Time for a Yearly Credit Report

One way to head off fraud during tax season is to get your free annual credit report now. Credit reports often have errors in them; this quick checkup can be the first indication that some form of identity theft has taken place on your account.

The good news is that each of the major consumer credit reporting agencies is required by law to provide you with a free report once a year. Here’s contact information to help you get your free credit report:

Annual Credit Report.com Telephone: 1-877-322-8228 Website: www.AnnualCreditReport.com Via mail: (fill out the online form and mail it to the following address)

Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Listed here are the three major credit agencies and how to contact them directly.

TransUnion Telephone: 833-395-6938 Web site: www.transunion.com Via mail: 2 Baldwin Place P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022

Equifax Telephone: 1-800-685-1111 Web site: www.equifax.com Via mail: Equifax Credit Information Service P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian Telephone: 1.888.EXPERIAN (397-3742) Web site: www.experian.com Via mail: P.O. Box 9701 Allen, TX 75013

Reminder: Each agency may try to upsell you into additional paid services. If you find problems on your credit report, work through the credit bureau’s process to correct the error. Also place fraud alerts on your credit agency account if you experience any kind of identity fraud.