How to Investigate Your Credit Score for FREE

If you are thinking about applying for a car loan , buying a house or taking out a loan for any purpose it is a good idea to find out your credit score. The credit score tells lenders how likely you are to pay back the money that you are borrowing. Credit scores do not determine whether or not your loan is approved. They are simply numbers generated from your credit report. Your lender sets standards on which credit scores are acceptable and makes the final decision. Here is how you can obtain this information.

Things You Will Need

You will need to be prepared with your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. You will also need any prior addresses from the past few years. The national credit reporting agencies have teamed up and built a website that you should use to get your free credit report. The site is www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also call them at 877-322-8228 and request your free credit report. The "Annual Free Credit Reports" are only available through the website and phone number above. In other words, you might have to pay if you contact a credit agency directly.
In the past in order to get your credit report you would have to pay a fee.
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that U.S. consumers be entitled to a free credit report each year. The government¢Â€Â™s goal is to make sure that consumers stay informed, fight identity theft, and get fair treatment.

Tips & Warnings

Please remember the only way to get your annual free credit report is by using the organization above. If you go any other route, you may have to pay or subscribe to a private service.