Credit Info Bureau

Free Credit Report for Military Personnel

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It’s important for military personnel to stay on top of their credit report, especially when deployed overseas. Find out how you can get your free credit report and have your credit monitored automatically while you are away from home.

Knowing what’s on your credit report is important for many different reasons. Inaccuracies found on your credit report can cost you thousands in additional interest on a mortgage, car loan, line of credit or credit card. Getting your free credit report for military personnel can be a great way to discover where you stand financially, as well as heading off any identity theft attempts.

There are laws in place that entitle those in the military to one free credit report per year from each of the major credit reporting bureaus which includes Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. You are allowed to get all three reports up front or stretch them out over the course of the year.

If you are an active member of the military currently serving overseas you may not be able to access your credit report based on security. Most credit reporting agencies don’t allow foreign internet users to access their credit reports. This is largely due to the fact that many people in other countries make a living from online fraud. This helps to protect the highly sensitive information that’s contained in your free credit report.

Luckily, the major credit reporting agencies have allowed military services to give them a list of foreign internet addresses that are controlled by the military to allow military personnel to access their credit report online. It’s up to your commanders whether or not they choose to divulge the IP address information needed to unblock credit reporting services.

If you are unable to access your credit report online, you can make a formal written request for your credit report from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) on their website. Search for the section titled “How to order your free report” and select the “credit report request form” to print the form. It’s also possible to request your free credit report by mail directly from the credit reporting services. You will typically need to provide personal information such as your name and social security number to get your free credit report.

It’s especially important to note the usefulness of credit monitoring services for those deployed overseas. It may be difficult to keep tabs on your credit report yourself, so employing a credit monitoring service to make sure your credit report stays blemish free is an ideal solution. Most of these services charge a nominal fee and will even provide you with a free credit report when you enroll in their monitoring services.