Who To Contact About Credit Report

June 2, 2022

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Q How Is The Transunion Personal Score Calculated

Money Management & Credit : How to Contact Credit Reporting Agencies

To calculate a score, numerical weights are placed on different aspects of your credit report and a mathematical formula is used to arrive at a final credit score. TransUnion calculates your credit score based on many factors of your credit history and payment behavior. These many factors may include but are not limited to:

How you are paying your accounts

How much money you currently owe

How long your accounts have been open

What different types of credit you use

How much credit you use compared to the amount of credit you have available

How often and how recently you have applied for credit

The credit industry uses various types of credit scores to assess risk for different types of credit. For example, a creditor may use one type of score when assessing risk for a credit card account and another type of score when assessing risk for a mortgage account.

File A Complaint About The Credit Reporting Agency

You can file a complaint about a credit reporting agency with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . The CFPB will forward your complaint to the agency and try to get a response. If the CFPB thinks another government agency would be better able to help you, it will forward your complaint to that agency and let you know.

Information To Gather Before You Call

You want to have the right information on hand when you call a credit bureau. Prepare yourself by collecting the following information in advance, just in case:

Your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth
A copy of your annual credit report
Evidence of the inaccuracies or errors, if relevant
Personal financial information, such as your mortgage information, depending on the reported issue
Any other supporting documentation

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Errors To Watch Out For On Your Credit Report

Once you get your report, check for:

mistakes in your personal information, such as a wrong mailing address or incorrect date of birth
errors in credit card and loan accounts, such as a payment you made on time that is shown as late
negative information about your accounts that is still listed after the maximum number of years it’s allowed to stay on your report
accounts listed that you never opened, which could be a sign of identity theft

A credit bureau cant change accurate information related to a credit account on your report. For example, if you missed payments on a credit card, paying the debt in full or closing the account won’t remove the negative history.

Negative information such as late payments or defaults only stays on your credit report for a certain period of time.

When And How To Get Your Credit Report

You should review your credit report from the three major U.S. credit reporting agencies at least once a year, especially before making a large purchase, like a buying a house or a car.

Credit agencies typically charge fees for reports. However, you are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three major credit agencies once a year from www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free 1-877-322-8228. In addition, youre entitled to a free credit report:

Within 60 days of being denied credit, insurance, or employment
Once a year if youre unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days
If youre on welfare
If your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft

Also Check: What Does Public Record Mean On Your Credit Report

Q How Often Should I Check My Credit Report

A. You should review your credit report at least once a year to make sure the information is accurate. If you are planning important financial transactions over the next few months, you should order your report before doing so. This allows for enough time to contact TransUnion regarding any information that you feel needs to be amended or removed.

Reasons To Contact The Bureaus

Most consumers typically have three reasons why they would want or need to contact a credit bureau. The first would be to get a copy of their credit reports, also formally referred to as the disclosure of a credit report.

The second would be to file disputes to have mistakes corrected or removed from a credit report.

The third reason would be to add either a fraud alert or a security freeze to a credit report, both of which are fraud prevention tools.

All three of these reasons for contacting the credit reporting agencies are free, so you can leave your credit card in your wallet because youre not going to need it.

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Free Credit Report In Spanish

Additionally, Equifax is the first and only credit bureau to offer a free, translated credit report in Spanish online and by mail. There are two ways to request your Spanish credit report, online or by phone.

To receive your credit report in Spanish, you can visit: www.equifax.com/micredito or call Equifax customer service 888-EQUIFAX and press option 8 to begin requesting your free credit report in Spanish. Our Customer Care is available between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM ET, Mon-Fri 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM ET, Sat-Sun. When you request your Equifax credit report in Spanish by phone you will receive it in the mail.

Why Should I Get A Copy Of My Report

How do I dispute an error on my credit report? consumerfinance.gov

Getting your credit report can help protect your credit history from mistakes, errors, or signs of identity theft.

Check to be sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. Consider doing this at least once a year. Be sure to check before you apply for credit, a loan, insurance, or a job. If you find mistakes on your credit report, contact the credit bureaus and the business that supplied the information to get the mistakes removed from your report.

