All consumers in California should check their credit reports at least once every 12 months. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) entitles you to free annual copies of your credit reports. However, certain events should prompt California consumers to check their credit reports more frequently. Depending on the circumstance, the credit bureaus may charge fees for extra credit report viewings. Yet, the peace of mind that you’ll get makes it well worth the price.
Events that Should Prompt California Consumers to Request Copies of their Credit Reports
Often, California consumers can get away with a yearly credit report check. If everything seems normal, this annual review allows them to look for credit report errors and signs of identity theft. However, if any of the following things happen, you should check at least one of your credit reports right away.
Debt collectors start calling.
If consumers in California know they owe money, they should check their credit reports. They should find out exactly how much they owe and the age of the debt. On the other hand, if a debt collector calls and you don’t owe money, it’s even more important to check your credit reports. This could indicate that an identity thief opened fraudulent accounts in your name.
You discover that your wallet is lost or stolen.
After discovering that their wallets are missing, California consumers should immediately cancel their payment cards and order new ones. Next, in the event of theft, you should file a police report. Finally, request copies of your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus. Do this to ensure that your identity wasn’t stolen too.
You want to apply for a loan or credit card.
If you apply for a loan or credit card, the creditor pulls at least one of your credit reports in order to gauge your creditworthiness. So, in order to predict your approval odds, you should know what a lender will see when checking your credit reports. Taking this extra step gives California consumers the opportunity to fix credit issues before applying for new credit. It also lets you see whether you should go ahead and apply right now or wait until your situation improves.
You relocate to a different town or state.
If you move to a different town or city in California, or leave the state altogether, you’ll have a lot of things on your to-do list. For example, you will need to have all of your bills forwarded to your new address and verify that your utilities get switched over to your new home. It’s also a good idea to check your credit reports after you are settled in. You should make sure that your address is updated on all three reports, and that no account was forgotten and left unpaid in the transition.
How California Consumers Should Handle Errors on their Credit Reports or Identity Theft Damage
If, while reviewing your credit reports, you spot signs of identity theft, file a police report immediately. Then, contact Credit Repair Lawyers of America in California. Or, if you discover credit score damaging errors on one or more of your credit reports, call our firm right away. Instead of trying to tackle your credit issues on your own, let our credit pros do all of the work for you. We’ll also connect you with an experienced credit attorney who will get you clean credit report – quickly, legally, and for FREE.
The Free and Legal Way to Get Better Credit in California
Don’t let errors on your credit reports bring your credit score down. At Credit Repair Lawyers of America, we’ve been cleaning up credit reports for consumers since 2008 for free. How do we do it? All of our fees come from the defendants in settled cases. This is why our clients pay nothing for the work we do.
Let’s start the conversation about what we can do for your credit. Set up your free consultation today by calling Attorney Gary Nitzkin at (855) 956-2089 or sending him a message through our contact page.
For more information about Free Credit Repair, please visit https://creditrepairlawyersam.com/california/credit-repair-ca/.
