Your Access to Free Credit Reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting 

companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion 

— to provide you with a free copy of your credit 

report, at your request, once every 12 months. 

The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of 

information in the files of the nation’s consumer 

reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission 

(FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, 

enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer 

reporting companies. 

A credit report includes information on where 

you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve 

been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. 

Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the 

information in your report to creditors, insurers, 

employers, and other businesses that use it to 

evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, 

employment, or renting a home. 

Here are the details about your rights under the 

FCRA and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions 

(FACT) Act, which established the free annual credit 

report program.

Q:	 How do I order my free report?

A: The three nationwide consumer reporting 

companies have set up a central website, a toll-free 

telephone number, and a mailing address through 

which you can order your free annual report.

To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 

1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit 

Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit 

Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, 

GA 30348-5281. The form is on the back of this 

brochure; or you can print it from 

ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide 

consumer reporting companies individually. They 

are providing free annual credit reports only through 

annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and 

Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 

105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

You may order your reports from each of the 

three nationwide consumer reporting companies at 

the same time, or you can order your report from 

each of the companies one at a time. The law allows 

you to order one free copy of your report from each 

of the nationwide consumer reporting companies 

every 12 months.

A Warning About 

“Imposter” Websites 

Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the 

free annual credit report you are entitled to under 

law — annualcreditreport.com. Other websites 

March 2008

FTC Facts

For Consumers Federal Trade Commission

For The Consumer

ftc.gov 1-877-ftc-help
that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit 

scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part 

of the legally mandated free annual credit report 

program. In some cases, the “free” product comes 

with strings attached. For example, some sites sign 

you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts 

to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If 

you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may 

be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start 

charging fees to your credit card.

Some “imposter” sites use terms like “free report” 

in their names; others have URLs that purposely 

misspell annualcreditreport.com in the hope that 

you will mistype the name of the official site. Some 

of these “imposter” sites direct you to other sites that 

try to sell you something or collect your personal 

information.

Annualcreditreport.com and the nationwide 

consumer reporting companies will not send you 

an email asking for your 

personal information. If you 

get an email, see a pop-up 

ad, or get a phone call from 

someone claiming to be 

from annualcreditreport.

com or any of the three 

nationwide consumer 

reporting companies, do not 

reply or click on any link in 

the message. It’s probably a scam. Forward any such 

email to the FTC at spam@uce.gov. 

Q:	 What information do I need to provide to get

my free report?

A: You need to provide your name, address, Social 

Security number, and date of birth. If you have 

moved in the last two years, you may have to provide 

your previous address. To maintain the security 

of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting 

company may ask you for some information that 

only you would know, like the amount of your 

monthly mortgage payment. Each company may 

ask you for different information because the 

information each has in your file may come from 

different sources.

Q:	 Why do I want a copy of my credit report?

A: Your credit report has information that affects 

whether you can get a loan — and how much you 

will have to pay to borrow money. You want a copy 

of your credit report to:

• make sure the information is accurate, complete, 

and up-to-date before you apply for a loan 

for a major purchase like a house or car, buy 

insurance, or apply for a job.

• help guard against identity theft. That’s when 

someone uses your personal information 

— like your name, your 

Social Security number, or 

your credit card number 

— to commit fraud. Identity 

thieves may use your 

information to open a new 

credit card account in your 

name. Then, when they don’t 

pay the bills, the delinquent 

account is reported on your 

credit report. Inaccurate information like that 

could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, 

or even a job. 

Q:	 How long does it take to get my report after I

order it?

A: If you request your report online at 

annualcreditreport.com, you should be able to 

access it immediately. If you order your report by 

Only one website is 

authorized to fill orders for 

the free annual credit report 

you are entitled to under law 

— annualcreditreport.com.

FTC Facts For Consumers 
calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, your report will be 

processed and mailed to you within 15 days. If you 

order your report by mail using the Annual Credit 

Report Request Form, your request will be processed 

and mailed to you within 15 days of receipt.

Whether you order your report online, by 

phone, or by mail, it may take longer to receive 

your report if the nationwide consumer reporting 

company needs more information to verify your 

identity. 

There also may be times when the nationwide 

consumer reporting companies receive a high volume 

of requests for credit reports. If that happens, you 

may be asked to re-submit 

your request. Or, you may 

be told that your report 

will be mailed to you 

sometime after 15 days 

from your request. If either 

of these events occurs, 

the nationwide consumer 

reporting companies will 

let you know.

Q:	 Are there any other situations where I might

be eligible for a free report?

A: Under federal law, you’re entitled to a free report 

if a company takes adverse action against you, such 

as denying your application for credit, insurance, or 

employment, and you ask for your report within 60 

days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will 

give you the name, address, and phone number of 

the consumer reporting company. You’re also entitled 

to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and 

plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you’re 

on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because 

of fraud, including identity theft. Otherwise, a 

consumer reporting company may charge you up to 

$10.50 for another copy of your report within a 

12-month period.

To buy a copy of your report, contact:

• Equifax:1-800-685-1111; equifax.com

• Experian: 1-888-397-3742; experian.com

• TransUnion: 1-800-916-8800; transunion.com

Under state law, consumers in Colorado, 

Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New 

Jersey, and Vermont already have free access to their 

credit reports.

Q:	 Should I order a report

from each of the three

nationwide consumer

reporting companies?

A: It’s up to you. Because 

nationwide consumer reporting 

companies get their information 

from different sources, the 

information in your report from 

one company may not reflect 

all, or the same, information in 

your reports from the other two 

companies. That’s not to say that the information in 

any of your reports is necessarily inaccurate; it just 

may be different.

Q:	 Should I order my reports from all three of the

nationwide consumer reporting companies at

the same time?

