Free Credit Report without a Credit Card
Ever since 2005, everyone in the United States has the right to obtain an annual free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian. This is great because people need to know what their credit scores are if they ever wish to improve them. However, even with that knowledge there is still a lot of confusion among credit holders as to whether or not they need a credit card to obtain that record.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (Fact) have provided provisions to allow consumers to check their credit reports without having to purchase some other item or enter credit card information. However most, if not all, online credit report providers ask for credit card information in order to verify identity before giving up the free credit report. The secret is to go around those other online site and visit a legally mandated source. If you go on one of the sites maintained by the three main credit bureaus you can obtain a free credit report without having a credit card.
Even at these sites you will be asked for proof of identity but it doesn’t have to be you credit card. The main information that you will have to give is your name, address, social security number, and date of birth. You will probably have to answer some security questions that hopefully only you know. If you have moved recently you will need to provide your previous address and proof of residence. All of the bureaus will have similar questions but most will have you provide information about employment history, phone numbers, and previous addresses.
A good tip when checking your credit is to space out your requests. Because you can request free credit reports without a credit card from each bureau, you shouldn’t request them all at once. Instead, space them throughout the year so as to have a better overall view of your credit as you go through the year. Each credit bureau has a different source where they get their information for their reports. That makes each free credit report without using a credit card very uniqe.
Other ways you can get a free credit report without having a credit card would be through toll free telephone numbers of through the mailing address of the credit bureaus. If you do it this way you can get your report within about 15 days. Online you can usually get it almost instantly if not within a day.
One important thing to note is that the only real way of getting a free credit report without a credit card is to contact one of the three credit bureaus directly. As explained before you can do that online, over the phone, or through the mail.