Patty's "All Things Real Estate" Blog.

As we head into the 4th quarter of 2009 I want to  remind you that each year you are eligible to receive a FREE copy of your consumer credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus.  TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax will provide these to you at NO CHARGE.  So if you haven’t done so this year, this would be a great time to get your updated reports.

Go  AnnualCreditReport.com to obtain your FREE reports.  There is NO credit card information required on this site to obtain your reports.  (There are other sites out there that say they are free, but they will ask for credit card information before giving you access to your information.)

All sites will offer access to Credit Scores and there is usually a fee for that report.  It may be worth the cost to keep an eye on your credit score, especially if you are planning on buying a home in the near future.  Also if you are trying to repair credit problems, you can periodically check your score to determine how your score is improving over time.

You will have the opportunity to download your report from all three credit bureau reports at once, or you can download one (of your choice), and revisit the site at a later time to download another.  Some credit professionals suggest downloading one every 4 months to keep an eye on changes throughout the year.  Whichever method you choose, this is a valuable tool!

In some cases, if the system is unable to identify you online, you may be required to order your report via phone or mail.  If this happens to you, simply follow the online instructions for obtaining the phone number or the appropriate form to download and mail.  You will receive your credit report in the mail usually within 2 weeks.

You can also download forms to correct errors, dispute incorrect information, and/or remove outdated information. 

Hope you found this information useful!