| The best way to manage your credit responsibly and | | | | site. Instead, they encourage visitors to use online |
| take charge of your financial situation is to be informed. | | | | forms for disputes, identity theft reports, and other |
| This takes a little time and effort on your part, but | | | | issues. |
| since your credit scores are so important to managing | | | | Equifax |
| your finances and saving money, it's your responsibility | | | | Based in Atlanta, GA, Equifax also has different |
| to know as much as you can about the credit bureaus | | | | departments to assist people with different types of |
| that formulate credit ratings. To help you get a running | | | | questions and concerns. Their website is also set up to |
| start on that mission, here's some information on | | | | have people use online forms to address errors, report |
| TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, the main credit | | | | identity theft, and handle other concerns. However, if |
| bureaus in the U.S.: | | | | someone thinks that his or her identity has been stolen, |
| TransUnion | | | | he or she can call 888.397.3742 to report it to Equifax. |
| TransUnion has offices across the country that deal | | | | If someone spots an error on his or her Equifax credit |
| with different aspects of credit: credit management, | | | | report, that person must use the contact number on |
| identity theft, and other credit problems; and types of | | | | the report to dispute it. There is no number on the site |
| credit clients, such as personal, business, and press | | | | to report errors. |
| inquiries. If you find errors on your TransUnion credit | | | | These are the three credit bureaus in the country, and |
| report, you can call them at 800.916.8800 or visit their | | | | they each take a different approach to allowing people |
| website to dispute them. If you think that you're a | | | | to contact them to ask questions or address any |
| victim of identity theft, call them at 800.680.7289 as | | | | issues they may be experiencing. Instead of contacting |
| soon as possible. | | | | the credit bureaus directly, many people prefer to use |
| Experian | | | | a credit monitoring service to help them manage their |
| Like other credit bureaus, Experian offers a wide | | | | credit and stay on top of their finances. The credit |
| range of different services for people, businesses, and | | | | bureaus all have similar programs, but most folks |
| the media. Experian is based in Costa Mesa, CA, and | | | | prefer to use an independent company to help them |
| has a website, but if you find errors on your report or | | | | with these matters. That way, they get an impartial |
| need to report a possible identity theft, this credit | | | | view of their credit score and many more tools to |
| bureau makes it hard to find phone numbers on the | | | | proactively manage and improve their credit ratings! |