Federal law entitles you to one free credit report from each credit bureau. As a Georgia resident, you are entitled by state law to receive two free copies of your credit report each year-one more from each bureau than residents of others states. Rather than obtaining copies from all three bureaus at once, spread them out across the year to more closely monitor the accuracy of your credit report.<br />
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annualcreditreport.com or 1-877-322-8228 for your first copy from each bureau.<br />
Contact each bureau individually for your second free report.<br />
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<B>Experian</B><br />
P.O. Box 9530 <br />
Allen, TX 75013<br />
1-888-397-3742<br />
www.experian.com <br />
<br />
<B>TransUnion</B> <br />
P.O. Box 390<br />
Springfield, PA 19064-0390<br />
1-800-888-4213<br />
www.transunion.com <br />
<br />
<B>Equifax Information Service Ctr. </B><br />
P.O. Box 105783<br />
Atlanta, GA 30348<br />
1-800-997-2493<br />
www.equifax.com<br />
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In your request by mail, you must include:<br />
~your full name (including Jr., Sr., III);<br />
~your current and previous addresses (for past 5 years) with ZIP codes;<br />
~your spouse's first name, if married;<br />
~your Social Security number;<br />
~your date of birth; <br />
~your telephone number; and<br />
~a note saying why you are eligible for a free report.<br />
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Be sure to sign your letter and send proof of your current address, such as a photocopy of your driver license, current utility bill or other document that lists your name and address. Giving the credit reporting agency this information helps prevent your credit information from getting mixed up with someone else's file. <br />
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If you find a mistake in your credit report, circle the item and send it to the credit reporting agency, along with an explanation of why it is wrong. Include any available documentation. The credit reporting agency will investigate the information. If they find the information is wrong, they will remove it from your file. However, if they investigate and decide the information is correct and you disagree, you can include a 100-word statement explaining your side of the story. Your statement will be included in all future copies of your report.<br />
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<I>Debbie Wilburn is County Agent/Family and Consumer Science Agent with Hall County Cooperative Extension (770)535-8290.</I>
