Free Credit Check: How to Get a Free Credit Check Online
It is always a good idea to keep credit in good standings. Even when customers do not plan to use their credit, it is possible that unpredictable events can happen that can cause consumers to use their credit. Lenders are looking to see that consumers are using their credit wisely and not frivolously. It is good to know what lenders will see when they pull consumers’ credit. Consumers should conduct their own free credit check to make sure that they are in good standings with their current lenders so that they can receive credit from future lenders.
How to Get a Free Credit Check
Consumers have several options to get their own free credit check, including:
- Order the free credit report. There is a free way to check credit for all consumers. Many people do not know that they are entitled to a free credit report each year from each of the three credit agencies. Utilizing this option helps consumers check their credit to make sure that they are worthy of extending credit.
Consumers can go to www.annualcreditreport.com to request their free credit report. It takes approximately 15 days to process a request. Consumers can request one of their credit reports or all three. They can only get one free credit report from each of the credit agencies in a 12-month period.
- Get a free credit report from a credit monitoring program. Credit monitoring programs are paid programs, but they come with a few added bonuses. Consumers have full access to their credit reports anytime that they want to look at them. Most of the programs offer new credit reports every 3 months at no additional charge to consumers; that means that consumers get 12 free credit reports each year.
In addition, these programs allow consumers to conduct free credit checks on themselves whenever they want. They can even find out when someone has pulled their credit so that they can continue to monitor their credit.
- Get a free credit check after being denied credit. This method of conducting a free credit check is not the manner in which most consumers would like to receive their free credit report. Consumers can request a free copy of their credit report after lenders deny them credit. Many consumers do not know that they have this right so they miss this opportunity.
Consumers must request the free credit history report within 60 days from the time they were denied credit. The lenders will provide consumers with the name, address, and telephone number of the credit agency that they used to make their decision. The request must be made in 60 days or the window of opportunity closes for consumers to conduct their own free credit check.
There are definitely more ways than one to conduct a free credit check. Consumers must make sure that they do not let any of the opportunities to receive a free credit check pass. It can be very expensive to order credit reports to conduct credit checks so don’t forget.