Check to help spot identity theft. Mistakes on your credit report might be a sign of identity theft. Once identity thieves steal your personal information information like, your name, date of birth, address, credit card or bank account, Social Security, or medical insurance account numbers they can drain your bank account, run up charges on your credit cards, get new credit cards in your name, open a phone, cable, or other utility account in your name, steal your tax refund, use your health insurance to get medical care, or pretend to be you if they are arrested.

Identity theft can damage your credit with unpaid bills and past due accounts. If you think someone might be misusing your personal information, go to IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get a personalized recovery plan.

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Financial Information On Your Credit Report

Your credit report may contain the following financial information:

non-sufficient funds payments, or bad cheques
chequing and savings accounts closed for cause due to money owing or fraud committed
bankruptcy or a court decision against you that relates to credit
debts sent to collection agencies
inquiries from lenders and others who have requested your credit report in the past three years
registered items, such as a lien on a car that allows the lender to seize it if you dont make payments
remarks, including consumer statements, fraud alerts and identity verification alerts

Your credit report contains factual information about your credit cards and loans, such as:

when you opened your account
how much you owe
if you made your payments on time
if you missed payments
if your debt has been transferred to a collection agency
if you went over your credit limit
personal information thats available in public records, such as a bankruptcy

For Other Transunion Products

For TransUnion credit monitoring, you can call 1-833-806-1626 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, or Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.

You can contact TransUnions TrueIdentity service after logging in to your account or by calling 1-855-260-9279 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, or Saturday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.

Tips For Using A Credit Card Responsibly

Correcting inaccuracies on your credit report by contacting a credit bureau can help to improve your credit score. Another potential way to improve your score is to get another credit card. It will increase your available credit and improve your credit utilization ratio. You can find the best card for you with our . Of course, you should only get another card if you can responsibly handle the credit you already have.
One good piece of credit card advice is always to avoid as many fees as possible. Fees can make it harder for you to keep your spending down. Higher bills, in turn, could be harder for you to pay back in full. Here are 15 .
It can be tempting to keep swiping your credit card, but make a budget and stick to it. A financial advisor can help you create a road map to make sure youre hitting your goals and not getting into debt. SmartAssets free matching tool can help you find a person to work with. It will connect you with up to three advisors in your area.

Submit Your Request In Person:

Contact 6: Where to find a truly free credit report?

Equifax has four office locations where you can request a free copy of your Equifax credit report in-person and receive a printed copy of your credit report after your identity is confirmed. Copies of the request form you will need to complete are available onsite.

You need to bring with you at least two forms of identification, including 1 photo identification and proof of current address. Also, you must provide the original copies of your chosen identification – photocopies and electronic versions are not accepted at the office. Examples of acceptable documentation include:

Driver’s License

Utility Bills

Acceptable Supporting IDs:

Birth Certificate Issued in Canada
T4 slip
Citizenship and Immigration Canada Document IMM1000 or IMM1442
Social Insurance Number Card issued by Canadian Government
Certificate of Naturalization

Providing your Social Insurance Number is optional. If you provide your S.I.N., we will cross-reference it with our records to help ensure that we disclose the correct information to you. We will not use it for any other purpose or share it with any third party.

Check Your Credit Report For Fraud

Look for accounts that don’t belong to you on your credit report. Accounts that you don’t recognize could mean that someone has applied for a credit card, line of credit, mortgage or other loan under your name. It could also just be an administrative error. Make sure it’s not fraud or identity theft by taking the steps to have it corrected.

If you find an error on your credit report, contact lenders and any other organizations that could be affected. Tell them about the potential fraud.

If it’s fraud, you should:

report it to the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on fraud and identity theft.

Talk To A Real Person At Transunion

TransUnion has one general support number that you can use to talk to a human for help with your credit report , your credit score or any general questions. That number is 833-395-693800.

Note that a human representative is only available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

You will hear an automated service when you first call this number. Press 4 in order to speak with a representative. Then you will need to press 1 if you have a TransUnion File Number or 2 if you do not have a number.

