Consumer Protection Resources

Free Annual Credit Report

You may obtain one free credit report from each major credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, Trans Union) per year.

Free Annual Credit Report
Annual Credit Report Request Service
PO Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
1-877-322-8228
www.annualcreditreport.com

Mailing Lists Removal

To remove your address from mail solicitation lists, send a letter including your name, street, city, state, zip code and signature to:

Mail Preference Service
Attn: Dept. 12794780
Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 282
Carmel, NY 10512

Opt-Out Program

To remove your name from mailing lists for pre-approved offers of credit, call 888-567-8688 or go to www.optoutprescreen.com. You will be given the choice of opting out for 5 years or permanently. If you elect to opt-out permanently, a form will be mailed to you that must be signed and returned in order to complete the process.

Placing a Security Freeze on your Credit Files

Any consumer in PA may place a security freeze on his or her credit report by requesting one in writing by certified mail to the consumer reporting agency. The consumer reporting agency is not allowed to charge a fee to victims of identity theft or seniors age 65 or older. A security freeze means that your file cannot be shared with potential creditors. A security freeze can help prevent new account identity theft. Most businesses will not open credit accounts without checking a consumer’s credit history first. A freeze on the account is good for 7 years in PA.

The steps are as follows:

1. Send a letter by certified mail;
2. Provide your full name, address, SS# and date of birth;
3. If you have moved in the past 5 years, supply the addressed where you have lived;
4. Provide proof of current address such as a current utility or phone bill;
5. Send a copy of a government issued ID such as a driver’s license;
6. If you are not over age 65 and are not a victim of security theft, send payment of $10;
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of the police report.

You can have a security freeze lifted by contacting the consumer reporting agency.

The addresses for the consumer reporting agencies are:

Equifax Security Freeze
PO Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348

Experian Security Freeze
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013

Trans Union Security Freeze
PO Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

FDIC Insurance
The FDIC – short for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – is an independent agency of the United States government. The FDIC protects depositors of insured banks located in the United States against the loss of their deposits if an insured bank fails.

The standard deposit insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.

The FDIC insures deposits that a person holds in one insured bank separately from any deposits that the person owns in another separately chartered insured bank. For instance, if a person has a checking account at Bank A and has a checking account at Bank B, the accounts would each be insured separately up to $250,000. Funds deposited in separate branches of the same insured bank are not separately insured.

The FDIC provides separate insurance coverage for funds depositors may have in different categories of legal ownership. The FDIC refers to these different categories as “ownership categories.” This means that a bank customer who has multiple deposits may qualify for more than $250,000 in insurance coverage if the customer’s accounts are deposited in different ownership categories and the requirements for each ownership category are met.