Get a REALLY FREE Credit report

[Jinx55]

The info below was gotten from  Scambusters.org run by Audri and Jim Lanford

Don't Pay For Something You're Entitled To

A bit of background: There are three major companies that
track and report your credit history. These three companies
are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

All US consumers are entitled to one free credit report each
year from each of these three credit bureaus.

So while there are hundreds of companies who would like to
charge you for receiving your credit report, the truth of the
matter is, this is a service you're now entitled to by law
each year at no charge.

So how do you muddle through the mass of free credit report
offers without getting taken for a ride?

Surfing the Web

Many people simply type in "Free Credit Report" into their
favorite search engine hoping to hit gold. Unfortunately, the
majority of sites that come up on top are sites that don't
really offer free credit reports, but rather are sites that
are offering credit monitoring services.

While credit monitoring services definitely have their pluses
and can be used to prevent identity theft, we believe they
shouldn't be used as a bait and switch tactic for getting a
free credit report.

Even worse, some of the bogus websites -- especially those you
hear about via spaham (misspelled intentionally) -- are simply
phishing scams.

Action: NEVER respond to a spaham offer to get a free credit
report.

Another type of problem many people encounter when they try to
get a free credit report is that it's almost impossible to
find the free offer. Yes, it's there -- but it's so well
hidden that many consumers simply give up in complete
frustration.

Here's another more subtle problem we found: one free credit
report site we visited offered a free credit report. In
addition to asking for your personal information, they also
asked for your credit card information.

It wasn't until we read the fine print that we realized we
would be authorizing them to charge our credit card for their
credit monitoring service after 30 days. Not exactly the type
of company you want to be doing business with, is it?

Unfortunately, many "free" credit report websites do business
like the free credit report sites mentioned above. The trick
is finding the right website to use.

Getting It Right

So if there are so many sites out there trying to scam you out
of your money for something you're entitled to for free, how
do you go about getting a legitimate free credit report?

Knowing where to go for your free credit report is the key.

According to the FTC website, there is only one website that
is authorized to give out free credit reports. Here's what
the FTC website says:

"Important information from the Federal Trade Commission, the
nation's consumer protection agency: annualcreditreport.com is
the ONLY authorized online source for you to get a free credit
report under federal law. You can get a free report from each
of the three national credit reporting companies every 12
months. Some other sites claim to offer 'free' credit reports,
but may charge you for another product if you accept a 'free'
report."

==} http://www.annualcreditreport.com

The AnnualCreditReport.com website was easy to use and we were
able to access all three credit reports without paying a
penny.

You can also get your free credit report via phone by calling
877-322-8228. Just remember, you can only request one free
credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies
each year.

Why do you need a copy of your credit report?

You might be wondering why you'd want a copy of your credit
report. There are many reasons you should check your credit
report, including making sure your information is correct
(which is important if you want to apply for a loan or a new
credit card). You very likely will find mistakes on your
credit report.

Further, getting a copy of your credit report is important to
help monitor against identity theft. You can read more about
identity theft here:

==} http://www.scambusters.org/identitytheft.html

Here are four tips for getting your free credit report:

Tip 1: Watch your spelling if you type in the web address
(rather than click on our link) -- many of the bogus sites are
just one letter away from the site you want.

Tip 2: To gain maximum benefit, you may want to space out your
free credit reports from each of the 3 credit bureaus over the
year. This will allow you to see changes that occur over
time.

Tip 3: Print or download your credit report(s) immediately.
You may not be able to gain access again for free later.

Tip 4: After you get your free credit report, quit your
browser so no one else can access it.

[Jackpotloser]

Hey Jinx55,
Thanks for the info :)

[Helen]

Tip 2: To gain maximum benefit, you may want to space out your
free credit reports from each of the 3 credit bureaus over the
year. This will allow you to see changes that occur over
time.

A computer was stolen that was being used on an audit for the company my husband works for and his SS number was on that computer. They said that the computer was most likely safe from being accessed but to be on the safe side we should report it to the credit card bureaus and have his SS flagged. At that point you are automatically entitled to a free credit report. Even though it was only reported to one company, all 3 sent us the reports.

[pogohatesme]

If you get turned down for a loan, credit card, or checking/savings account, you are also entitled to a free copy of your credit report O0

[Jinx55]

If you get turned down for a loan, credit card, or checking/savings account, you are also entitled to a free copy of your credit report O0

A Good reason to get that credit report Before you apply for a loan etc.  There are many times mistakes on your report that you can make them correct  >:(

[cathyl1226]

I work in finance as a credit analyst and I can tell you that 25-30% of people have errors on thier credit report that will lower thier FICO score enough to get the denied for something.  Also you may want to know the free anual credit reports are free getting you FICO score is NOT.

[Lish]

thanks a lot! O0