A TransUnion File Number is a unique identification number that you can find in the top right of your TransUnion credit report. You do not need a number to speak with a representative, but you will need it to do anything related specifically to your credit report. For example, the file number is necessary for disputing incorrect information.

Consider Suing The Credit Reporting Agency Or Creditor

If you were seriously harmedsay, the credit reporting agency continued to give out incomplete or inaccurate information after you requested correctionsconsider filing a lawsuit. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act , you may sue a credit reporting agency for negligent or willful noncompliance with the law within two years after you discover the harmful behavior or within five years after the harmful behavior occurs, whichever is sooner. Depending on the violation, you might be able to win actual damages, statutory damages, punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

You might also consider suing the creditor that supplied the inaccurate information. But these types of lawsuits are complicated, and the FCRA provides creditors with many ways to avoid liability. You’ll need to consult a lawyer if you want to pursue this type of lawsuit.

How And When To Talk To A Credit Bureau

Your Source for a Truly Free Credit Report? AnnualCreditReport.com | Federal Trade Commission

Your credit score can have a huge impact on your lifefor better or worse. In many ways, the three major credit bureaus are the keepers of your credit score. Theyre responsible for maintaining credit reports, which means you may need to contact them about the information included on yours. While this may seem daunting, its really not complicated.

Read on to learn about when to contact a and how to do it. Contact information and tips have been provided for each of the three credit bureausExperian, Equifax and TransUnionto make it as simple as possible.

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Obtaining A Credit Report

Can I get a free copy of my credit report if I’ve been turned down for a loan. How does that work?Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act , you may be entitled to receive a free copy of your personal credit report if you have received notice within the past 60 days that you have been declined credit, employment or housing or if adverse action has been taken against you based on information from Experian, or if you received a notice that the terms of credit offered to you may be less favorable than the terms offered to consumers who have better credit histories. You can request your free report online. Or call 1 866 200 6020. If you’re not eligible, some state laws require a free credit report or a lower fee for consumers in their states.

How can I order a copy of my personal credit report?You may call 1 866 200 6020 to request a copy of your personal credit report to be delivered by U.S. mail. All consumers also are eligible to obtain one statutory free credit file disclosure from each of the national credit reporting companies every 12 months. You may request your disclosures at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1 877 FACTACT . If you prefer to write, a request form is available at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Q Will Transunion Accept Tty & Trs

Yes, an individual who is hard of hearing may contact TransUnion through a Telephone Relay Service to access their personal credit file by phone, provided the following criteria has been met.

Operator provides the name and TRS company that they represent

Operator provides full name and Employee number to the TransUnion Associate handling the call

Once all required elements have been met, the standard operating procedure for handling Consumer calls will apply.

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Q What Is The Procedure For Releasing A Copy Of A Consumer Disclosure To Me If I Have Power Of Attorney Rights

TransUnion will release a copy of the Consumer Disclosure to the individual who is appointed as Power of Attorney, provided that the following criteria are met:

A copy of the Power of Attorney papers are supplied

A copy of two pieces of the Consumers identification and two pieces of the Power of Attorneys identification are provided to process the Consumer request. See acceptable id listing.

If the appropriate information has been supplied, TransUnion will send the Consumer Disclosure to the Power of Attorneys address via standard mail.

What To Look For On Your Credit Report

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Lenders use codes to send information to the credit bureaus about how and when you make payments.

These codes have two parts:

a letter shows the type of credit you’re using
a number shows when you make payments

You may see different codes on your credit report depending on how you make your payments for each account.

Table 1: What letters mean in a rating on a credit report

Letter

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How Do I Order My Free Annual Credit Reports

The three national credit bureaus have a centralized website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address so you can order your free annual reports in one place. Do not contact the three national credit bureaus individually. These are the only ways to order your free credit reports:

complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service

P.O. Box 105281

Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

How To Freeze Your Credit

Freezing your credit simply prevents you or others from opening credit accounts in your name. Dont worry: Youll still be able to use your existing credit as you normally do. Placing a freeze is free, as is temporarily unfreezing when you want to apply for credit, and it wont affect your credit score.

See our guides on how to request a credit freeze from each of the bureaus:

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