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A recent
amendment to the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the
three nationwide consumer reporting agencies to provide consumers with a free credit report, at your request once a year. There are three major credit
reporting agencies in the United States; Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union.
The government has decided to roll this new program out in phases from the West
coast to the East coast.
Consumers living in the Western part of the nation will be the first section of
the country to that can order their free credit reports under this recent
amendment. As of December 1, 2004 any persons living in Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming can order their free credit report from each of the
three reporting agencies.
The Midwestern states will be eligible for their free credit reports on March
1, 2005. The Midwestern states include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and
Wisconsin.
Any consumer living in the Southern States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee,
and Texas is able to take advantage of the free credit reports on June 1, 2005.
The remaining Eastern states Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all other U.S. territories can order a free credit
report beginning September 1, 2005.
To make this process easier for consumers the three nationwide consumer
reporting agencies have launched a central website, toll-free number, and
mailing address where you may order you free annual reports. The companies are
only providing the free reports through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report
Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Through these central
locations you may order your reports from all three of the reporting companies
at the same time, or you can order from just one or two. The law allows you to
receive one free copy from each of the three agencies every 12 months.
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