General Credit Topics

[Noah_Bodie]

Yes, the FCRA requires that you be given a FREE copy of your CR from all CRAs once every 12 months. The FTC has some very good, concise info on the subject, and I commend it to you.

Here's the law on it: 15 USC 1681j(a)

You can call, write or go online. It is an excellent idea to pull your CR from all 3 CRAs once every 12 months. They even send you an Email reminder that it's time for your free report.

This is the official website established by the Big Three CRAs. It's mostly easy to use. Do not be taken in by other companies that advertise. There is almost certain to be fine print, credit card charges for a subscription to a golfing magazine, or some darned thing. One company associated with one of the Big Three advertises heavily on TV.

You can request your TU and EX reports online and access them online, but I recommend you request a paper copy of EQ by calling or writing. EQ is a bit "online challenged". You can call or write for any, or all 3, for whatever reason. Lotta folks have a basic distrust of accessing such things online. OTOH, others have reported good success with online requests from EQ.

You can also view and dispute your EX report online at one of several links. They don't appear to restrict it so you can access it any time you want.
http://www.experian.com/rs/fi2.html
http://www.experian.com/rs/fi25.html

If either stops working, go here.
http://www.truecredit.com/help/learnCenter/disputing/overview.jsp
TC is a 3 in 1 monitoring service that TU offers. There are two links you can use to dispute with EX. You don't need to subscribe to TC to access it.

For TU, if you want to go back and access your report again, use the ID and password you established.
http://annualcreditreport.transunion.com/

EX will give you a number that you need to write down and remember if you plan to go back and review your CR.

TU will assign a file number to your report, but you won't need it.

It's a good idea to utilize your FACTA requests, even if you use MFSW or TC or some other monitoring service. Original EX and TU reports break down your TLs into good and adverse. The adverse TLs are listed first in their own section. Some other services don't necessarily show this, and it's good information to have in case the TL is somehow flagged as adverse which is not readily apparent to you.

Message Edited by Noah_Bodie on 10-23-2007 07:47 AM

[Tuscani]

Good post.. and remember, disputing via annualcreditreport.com gives the CRAs an extra 15 days to investigate.

 http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=generalcredit&message.id=5500&query.id=1200...

[Noah_Bodie]

If you're here, then there's a fair chance you've looked at your reports and scores using one of MyFico's products. Some may have encountered problems disputing inaccurate info with the CRAs because you're using an "unacceptable" copy of your CRs, and the CRAs gleefully offer to sell one to you.

Keep your CC in your wallet. If you have access to a fax machine, fax a dispute to the CRAs. Include a photocopy of your driver's license, SSN card, and for EX include a copy of a recent utility bill.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=generalcredit&message.id=22739

Once they conclude their investigation, they will mail you a paper copy of your CR, with one of their confirmation numbers on it should you need to dispute anything further.

[Noah_Bodie]

You can even see your TU FICO score FOC. You just need to apply for and obtain a WAMU CC.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=creditcard&thread.id=3701

I've been happy with my WAMU CC, and I also bank there. They don't nail me with a ton of fees.

They were fairly generous with the CL ($2K for me, $4K for DW). They don't do joint accounts, but since they don't charge an annual fee I figgered might as well each get an individual CC.

[Noah_Bodie]

Since you're here, you might already have purchases your reports through a monitoring service or MyFico. Then you discover something wrong on your CRs, you want to dispute it, but the CRA won't talk to you until you purchase an "official" copy of your CRs.

Well, keep your CC in your wallet and fax them a dispute. You get your dispute lodged for them to investigate, and when they complete the investigation they'll mail you an "official" copy should you find other mistakes.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=generalcredit&thread.id=22739

[hipgal0825]

You can get a free report if you've applied for anything and been denied.

[fused]

Hi FOUADGIRGUS:

Welcome to the FICO Forums!  I noticed you seem to be having some trouble posting. It is possible to edit your own post if you have posted an incomplete message. To edit your post, go to the post. To the right you'll see "Options." Click on "Options" and select "Edit Message" from the drop-down menu. If you need any help with anything, let me know.  Thanks for your contribution to the FICO Forums!

Fused

[ibdqt34]

?: I know you can see your credit report free of charge but is it the actual score that you have to pay for?

DH did my credit report Feb 2008 but no score was posted. Since that time, I've been working diligently to get those little negatives off (basically not making late payments on anything else and just have time working on my side). I'd like to get another credit report (since it's been over a year since my last one) but I'd like to have the score included because we intend on building a house in the next year or two.

Thanks,

~Cynthia~

[llecs]

Unfortunately, the scores aren't free. The only place where you can pull EQ and TU scores (w/ reports) together is via this website. Unfortunately, EX no longer allows consumers to pull their own FICO score.

Once in a very blue moon, FICO promotions run out there for a free score only for EQ. You'll here about it on here when that happens.

