The 3 Major Credit Bureaus: Addresses and How to Get Free Credit ReportThere are 3 major credit bureaus in the USA: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. They are private profit-making businesses that make money by compiling and selling information about you, in the form of a credit report. This information is used by lenders and employers to determine your level of reliability. It is also used in deciding what rates you get on a cash, mortgage, automobile, or other loan or form of credit such as credit card(s). The bureaus also provide identifying information about you, such as name, address, former address/addresses, employment and former employment. Getting a Free Copy of Your Credit ReportIn this day and age of identity theft, when even employers have started basing their decision on whether to hire you on the all important credit report, it is crucial that you monitor your credit report and know what is in it. Also, errors in credit reports are not that uncommon. By law, you are entitled to one free credit report per year from each bureau. You are also entitled to a free report if: 1. You have been denied credit within the last 60 days based on your report. 2. You are unemployed and planning to apply for a job within the next 60 days. 3. You are on welfare. 4. You are a victim of identity theft and have reported this to law enforcement. Three Credit Bureaus' AddressesFollowing are addresses, links and phone numbers of the three major credit bureaus that you can use to request your free report(s). Credit bureau addresses change often, and, amazingly, at the time of writing this page only one (Equifax) bureau had listed their (free report) mailing address on their website (see tip below). Tip: If you intend to use your credit report for credit repair purposes, DO NOT request your report online or use any of the forms provided on the websites below. If you do, you will be forced to "accept" certain conditions that may not be in your best interest. Your best bet is to request your reports by mail. Equifax (www.equifax.com): Experian (www.experian.com): TransUnion (www.transunion.com): You can also skip the individual sites and pick up all three reports at the following address this (the bureaus will send here for your free report anyway) : Annual Credit Report Request
Service (www.annualcreditreport.com) If you intend to request your score and report, you will have to visit individual sites. Your credit score, though, does not come free and only one type of score really matters (see your credit score). See also: |