Is there a free way to check your credit records somewhere and if so how?
cheers
Zaphod
I keep hearing ads for http://www.freecreditreport.com. Good luck!
Free Credit Reports are available to residents of these six states:
Colorado
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Jersey
Vermont
And you are entitled to a free one if you were denied credit.
The ‘big three’ of credit bureaus use their name as their website adress too:
TransUnion
Equifax
Experian
I checked this site out. Apparently “free” means giving them your credit card number. They’ll charge you only $7.95 per month to be a “member” unless you remember to cancel before the end of one month.
No dice. Free means free. No strings.
As with other financial, law, nature, etc. etc. questions, it is imperative you say where you are.
In Canada, both Transunion and Equifax will mail you a free report if you mail them first. NB - Equifax wants you to pay them to do the online stuff, so they make this a pain and leave out your actual credit score. Haven’t tried Transunion yet.
In the States, as I understand it generally, if you’ve been turned down for a loan application within the past… uh… 6mo.? you can get it free from one of the Big credit unions, otherwise generally no.