Free Annual Credit Report

Most people are aware of the many companies online that claim to provide a free credit report. But with a little further investigation you will find that these credit reports are rarely ever really free as they either come along with a credit monitoring service that you have to subscribe to (and pay for) or will at least require a credit card and then a cancellation if you want to get your credit report without paying for it. Knowing what is on your credit report, your credit score, and what type of credit history you have is important for most consumers because this information dictates how easily you will quality for loans, mortgages, and other types of credit as well as what type of interest rate you will be able to get. But with so many places using the old bait and switch when it comes to giving out credit reports, how do you get yours for free?

There are options available to every consumer that are absolutely free and do not require a trial of any kind. There are three credit reporting agencies that are responsible for credit reporting, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. These three agencies are required by law to provide every person with a free copy of their credit report, including their credit score, once a year, provided you ask for one. You can either write to each agency, call their toll free number, or access their website online to get a copy of your free credit report, which will really be free.

In order to get your free credit report from each credit reporting agency you will have to provide some basic information to prove your identity such as name, address, and social security number, but you are not required to provide a credit card number or sign up for a trial of any kind. Your credit report can then be mailed or emailed to you for your review. There are also other circumstances where you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each credit reporting agency even if you have already requested them during the year. If you apply for credit such as a loan, credit card, or mortgage and are turned down you are entitled to a copy of your credit report even if you have already requested one. If you are turned down the company that denied you credit will probably send you a notice stating the fact that you are entitled to a copy of your credit report and instructions on how to obtain it.

For most people looking over their credit report once a year is enough make sure it remains free of errors and reflects current and accurate information. Although companies that try to sell you monitoring services with the ploy of a free credit report make it seem lie every person needs to monitor their credit constantly, few actually do unless they have been the victim of identity theft of notice suspicious or erroneous information on their yearly report.