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Getting free credit report when application is declined

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Topics addressed on October 1, 2008:

Getting free credit report when application is declined

Dear Max,

I have been denied credit. Can I get a free copy of my credit report?

- ZLR

Dear ZLR,

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows you to get a free credit report if your application is denied. However, you can only get a free report from the credit reporting company that provided the report used by your lender to make its decision.

Your lender should have provided instructions to request your report from Experian or from one of the other national credit reporting companies, depending on which company provided the report.

The FCRA also entitles you to a free report if you are unemployed and seeking employment, receiving welfare assistance or if you are a victim of fraud or believe you may be a victim. You can request free reports under those circumstances at www.experian.com/reportaccess, by visiting Experian’s online fraud center, or by calling 1 888 EXPERIAN (1 888 397 3742).

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) allows you to get a free report once every twelve months from each of the national credit reporting companies. You can request your FACT Act reports at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Thanks for asking.

Credit Reporting

Improve your credit by understanding basic consumer credit information: what’s in a credit report, how to check it and how often you should review it.
Credit Scores

What are credit scores, and how are they calculated? Get the answers to your credit score questions.
Preventing Fraud

Learn the warning signs of credit fraud, and get the credit information you need to protect yourself. Are you already a victim? Experian can help.
Life Events and Credit

Find out how life events affect your credit and how to build good credit for the major purchases in your life.
Credit Advice

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What’s in a credit report, how can you check it and how often should you review it? Make sure your credit information is accurate and check your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion reports side-by-side with Experian’s 3 Bureau Online Credit Report.
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