A: You may order one, two, or all three reports at 

the same time, or you may stagger your requests. It’s 

your choice. Some financial advisors say staggering 

your requests during a 12-month period may be 

a good way to keep an eye on the accuracy and 

completeness of the information in your reports.

If you request your report 

online at 

annualcreditreport.com, 

you should be able to access

it immediately. 

FTC Facts For Consumers 
Q: 	What if I find errors — either inaccuracies

or incomplete information — in my credit

report?

A: Under the FCRA, both the consumer reporting company and the information provider (that is, 

the person, company, or organization that provides 

information about you to a consumer reporting 

company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or 

incomplete information in your report. To take full 

advantage of your rights under this law, contact the 

consumer reporting company 

and the information provider.

1. Tell the consumer 

reporting company, in writing, 

what information you think is 

inaccurate.

Consumer reporting 

companies must investigate 

the items in question — 

usually within 30 days — 

unless they consider your dispute frivolous. They also 

must forward all the relevant data you provide about 

the inaccuracy to the organization that provided 

the information. After the information provider 

receives notice of a dispute from the consumer 

reporting company, it must investigate, review 

the relevant information, and report the results 

back to the consumer reporting company. If the 

information provider finds the disputed information 

is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide 

consumer reporting companies so they can correct 

the information in your file.

When the investigation is complete, the 

consumer reporting company must give you the 

written results and a free copy of your report if the 

dispute results in a change. (This free report does not 

count as your annual free report under the FACT 

Act.) If an item is changed or deleted, the consumer 

reporting company cannot put the disputed 

information back in your file unless the information 

provider verifies that it is accurate and complete. The 

consumer reporting company also must send you 

written notice that includes the name, address, and 

phone number of the information provider.

2. Tell the creditor or other information provider 

in writing that you dispute an item. Many providers 

specify an address for disputes. 

If the provider reports the 

item to a consumer reporting 

company, it must include a 

notice of your dispute. And 

if you are correct — that is, if 

the information is found to be 

inaccurate — the information 

provider may not report it 

again. 

Q:	 What can I do if the consumer reporting

company or information provider won’t

correct the information I dispute?

A: If an investigation doesn’t resolve your dispute 

with the consumer reporting company, you can 

ask that a statement of the dispute be included in 

your file and in future reports. You also can ask the 

consumer reporting company to provide your statement to anyone who received a copy of your report 

in the recent past. You can expect to pay a fee for this 

service.

If you tell the information provider that you 

dispute an item, a notice of your dispute must be 

included any time the information provider reports 

the item to a consumer reporting company. 

Tell the consumer reporting 

company, in writing, what 

information you think is 

inaccurate.

FTC Facts For Consumers 
Q:	 	How long can a consumer reporting company

report negative information?

A: A consumer reporting company can report most 

accurate negative information for seven years and 

bankruptcy information for 10 years. There is no 

time limit on reporting information about criminal convictions; information reported in response 

to your application for a job 

that pays more than $75,000 a 

year; and information reported 

because you’ve applied for more 

than $150,000 worth of credit 

or life insurance. Information 

about a lawsuit or an unpaid 

judgment against you can be reported for seven years 

or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer.

Q:	 	Can anyone else can get a copy of my credit

report?

A: The FCRA specifies who can access your credit 

report. Creditors, insurers, employers, and other 

businesses that use the information in your report to 

evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home are among those that 

have a legal right to access your report. 

Q:	 	Can my employer get my credit report?

A: Your employer can get a copy of your credit 

report only if you agree. A consumer reporting 

company may not provide information about you to 

your employer, or to a prospective employer, without 

your written consent. 

For More 

Information

The FTC works for the 

consumer to prevent 

fraudulent, deceptive, and 

unfair business practices in the 

marketplace and to provide 

information to help consumers spot, stop, and 

avoid them. To learn more about credit issues and 

protecting your personal information, visit 

ftc.gov/credit.

To file a complaint or to get free information on 

other consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 

1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 

1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, 

telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related 

complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online 

database available to hundreds of civil and criminal 

law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. 

Your employer can get a 

copy of your credit report 

only if you agree.

For The Consumer Federal Trade Commission

ftc.gov 1-877-ftc-help

Federal Trade Commission

Bureau of Consumer Protection

Division of Consumer and Business Education

FTC Facts For Consumers 
You have the right to get a free copy of your credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months, from each of

the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

For instant access to your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

For more information on obtaining your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Use this form if you prefer to write to request your credit report from any, or all, of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. The

following information is required to process your request. Omission of any information may delay your request.

If additional information is needed to process your request, the consumer credit

reporting company will contact you by mail.

Your request will be processed within 15 days of receipt and then mailed to you.

Annual Credit Report Request Form

Once complete, fold (do not staple or tape), place into a #10 envelope, affix required postage and mail to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Copyright 2004, Central Source LLC

Equifax

Experian

TransUnion

I want a credit report from (shade

each that you would like to

receive):

Shade here if, for security

reasons, you want your credit

report to include no more than

the last four digits of your

Social Security Number.

Shade Circle Like This >

Not Like This >

Social Security Number:

- -

Date of Birth:

/ /

Month Day Year

First Name M.I.

Last Name JR, SR, III, etc.

Current Mailing Address:

House Number Street Name

City State ZipCode

City State ZipCode

Apartment Number / Private Mailbox For Puerto Rico Only: Print Urbanization Name

House Number Street Name

Previous Mailing Address (complete only if at current mailing address for less than two years):

Fold Here Fold Here

Fold Here Fold Here

Please use a Black or Blue Pen and write your responses in PRINTED CAPITAL LETTERS without touching the sides of the boxes like the examples listed below:

Apartment Number / Private Mailbox For Puerto Rico Only: Print Urbanization Name

31238

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