As of September 1, 2005, New York and 13 other East Coast states joined the rest of the country in qualifying for a free annual credit report from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The free reports were mandated by Congress in The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA), which requires the nationwide credit bureaus to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report, at their request, once every 12 months. Consumers who want to access their credit report online can go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

The right to receive a free credit report is an important new tool for consumers helping them correct errors, and spot and stop identity theft. Consumers also may order their free annual credit report by calling toll-free, 1-877-322-8228, or by mailing a completed Annual Credit Report Request Form to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. The form can be downloaded from www.annualcreditreport.com or from the FTC’s Web site. It also can be requested by calling the FTC’s Consumer Response Center at 1-877-FTC-HE LP.

For more information, visit www.federalreserve.gov/creditreports/  and www.ftc.gov/credit.