How to Get Your Free Credit Report (cont.)
Contributed by Frank Giovinazzi
Recent reports have shown that a high percentage of credit reports contain information that is either incorrect or no longer valid. By accessing this information, consumers can fix incorrect entries on their credit reports, thus improving their credit score.
There is no reason individuals should not obtain a free credit report and take responsibility for fixing what may be wrong.
The Federal Trade Commission, which establishes and enforces fair credit report laws, has a great website that offers explanations of credit reports and your rights as a consumer. There is also a section on how to handle your own credit repair.
On June 1, 2005, residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas will be able to retrieve their free credit reports.
On September 1, 2005, residents of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories will be able to apply for their free credit reports
