Know About Credit Bureau Reporting

Credit bureaus store a history of your financial transactions.

• Prospective lenders review your credit history when they consider lending you money through a mortgage, car loan, credit card, some types of education loans, etc. Some employers and landlords also check your credit history when hiring or deciding to rent to you.
• Lenders report the existence and status of your loans to national credit bureaus each month. If you are late with payments, it may affect your ability to receive future loans (or mean you end up with very high interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and credit cards).

All consumers are entitled to one free credit report from each bureau each year. Vermont residents may also request a second report, under Vermont state law. You can request a copy of your report from each of the three major bureaus by going to www.annualcreditreport.com or by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus individually, as each may have different information about you:

Experian
PO Box 2002 Allen TX 75013
1-888-397-3742

TransUnion
PO Box 1370 Buffalo NY 14231
1-800-916-8800

Equifax
PO Box 740243 Atlanta GA 30374
1-800-685-1111

You may find additional information about ordering free credit reports under Vermont and federal law at the following websites:

• Vermont State Office of the Attorney General
  www.atg.state.vt.us
• Federal Trade Commission Q & A
  www.ftc.gov

Check out the Consumer Credit Counseling Service for help in managing your debts and credit cards.

Check out the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site to learn how to OPT-OUT of unsolicited credit offers.