the information, but it is well worth the effort to repair a mistake on your credit report. Your credit ranking number and credit history weigh heavily on your financial security, and should be taken seriously.