The three biggest credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion aka CRAs) have extended the offer of free weekly credit reports for all American citizens until April 20, 2022. As Americans face financial instability during Covid, these weekly reports will help people better gauge financial health.
During non-Covid times, one free credit report from each CRA every 12 months is the standard, but obtaining a weekly report can better manage your finances. When checking your credit score, be sure to note any wrongful data, incorrect debts, or other inconsistencies.
If you see an error, contact the credit company as soon as possible to dispute the claim. Some errors may also be a result of fraud, and those need to be fixed immediately. In most cases, credit bureaus have 30-days to correct a mistake on a credit report, but you may need to argue your case further depending on the situation.
The free reports do not provide a credit score, but you can see whether or not there are any mistakes on your record. To fix an error, we highly recommend sending a registered letter to the credit bureau in question and detailing the error (it’s always a good idea to provide supporting documents as well). You will also need to send a copy of your letter to the business that reported the mistake as well.
To check your reports weekly (and we recommend that you do!), visit this website: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Just remember, that all of us at the Dellutri law group are here to help you during this time. If you have any questions, or need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact us.
