Why Not Use Free Annual Credit Report? – DIY Credit Accuracy Explained

AnnualCreditReport.com vs. SmartCredit

It seems smart to pull your free reports from annualcreditreport.com, but there’s a hidden catch:

• Extra Time for Bureaus: The law allows credit bureaus an additional 15 days to investigate disputes if the consumer used annualcreditreport.com to obtain their file. That means more time for them to dig deeper and locate documents to verify accounts—making deletions harder to achieve.

• Purchased Reports = Pressure: When you purchase reports through SmartCredit, the bureaus must respond within the standard time frame, which puts them under pressure and increases your chance of success.

• No Scores Included: Annualcreditreport.com doesn’t give you credit scores, and scores are critical for tracking your progress through the Smart Credit Algorithm.

That’s why we never recommend using annualcreditreport.com reports for active repair. 

Instead, SmartCredit monitoring provides daily 3-bureau reports + scores, so you can track every step and keep bureaus on the clock.

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