hotknoieu: How to Get Your Free TransUnion Credit Report Online

Friday, November 5, 2010

How to Get Your Free TransUnion Credit Report Online

Nov 1, 2010 Asa Ghaffar

Order Your Free TransUnion Credit Report Online - Image by marydawn_md

The data held about us by credit reference agencies isn't always as accurate as we'd like it to be. Part of the process of improving our credit worthiness is requesting a free TransUnion credit report online. In fact, we must verify that the data contained in all 3 credit reports.

Each time we make an application for a loan, mortgage or credit card, a search is recorded with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for a period of 24 months. Creditors are unable to distinguish between bad credit and bad data so the onus is on you to correct any problems.

Our Legal Entitlement to a Free Yearly Credit Report

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, each American citizen is entitled by law to a totally free credit report from TransUnion once each year. You're also entitled to the same information from the other two credit reference agencies, Experian and Equifax. This can be requested at the same time.

Who Offers a Free TransUnion Credit Report Online?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stated that there's: "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."

How to Get Your Official Free Credit Report from TransUnion

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and request a free TransUnion credit report online.
Telephone (877) 322-8228.
Write to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Why Do We Need All 3 Credit Reports from TransUnion, Equifax & TransUnion?

The information held by each credit reference agency is unique so verifying that the information help by one agency isn't sufficient. If the data's inaccurate, we must get this corrected.
We're concerned that we may have been the victim of a fraud. Unless we check for relevant credit searches and applications, we have no way of verifying this.
We want a copy of our free TransUnion credit report because we intend to refinance or apply for new credit. It's important that any errors are corrected before making an application.

How Do We Get a Totally Free Credit Report & Credit Score?

Although the law entitles you to a free TransUnion credit report, it doesn't "yet" entitle you to see your credit score. If you need this information because you intend to apply for credit, there are two ways that you can easily get hold of this information.

You've either got to pay to see your credit score or take advantage of a free 7-day trial offer. If you do choose the latter option, be sure to cancel it before the trial reaches a conclusion. If you don't, a month's subscription will be taken from your registered credit card.