Mark's Notebook


	I never came upon any of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking. - Albert Einstein

Credit reports -- free for all

San Francisco Chronicle

Tuesday 30 November 2004, 3:53 pm
Keywords: News Articles

By Kathleen Pender

Starting Wednesday, residents of California and 12 other Western states can get a free copy of their credit report from each of the nation's three major credit bureaus once every 12 months. By September 2005, at the end of a phased rollout, residents of all 50 states will have the same opportunity.

Free credit reports were mandated by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, the reincarnation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The new law "is a hard-fought victory for consumers," says Jennette Gayer, a consumer advocate with CalPIRG.

Consumers can request their reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion from a single, jointly operated Web site, address or phone number.

To request a report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com (the address must be typed in your browser). The site is being tested today and many users have been able to get their reports, although it is not officially live until Wednesday. You can also request a free report by calling (877) 322-8228 or mail a request to P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

At the Web site, you first enter some basic information, such as name, address, Social Security number and date of birth. Next, select the bureau or bureaus from which you want a report. After selecting each bureau, you will be asked some questions to verify your identity. For example, you may have to identify your mortgage company or the balance on a credit card.

Those who check their reports on a regular basis should be able to spot and correct potentially costly errors and make life harder for identity thieves. In California, victims of identity theft can get a free credit report every month for a limited time.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/30/BUGFGA3H1H1.DTL