Credit Reports Free for the Viewing

A Credit Article Contributed by Mistie Cauley

Your Credit Report Can Be Viewed for Free by Creditors

Creditors that need to view your credit report can do this for free sometimes. Sometimes the lenders have to pay to view your credit report. If you apply for a loan, then creditors will look up your credit report. The information on your credit report is going to tell the lender whether or not to be a lender for you or to just send you on your way.

If your credit report says bad things about you, whether or not they received the report for free or not, then the bad things are all the lender is going to notice. If your credit report says good things about you, well, you are given a free pass to get help from that lender for credit.

If Some One Has Some of Your Personal Information, Can They See Your Free Credit Report Online?

If someone has your social security number, name and address, can they receive a free copy of your credit report? Well, I would think that if someone had your social security number, name and address they would probably be able to go online to one of those "get your free credit report" web sites and surely get your credit report. What is stopping them from doing this. No one can ask to see identification that you are who you say you are.

All the identification these web sites use is your social security number. If some one has your social security number, well then why wouldn't they be able to get your credit report? I personally see nothing stopping any one with your personal information getting a free copy of your personal credit report to use for what ever they may choose.

Just Who Can Get a Free Copy of Your Credit Report?

In some states you have to sign a release form for someone, even creditors to receive a copy of your credit report. In other states you do not have to sign any thing giving permission for viewing your credit report. They only need to have your name, social security and may be a birth date. This means to me that any one with this personal information can view your credit report with out permission. How does that sit with you?

With me it sits high on the ladder of things to try and get changed in my state. I believe that no one should be able to view my credit report with out my permission. I am sure a lot of you feel the same way. Your credit report has a lot of personal information about you. There is not only billing information on there, but there are addresses, phone numbers and name variations you may have used. This information should be private.

Private information should include all the information on your credit report. This would then fall under the privacy rights act. You should check with your local credit bureau and see just who can get a copy of your personal credit report.