The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) provides that consumers are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three main credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion). See Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, 15 USC § 1601

There are three easy ways to order your free credit reports:

• visit annualcreditreport.com, or
• call (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

Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually, you must use one of the methods listed above to get your free credit report.

Practical tip: Although you are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months, this does not mean that you have to request all three credit bureaus to provide your credit report at the same time. If you stagger your requests, for example, request your Equifax credit report in January, Experian credit report in May, and your Transunion credit report in September, you can effectively request and review your “credit report” multiple times throughout a calendar year!

Importantly, you can also get additional free reports if any of the following apply to you:

• You have been turned down for credit, employment, insurance, or a rental dwelling because of information in your credit report within the preceding 60 days.
• You are entitled to receive a free copy of your credit report if you are unemployed and intend to apply for employment in the next 60 days
• You are a recipient of public welfare assistance,
• You have reason to believe that there is inaccurate information in your credit report due to fraud.

See Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, 15 USC § 1601

Your credit report contains important financial information about you that lenders use to evaluate your level of credit risk or the likelihood you’ll pay your bills on time. Lenders also use your credit report to help determine the interest rate/s that you will pay for loans and credit.

Since 2003, the Las Vegas bankruptcy attorneys of Luh & Associates has been helping Nevadans navigate the bankruptcy process and related credit issues. Please contact the Las Vegas bankruptcy attorneys at Luh & Associates if you have any additional questions or concerns. We look forward to answering your questions!