HAVE YOU OBTAINED A FREE COPY OF
YOUR CREDIT REPORT?
 In
Ohio, the "Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act
of 2003" took effect on March 1, 2005, giving all
consumers the right to obtain a free copy of their credit
report fro each of the tree major credit-report agencies
(Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) annually. If you have
not already done so, you may log on to
www.annualcreditreport.com to request your free report or
send in a written application. You can download that form
by clicking on this link
. This application may be used to make requests to all
three major reporting agencies.
Each agency puts together its report
differently, so it's a good idea to check all tree and
stagger them throughout the year. Errors on your credit
report are expensive because they can translate into
higher interest charges when borrowing money. Report any
inaccuracies immediately to the credit reporting agency
that made the error. Here is the contact information:
This law entitles consumers only to a free
credit report…not a free credit score. Your credit
score may be obtained from these same agencies for a fee
ranging from $4 to $6.95 per agency. Note that your
credit score is based on the information in your credit
report. If you want to have your credit score changed,
you need to review carefully the information contained in
your credit report.
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