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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on June 22, 2011:
Requesting a free report after application is declined
Dear Experian,
I just had my credit run for a credit card and was denied. The lender said Experian was used to check my credit and I am entitled to a copy of my credit report. How do I get this?
- LMS
Dear LMS,
The credit card company should have provided instructions for requesting a free report with the declination letter you received. If not, you can still request your report very easily.
Simply go to www.experian.com/reportaccess. Click on “Get my report now” and complete the form. Fill in the section under “Adverse Action.”
Experian will provide your report free, instantly online through a secure, encrypted connection.
You can only get a free report from the credit reporting company that provided the report used by the lender in making its decision. The lender will tell you which credit reporting company they used, just as your lender did.
The lender is also required to provide the reasons why you were declined. If those reasons were not included in the declination letter, I suggest you ask for them. They will help you understand if the decision was related to your credit history and, if so, help you focus on what you can do to improve your risk.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team