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Who has access to my report?

Anyone with a "legitimate business need" can gain access to your credit history, including:

• Those considering granting you credit.
• Landlords.
• Insurance companies.
• Employers and potential employers (but only with your consent).
• Companies with which you have a credit account for account monitoring purposes.
• Those considering your application for a government license or benefit if the agency is required to consider your financial status.
• A state or local child support enforcement agency.
• Any government agency (limited usually to your name, address, former addresses, current and former employers).

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Generally, only an employer or prospective employer needs your written consent to obtain a report. An exception is Vermont where any user needs your oral or written consent. In practice, most potential creditors ask for your permission to review your report. Your permission is not required when inquiries are made in connection with a pre-approved credit offer.

Can I find out what is in my credit report?

Absolutely. Your right of access is mandated by federal and state laws. You may obtain a copy of your report by writing, calling the three CRAs, or ordering it online. Ordinarily, there is a charge of $9.50 in most states for your credit report. The charge is $8 if you live in California , $9.50 in most states and free if you live in Colorado , Georgia , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , New Jersey or Vermont . For more information about the cost of getting a credit report in your state, go to www.experian.com/ask_max/ordering_credit_report.html .

Free Credit Reports . Beginning in December 2004, consumers can get a free copy of their credit report annually (FCRA sec. 612 (a)(1)(A)&(B)) Free annual credit reports will be rolled out starting on the West Coast beginning December 1, 2004, and ending in September 2005 on the East Coast. To order your free reports when they become available in your state, go to www.annualcreditreport.com where you can order your reports directly or download the Annual Credit Report Request form to mail in your request. You can also call 877-322-8228. The World Privacy Forum has released a study that indicates that privacy-conscious consumers may be better served by o rdering their credit reports by phone or mail rather than online. See www.worldprivacyforum.org/calldontclick.html for more details. And for more information about access to free credit reports, see the Federal Trade Commission's Facts for Consumers at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm .

Schedule for Phasing In Access to Free Credit Reports:

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• December 1, 2004 : Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
• March 1, 2005 : Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
• June 1, 2005 : Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
• September 1, 2005 : Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories.

You are not required to order all three credit reports at the same time. If you wish, you can stagger your free reports over the course of a year by ordering one report every four months.

There are certain times when you are entitled to a free copy for special circumstances. The new rule that gives you free access once a year does not affect your ability to get a free report in the situations listed below. You are entitled to a free credit report:

• If you have been denied credit (you must request a copy within 60 days).
• If you are unemployed and intend to apply for employment in the next 60 days.
• If you are on public welfare assistance.
• If you have reason to believe your file contains inaccurate information due to fraud or identity theft.
• If an adverse decision related to your employment has been made based in whole or in part on information contained in the report.
• If your report has been revised based upon an investigation you request.

It is important for those who suspect they are a victim of identity theft to get copies of all three reports as soon as possible.

To get a copy of your report you will have to give the CRA certain information. The information you need to provide may vary slightly, depending on the CRA you contact.

•  Full name (and if a Jr., Sr., or II)

•  Social Security number

•  Driver's license information

•  Current address and your address within the last five years

•  Date of birth

•  Signature

•  Home telephone number

•  Employer

For a copy of your report write, call, or connect online with:

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Can I buy a my credit report from other companies?

Yes. You may also obtain a copy of your credit report from companies who contract with the CRAs to sell their products. Many of these products are available on the Internet. Some companies sell a merged version of all three reports. They also provide credit monitoring services that alert you to activity on your report, such as any new credit accounts, the placement of negative information, inquiries from creditors, and so on.

Now that federal law requires the “big three” credit bureaus to each provide you with one free credit report per year, the companies that re-sell credit reports will no doubt be more aggressive than they currently are in soliciting your business. Ask yourself if you really need to spend money to obtain a copy of your credit report, now that free reports are available nationwide from the major credit bureaus. Be careful to examine these companies and their offers carefully. Do your homework before signing on the dotted line. And do not fall for the promises of "credit repair services" and "credit doctors" who advertise on television and on the Internet. The vast majority of such services are ineffective, even illegal. Additional information on credit repair services is provided below.

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