Credit Reports - I Should Know the Answer...

[BethR]

...to this, but I don't.

How do you go about getting your free Credit Report? We are in Pennsylvania and I think that back in September they started the thing that allows us to have a free credit report a year.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ibleedblue]

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

 

[BethR]

Thank you ibleedblue!

Now for another question, is there any reason to get the report from all 3 agencies? Or should I wait and get one from a different one every 4 months?

 

[ibleedblue]

To start I'd get one from all three agencies since they all report different data. Then a year from now you can go on the 4 month routine. The only downside to that is that you will be going two years without checking from one agency. Depending on your risk tolerance you might be better off just getting one every 4 months from the beginning.

 

[BethR]

Hummmm - risk tolerance. That would be close to 0. But we will see...

Thanks for your help!

 

[PrincessPatty]

Does getting a free credit report look negative on your report? The last time I got one, it showed up and I heard the more that someone looks at your report it brings down the point...not sure if any of this is true

 

[minnie1928]

Does getting a free credit report look negative on your report? The last time I got one, it showed up and I heard the more that someone looks at your report it brings down the point...not sure if any of this is true

If YOU pull your credit report, it's considered a "soft pull" which has no value. If a lender pulls your report because you've applied for credit, that's considered a "hard pull" which can impact your score.

I frequent www.creditboards.com and many people over there pull their reports DAILY! I don't think they would do that if it was detrimental to their score.

 

[disneysteve]

I frequent www.creditboards.com and many people over there pull their reports DAILY!

I think getting your report periodically is a great idea and everyone should do it, but DAILY? That's insane. What possible reason is there for doing that?

 

[BethR]

I think getting your report periodically is a great idea and everyone should do it, but DAILY? That's insane. What possible reason is there for doing that?

And wouldn't that cost you a lot of money? Or are people like that registered at places like freecreditreport or something?

 

[deltachi8]

If anyone has been the victim of ID theft, fraud or is in the process of repairing their credit, daily credit pulls is very valuable.

I do it myself after going through cleaning up my credit report about a year ago - now its just an obsession, i trust no body!