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Get free 'specialty' credit reports

In our current issue of SMI, Andrew Pryor explains how to get a free copy of your credit reports and why it's important to do so.

But did you know that there "specialty" credit reports as well — ones that document such things as your check-writing history, medical payments, tenant history, and insurance claims? I didn't know that until I came across this post on Mark Oleson's "Financial Tip of the Week" blog:

FTC regulations require companies that prepare reports on consumers for employment, insurance claims, rental, check writing, and medical records history, [to] as a minimum establish a toll free telephone number for ordering the free file disclosures. Many companies also provide information for ordering the file online.

As is the case with credit reports, you are eligible for one free report per year (i.e., one insurance report, one tenancy report, etc.)....

It makes sense to order a specialty report before shopping for new insurance, opening a new checking account, and prior to renting.... Consumers who find errors in a specialty report have the same rights to dispute as with errors found in a credit report.

Several specialty reports are available via this site.

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