AnnualCreditReport.com
AnnualCreditReport.com is a centralized service for consumers to request annual credit reports. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

AnnualCreditReport.com processes requests for free credit file disclosures (commonly called credit reports). Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) consumers can request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. AnnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to do so.

About Your Credit

Your Credit Report Says a Lot About You

What is Your Credit Score?

Avoid the 10-Year Credit Report Stain

NFCC Introduces Online Credit Counseling

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Your Credit Report Says a Lot About You

Don't be the last to know what your credit report says about how you handle money, especially if you're considering borrowing money for a house or a new car.

Your credit report includes how much credit you have and how you repay your bills; public record information, including arrests, bankruptcy, tax liens, or monetary judgments filed against you; and identity information such as name, nicknames, Social Security number, birth date, current and previous addresses, and names of past and current employers. It also lists the names of anyone who's obtained a copy of your credit report for any reason.

But, lenders aren't the only ones seeking information about your credit. Landlords, employers, and insurers may use credit report information to help them decide whether to hire you, sell you an insurance policy, or rent you an apartment.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a credit bureau may sell your report only to lenders, insurers, landlords, employers, and businesses that meet the need as defined by law. You must give written consent before credit bureaus can give information about you to your employer or to prospective employers.

To get a copy of your report, contact all three major national credit bureaus:; Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each copy may cost up to $8; however, you may be eligible for a free one if you've recently been denied credit, a job, or rental housing because of negative information on your report. The denying party must give you the name and address of the credit bureau that provided the information and, under federal law, you're allowed a free copy of the report within 60 days of the denial.

Be wary of any online or other offers that promise a free copy. To get the "free" report, one such offer requires you to sign up for a year's worth of credit protection service for an automatically renewing fee of $60.

Finally, when you receive your report, look it over for inaccurate information. If you find mistakes, follow the credit reporting agency's instructions on the back of your report outlining how to request corrections. The agency must investigate your claim, usually within 30 days. Under federal law, if an agency can't verify a disputed item, it must delete or correct the item.

Copyright 1998 Credit Union National Association, Inc. Information subject to change without notice. For use with members of a single credit union. All other rights reserved.

First, who's keeping score? The credit industry is. Every time you apply for a new credit card, a mortgage, perhaps even an insurance policy or a job, your application is judged in part on your credit score.

A credit score is a three-digit number that lenders use to objectively measure your creditworthiness. Each lender sets different ranges for what it considers "good" and "bad" credit scores. Consumers with lower credit scores often pay higher interest rates on mortgages and credit cards because they're viewed as riskier customers (based on a scale of approximately 900 being a high score).

Fair Isaac and Equifax have teamed up to provide a detailed credit score along with your credit report, for a fee, at www.Myfico.com. Other agencies, such as Experian, also plan to offer such information online.

Copyright Credit Union National Association, Inc. Information subject to change without notice. For use with members of a single credit union. All other rights reserved.

Just because people have jobs doesn't mean they can't get themselves into a tight financial corner. According to an SMR Research Corp., Hackettstown, N.J., study of consumers undergoing credit counseling, while 10% of surveyed respondents had lost jobs, almost twice as many--19%--had experienced an income drop due to decreases in sales commissions, cuts in pay, and ending alimony payments. Other leading causes: medical debts, gambling debts, aggressive lawyers soliciting bankruptcy business, and debt burden due to credit cards and low mortgage down payments.

But just because people get into financial predicaments doesn't mean they can't get out. Averting financial calamity is a longstanding mission of the National Foundation for Consumer Credit (NFCC) in Silver Spring, Md. NFCC has nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) affiliates around the country ready to help anyone get back on track from financial failure.

The CCCS provides free or low-cost confidential consultations with professional budget counselors trained and certified by the NFCC. The service can arrange debt repayment plans between consumers and creditors and sometimes negotiate lower fees or reduced penalties on delinquent bills.

To get in touch with the nearest CCCS office, you can call 800-388-2227 or visit the NFCC Web site at www.nfcc.org.

When you set up an appointment, you'll receive a work sheet requesting details of your income, expenses, and debt. A counselor will review the completed work sheet with you and, if applicable, your spouse to help you plan a course of action.

The outcomes are good: Nearly two-thirds of all clients go home after that initial consultation and straighten out their own financial difficulty, or they enroll in a repayment plan and, after fulfilling their obligations, are able to re-establish credit.

Copyright 1999 Credit Union National Association, Inc. Information subject to change without notice. For use with members of a single credit union. All other rights reserved.

Consumers who delay getting financial advice because they're too embarrassed can get help from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)--formerly called the National Foundation for Consumer Credit. The NFCC, in Silver Spring, Md., offers online credit counseling--financial advice and counseling without meeting a counselor in person.

"People with money problems can begin their journey to financial wellness in the comfort and privacy of their homes by completing an online credit counseling form," says Joy Thormodsgard, NFCC's chief operating officer. "A certified counselor will analyze the information and develop a financial wellness plan to meet their specific needs," she adds.

Consumers access the service at NFCC's Web site (www.nfcc.org) by clicking on the online counseling command. They answer several financial questions and send their responses to NFCC headquarters over a secure Internet line.

Other features include DebtTalk, a weekly online chat room where consumers discuss credit- and debit-related topics; links to budget and credit calculators, and a pressroom with stories and news releases.

Copyright 2000 Credit Union National Association Inc. Information subject to change without notice. For use with members of a single credit union. All other rights reserved.