Credit Monitoring

You should get in the habit of checking your credit report regularly. You can get them from each of three of the credit bureaus (TransUnion®, Experian® and Equifax®), which you can request at AnnualCreditReport.com. You may consider reviewing your report if: 

• You are planning to make a major purchase. 
• You are applying for more credit. 
• Your credit report contained inaccuracies in the past. 
• You have been a victim of identity theft.
• You are concerned with being a victim of identity theft.

You have the option of requesting the report from each credit bureau separately, so you can ask for one at different times to monitor your credit throughout the year.

You can dispute inaccurate information directly with the credit bureaus by mail, phone or online. The credit bureaus have up to 30 days to investigate your dispute. Once the investigation is complete, the credit bureaus will notify you of their findings. If they have made any revisions to your credit report, they will send you a copy of the revised report. 

You can access the dispute forms directly: 

• Log into your Dashboard 
• Select Credit from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen 
• Go to the Credit Report tab 
• A link to TransUnion’s Credit Bureau Dispute page — which has a Credit Bureau Dispute Form — is at the bottom of the Credit Summary section. 

You can also call our Member Services team at 877-694-3367 to begin the dispute process. 

Not necessarily, but it does require your attention. An alert means that a change has been made to your credit report and that you should immediately review it to ensure it’s legitimate. Our service monitors the 12 most significant warning signs, or “triggers,” of fraudulent activity, such as a change of address or phone numbers, opening a new account or an account being placed in collections. If you subscribe to our identity protection service and see any unauthorized changes to your credit report, simply call Member Services at 877-694-3367. They’ll be happy to help.

Examine your credit report for the following to spot signs of potential identity theft:

• Make sure all the information in your report is correct and up to date. Incorrect personal information such as an address, Social Security number, variations of your name (i.e. Jr. and Sr.), and employers could be a sign of identity theft. 
• Look for other warning signs: any accounts you didn’t open and any debts you don’t recognize on legitimate accounts. 
• Check for inquiries from creditors you don’t know about. Banks and credit card companies will look at your credit reports before opening an account, so finding several inquiries could be a sign that someone is trying to open accounts in your name. However, banks and credit card companies often inquire about consumers’ creditworthiness to target their marketing efforts, so it’s possible that an inquiry is not related to identity theft. 

• Your credit score can help lenders understand how likely you are to pay your bills. It can be used when you apply for a mortgage, car loan or credit card, and for determining a credit limit, which is the maximum amount of money you can borrow. Your credit score can even determine the premium you’ll pay for car insurance. A higher credit score can typically secure a lower interest rate when you borrow money.
• The credit scores provided in this product are based on the VantageScore® 3.0 model. Lenders use a variety of credit scores and are likely to use a credit score different from VantageScore® 3.0 to assess your creditworthiness. 

The biggest factor contributing to a low credit score is late payments. If you see late payments incorrectly listed in your credit report, get them changed and it should improve your score. The type, size, and age of your accounts also factor into your credit score, so making positive changes like paying off credit card debt can also help your score.

No. Requesting a copy of your own credit report is called a soft inquiry. While it is noted in your file, it does not affect your credit score. Hard inquiries could lower your score by a few points and may remain on your credit report for two years. Hard inquiries generally occur when a financial institution, such as a lender or credit card issuer, checks your credit report when making a lending decision. Hard inquiries occur when you apply for a loan, credit card, or mortgage, and you typically must authorize them.

The credit scores provided in this product are based on the VantageScore® 3.0 model. Lenders use a variety of credit scores and are likely to use a credit score different from VantageScore® 3.0  to assess your creditworthiness. 

Yes. Each year, you’re entitled to at least one free credit report from each national credit reporting agency (TransUnion®, Experian® and Equifax®), which you can request at the official site,  AnnualCreditReport.com. You can request a report from each credit bureau separately, so you can ask for one at different times to monitor your credit throughout the year.

Review your reports to look for any accounts you don’t recognize, which could indicate potentially fraudulent activity. If a credit report is included in your plan, you can also access your credit report right from your dashboard.

• Log into your Dashboard 
• Select Credit from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen 
• Go to the Credit Report tab