Information for Federal Employees and Contractors During the Government Shutdown

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES may have questions about how the U.S. federal government shutdown could potentially impact personal finances, including ongoing expenses and credit.

Impacted employees are encouraged to contact their lenders and creditors to explain their situation and see what - if any - accommodations can be made. Some creditors may consider waiving late fees or offering short-term loans, and some may provide the opportunity to make reduced payments, interest-only payments, or no payments for some period of time - a practice known as forbearance. Keep in mind, however, that lenders and creditors can still report accounts in forbearance as having late or missed payments to the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. Lastly, impacted employees should pay what they can. Making at least the minimum payment avoids late payments being reported on credit reports.

Every week at no charge, a consumer can access their credit report from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion or they can request a free copy through AnnualCreditReport.com. The credit report includes contact information for the respective lenders and creditors that report to the consumer reporting agencies. Additionally, the myEquifax™ mobile app offers consumers a convenient, on-the-go way to monitor one's financial health.

Consumers can also order credit reports by phone at (877) 322-8228 or by mail at the address below.

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Your Equifax credit report will be mailed to you within 15 days.

Consumers can also consider adding a Consumer Statement to their Equifax credit report. The Consumer Statement is an optional statement of up to 100 words that can be added to explain a disagreement with the outcome of a dispute investigation or provide additional information about items on their Equifax credit report. Potential lenders and creditors will see the Consumer Statement when they view an individual consumer's Equifax credit report. A Consumer Statement will not change accurately reported information and is unlikely to impact a consumer's credit score; however, providing details for a lender or creditor to consider may help them better evaluate a consumer's credit behavior.

Learn more about what is included on a consumer's credit reports and why in our Equifax Knowledge Center.