[PrimeSeeker]

If you can't afford to get your FICO, you can get a FREE estimate at the following location:

http://www.myfico.com/ficocreditscoreestimator/?AID=10436269&PID=2336164

It technically can be used to estimate your FICO with any of the CAs, because you manually enter your TL highlights. I use it to estimate my Experian, since I can no longer get it directly.

---

llecs wrote:
Unfortunately, the scores aren't free. The only place where you can pull EQ and TU scores (w/ reports) together is via this website. Unfortunately, EX no longer allows consumers to pull their own FICO score.

Once in a very blue moon, FICO promotions run out there for a free score only for EQ. You'll here about it on here when that happens.

---

[joestay]

So, I order an EX report for free in June of last year and this year, I order it again for free in April.  That's less than 12 months.  Is this okay or will they charge me or something?

[Jazzzy]

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joestay wrote:

So, I order an EX report for free in June of last year and this year, I order it again for free in April.  That's less than 12 months.  Is this okay or will they charge me or something?

---

Was this through www.annualcreditreport.com?

Did they ask you for a credit card number?

[joestay]

yeah, it was through annualcreditreport.com.  They didn't ask for my credit card.

[joestay]

what will happen if I request my credit report again from annualcreditreport.com?  Will they offer an option to pay?

[Jazzzy]

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joestay wrote:

what will happen if I request my credit report again from annualcreditreport.com?  Will they offer an option to pay?

---

I haven't tried, but I assume you'll get a notice that you can't get another free one yet...and I'm sure they will give you an option to pay. Remember that you get a free one from each of the three credit bureaus.

[joestay]

I tried to get the free one from TU but was never able to actually get it due to verification problems online.  If I can't get it online, can I tried again within 12 month and still get it for free?

[Jazzzy]

I would call TU and find out what the problem is with getting it. I hate to see anybody give up a free report.

You can get a free copy of your Experian report from Quizzle every 6 months. I get my free reports and then ignore the rest of what they try to sell me.

[joestay]

The problem is that they can't come up with enough questions to verify my identity base on info in my credit report.

[happy0510]

Just paid EX $8 to file a dispute!! Arghhh

[fused]

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happy0510 wrote:

Just paid EX $8 to file a dispute!! Arghhh

---

I'm sorry! It stinks!

[d-ann]

Hi Noah, I noticed that your answer was edited in 2007. I was just wondering if your still on this forum, is all the information you posted there still true and up to date? Not to dispute, I really dont know how to go about this, but I was going to follow your advice. If it is still valid in Jan. 2011. Thank you for any information you can give me, I appreciate it.

d-ann

[RobertEG]

Here is my advice on getting the best credit reports and the most comprhensive information at the lowest possible fees.

Yes, as you realize, in compliance with the "once a year free credit report" provisions of the FCRA, you can order your free annual credit reports for each CRA every 12-months through the federally-accepted FCRA compliance site established by the three CRAs at annualcreditreport.com.  If you attempt to secure another free CR at that site, they will tell you that that it has not been a year, and thus you are not yet eligible.

Many consumers then, if they want an updated CR within this period, turn to one of the commercial CR vendor sites, including myFICO, and pay $10-$13.

In my opinion, NO commerical CR you get anywhere compares with the ones you get from annualcreditreport.com.  Commercial CRS are always sanitized and condensed credit reports that are often more confusing than illuminating.

My suggested alternative to getting the best credit repair information is to first get your three free, and comprehensive, CRs from annualcreditreport.com.

Then focus on the specific items of information in those CRs that you disagree with, or want more information on.

You then have the statutory right, under FCRA 609(a)(1), to request, at any time, directly from each CRA, "all information in the consumer's file" relating to any item of information appearing in your credit report.  It includes your right, under FCRA 609(a)(2), to additionally request the sources of any reported item(s) of informatiln.This is not a sanitized credit file interpretation of your credit file by way of a credit report, it is the direct disclosure to yuu of the infomation stored in your credit file. 

This totally bypasses all purveyors of commerrcial credit reports.Of course, such requests under FCRA 609(a)(1) are not free.  They require, under FCRA 609(a), simply the payment of the processing fee set forth in FCRA 612(f), which is the payment of a check to the CRA in the current amount of $10.50.So, starting with your annualcreditreport.com CR, I see much more benefit from using FCRA 609(a) to address items of information in your credit file than commercial CRs, at about the same cost.

[MarineVietVet]

Hi isabel59 and welcome to the forums.

I noticed you seem to be having some trouble posting. It is possible to edit your own post if you have posted an incomplete message. To edit your post, go to the post. To the right you'll see "Options." Click on "Options" and select "Edit Message" from the drop-down menu. If you have accidentally posted a duplicate message, you can use the “Report Abuse to a Moderator” link to asking the moderation team to remove one for you. To find this link, go to the duplicate post, click on "Options," then select "Report Abuse to a Moderator" from the drop-down menu. If you need any help with anything, let me know.

--marinevietvet, myFICO moderator