Hi credit repair readers. I haven’t put up much for a few days. I had hoped to be nice and regular with posts but it isn’t always so easy.

My dad is in hospital with cancer and this has really taken my attention away, so no work for a while. Apologies. I’ll get back on to it when I can.

Of course Christmas mucks things up a little too. Not that there’s anything wrong with Christmas, just that it isn’t so easy to carry on with work. Lots of things which get in the way like all sorts of kids end of year parties, school performances, ballet shows, gymnastics competitions and so on.

This is something that perplexes many people. There are 3 credit bureaus. Why 3 credit bureaus, not 1? Should I get my free credit report from all 3 credit bureaus or just one of them? Are there any differences between the 3 credit bureaus, or at least the credit report that each of them hold on me, or are the 3 credit reports just the same?

Here’s what they say.

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.

There you have it. Your credit report could be different with each one. So why not get your credit report from each of the 3 credit bureaus, and why not take advantage of the suggestion to stagger your requests over the year. Good idea!

There are some other ways you can be entitled to a free copy of your credit report as well as your annual free copy of your credit report that you are legally entitled to.

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 $9.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period.

# To buy a copy of your report, contact: Equifax: 800-685-1111; www.equifax.com
# Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com
# Trans Union: 800-916-8800; www.transunion.com

Under state law, consumers in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont already have free access to their credit reports.

There you have it. If you have just been denied credit for example, you don’t need to pay to see why. It may well be something on your credit report, and you can find out if you have a low credit score. Make sure you take advantage of this.

Is it going to take months to get my free annual credit report? Here’s what they say.

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 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.

Not too much of a worry is it? A couple of weeks for your free credit report. What are you waiting for? Go get it.

There’s some powerful reasons for getting your free copy of your credit report. Here’s a few of them from that same FTC website report.

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.

Like I say, if you’re entitled to a free annual copy of your credit report, then make use of it.

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.

Not that much is it? So if you’re feeling like you need to have a look at your credit report because you’ve been having some credit problems lately then don’t hesitate. You’re entitled to a free annual credit report, go get it. You have all the details here on how to do it.

And here’s a little more from the FTC info about credit repair, and free credit reports. Note the warnings about credit repair services. After reading this, do you need credit repair services, or do you think you can do your own credit repair?

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 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.

Here’s a little more from that FTC report on getting your free annual credit report. The links still don’t work I suspect. Wish they’d get their act together. People who need good credit repair info don’t need the sites to be down!

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, click on 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.

Now there’s some phone numbers and addresses there for you if you can’t get on to the website. And the free annual credit report form they are talking about you can get here.
At least that worked fine for me today.

There are many misconceptions about credit scores out there. There are customers who believe that they don’t have a credit score and many customers who think that their credit scores just don’t really matter. These sorts of misconceptions can hurt your chances at some jobs, at getting loans, at good interest rates, and even your chances of getting some apartments.

The truth is, if you have a bank account and bills, then you have a credit score, and your credit score matters more than you might think. Your credit score may be called many things, including a credit risk rating, a FICO score, a credit rating, a FICO rating, or a credit risk score. All these terms refer to the same thing: the three-digit number that let’s lenders get an idea of how likely you are to repay your bills.

Every time you apply for credit, apply for a job that requires you to handle money, or even apply for some more exclusive types of apartment living, your credit score is checked.

In fact, your credit score can be checked by anyone with a legitimate business need to do so. Your credit score is based on your past financial responsibilities and past payments and credit, and it provides potential lenders with a quick snapshot of your current financial state and past repayment habits.

In other words, your credit score lets lenders know quickly how much of a credit risk you are.