Like the title says. I want to look at my credit report. Any recommendations?
I’m concerned about security, and don’t want to end up getting spammed with a lot of junk.
I’m willing to pay if neccesary.
I’ve also heard that the major credit reporters are changing how they do things?
There is only one really:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
You can still request them on the Big 3’s automated phone systems as well.
Yeah just to clarify what Shagnasty said the free report you get on https://www.annualcreditreport.com is a LEGAL requirement. They HAVE to give you one once a year, for free, the Fair Credit Reporting Act say so. Needless to say however they are likely to make it as hard as possible (and are not required to give you your actual score just any records they have in their DB).
The agencies (and various other middle men) spend alot of money on advertising convincing you to pay them to give you access to information they hold about you, that they are legally required to give you for free. If you go to any other “free credit report” website, or the website of the actual companies, this they make you hand over you credit card number (and give permission to charge you for evermore) to see anything.
Be aware of something else, that is not made clear on the webpage, you don’t have to receive all three reports at once, you can request from each company separately (hence check your credit three times a year rather than once).
Also there is another important database that is not coverd by the three main credit agencies. ChexSystems is used by banks to record bad overdrafts, etc. If you have your ID stolen and some has step up an account in your name (as happened to me) there will be record in here (which you won’t know about until you try and open account yourself and get told no). IMO its really bad that this is not publised more:
My bad I made the same mistake I just mentioned (I think that last link IS a company trying to sell you infomation you just mentioned). The correct ChexSystems link is here (you’ll notice they make their webpage as obsucure and hard to find as possible, ChexSystems.com does not exist):
https://www.consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/en/freereport.htm
I’m a bit confused.
Once a year? Or three times a year for free?
Which/what is each company?
Does this site Annual Credit Report.com - Home Page
have links to three different reporting agencies?
Thanks.
Once a year for free from each of the three companies.
As to question two: go to the site. The three sponsors are the three reporting companies.
Sorry that was a bit confusing… There are three “main” credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Transunion, and Experian). The annualcreditreport.com is the site they were (I beleive) forced to set up together in order to handle their obligations under the FCRA, (i.e. EACH company has to give you one free credit report per year). When I used the website the “default” behaviour was to give you all three (one from each company) at once, this you could only do once a year. However you are quite within your rights to ask for them one at a time (e.g. Equifax in January, Transunion in June, and Experian in September), so get three reports a year (generally the same data will be in each).
Yes, but generally the only links avaiable at the actual websites of each company are the ones where you have to pay to see anything.
And if you want your “score” you’ll need to pay for it, generally. That’s not part of the report, per se.
I know that Equifax’s web site sells it. Unsure as to Transunion or Experian.
I think the “FICO” folks sell it somewhere, as well. Bear in mind you theoretically have dozens of different industry-specific scores, and can only buy a few.
It’s also worth noting that some states have laws that allow to get a free credit report anytime you want, and I think as often as you want. (which, IMO, should be a federal law, because it’s MY report, God damn it!)
If you live in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey or Vermont then you can get your report as many times as you want in a year. I think you still have to pay to see your credit score, though.
[/quote]
Yes, but generally the only links avaiable at the actual websites of each company are the ones where you have to pay to see anything.
[/quote]
Ahhh.
Very good, and thank you both. SDMB comes through again in record time.
Good news. I’m in Colorado.
Thanks again.
I was hoping for a ‘score’. But not willing to pay for it. Nothing but green lights came up for myself and Wife.
There is no ‘ooops’ or otherwise bad data hanging on my credit. Everything is ‘Paid as agreed’.
Cool… I’m Golden. Everyone want’s to give me money. 
:rolleyes:
I’m sure that the FICO score must tie income to amount owed somehow. Doesn’t it?
If you are in that situation, there isn’t much need to know your exact FICO score. The only people that need to be concerned with their specific FICO score are the people that may have bad or marginal credit and are looking to make a credit transaction soon.
People with established credit with no real blemishes are going to have a FICO score well over 700 and that is all that matters. FICO scores go up much higher than that but there is no real benefit to having a super-high score. Lenders just use scores as a cutoff and none go past 750 to the best of my knowledge and the vast majority are in the lower 700 range. You don’t get any secret deals for having a very high score.
I played a game once by modeling my finances according to the perfect person according to their model and I got my score way past 800 (I forget the exact number). A car salesman mentioned it was the highest score he had ever seen but other than that, nothing.
FTR, the highest a score can go is 830, so I don’t know exactly what “way past 800” means. I work in the mortgage industry and have seen thousands of credit reports. The highest I’ve ever seen is 810.
enipla, the bureaus don’t know how much money you make, so they can’t tie your score to your income. Lenders do use that ratio (the debt-to-income, or DTI, ratio), though, so even if you have fabulous credit, you might have problems getting a loan if your DTI is too high.
Our DTI is no problem, though I think we need to take better track of our money.
I occasionally am late on a credit card. For no other reason than being lazy. And our mortgage is ‘due’ on the first but not late till the 17th. I usually mail it the first week of the month. So it is never ‘late’ but rarely is there before the due date.
I’m about to buy a new car, and was wondering if these little slips would affect my credit. Apparently not.
ENGAGE WEEKS OLD NITPICK ENGINE
Top of FICO scale is 850.
DISENGAGE WEEKS OLD NITPICK ENGINE
DOUBLENITPICK
The agencies also have their own scores in addition to/instead of FICO, at least one of which goes up to 900
DOUBLENITPICK
Wow.
The confusion. The ignorance.
When the FCRA was passed, there was never a requirement for the national credit reporting agencies to give free credit reports. NCRAs were, since 1972, to provided reports free to consumer who suffered adverse action (denial, lowered credit limit, etc).
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act amended the FCRA, and consumer were then entitled to one free per year from the central source, established by the national credit reporting agencies, and available at www.annualcreditreport.com, and blessed by the FTC.
Scores are available from each agency for a fee.
In addtion to the one free per year from the central source, you may be entitled to additional reports as per your state laws. To secure those reports, contact each company directly.
The important note is that the central source was established (with FTC watching and blessing) to fulfill the federal requirement outlined in FACTA, not for other types of reports (from adverse action, state law, etc).
TRIPLENITPICK
One of Experian’s in-house scores I paid for 3-4 years back went up to 1000.
TRIPLENITPICK
Strangely, my score on that 0 to 1000 point scale was within 5 points of my score on the more conventional FICO 350-850 point scale… somewhere in the mid 600s, I recall.