FREE CREDIT REPORT AFTER BEING DENIED CREDIT

Consumers may request a free report after receiving a credit, employment or insurance denial.  The free credit report should be requested  from the credit reporting agency  that the user (potential creditor, employer or insurer) reviewed when making its decision.  Consumers should be able to determine the credit reporting agency that provided the information for the user of their credit report from the adverse action letter to the consumer.

The consumer should make his/her request for the credit report to the appropriate credit reporting agency that provided the information to the potential creditor, employer or insurer.  By law, the potential creditor, employer or insurer is supposed to provide you with the contact information (name, telephone and address) of the credit reporting agency that provided it with your credit report.  This information should be contained in a letter from the potential creditor, employer or insurer.  Be careful – you must request your credit report within 60 days of receiving this letter!

“Each consumer reporting agency that maintains a file on a consumer shall make all disclosures pursuant to section 1681g of this title without charge to the consumer if, not later than 60 days after receipt by such consumer of a notification pursuant to section 1681m of this title, or of a notification from a debt collection agency affiliated with that consumer reporting agency stating that the consumer’s credit rating may be or has been adversely affected, the consumer makes a request under section 1681g of this title.” 15 USC 1681j(b).