News Wires

FREE CREDIT REPORTS

1. The final rule provides for a gradual, structured roll-out of the centralized source. The centralized source will become available in cumulative stages, over a period of nine months, rolling-out from west to east beginning December 1, 2004. The entire transition will be complete by Sept. 1, 2005.
   
   
2. Consumers will become eligible on the following schedule: Western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) will become eligible on December 1, 2004; Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) will become eligible on March 1, 2005; Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas ) will become eligible on June 1, 2005; and Eastern states (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia), Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories will become eligible on September 1, 2005.
   
   
3. The roll-out of the centralized source is cumulative. So once a consumer becomes eligible to obtain a free report, they stay eligible, and may request their report at any time, as long as it is not more often than once in any 12-month period. So, for example, Californians become eligible on Dec. 1 2004. A California consumer can choose to wait to obtain their report until the following June or even later, if they like. But once they get the free report, they can't get another from the same CRA for 12 months.
   
   
4. While the CRAs are not yet providing a Spanish phone in service, the FTC is going to try to add something to their website to help Spanish speakers order reports. We will have to wait and see what number the centralized source is and how it works.