Free Credit Report

Free credit reports are available to all U.S. consumers from all three credit reporting agencies, The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s consumer reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies.

The annualcreditreport.com website is the only official, non-commercial website set up as a result of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Note: This is NOT the same as freecreditreport.com, a commercial website that advertises on television.

Just go to annualcreditreport.com and from there you can request your free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). Keep in mind that the three credit reporting agencies will try to sell more services to you, but you don't have to buy anything or pay anything to get your free credit report.

Personally, I found it a bit confusing and time-consuming having to go to each credit reporting agency to request my credit report. What I do is use LifeLock, who not only automatically requests my credit reports from all three agencies every year but they also:

• place fraud alerts on my accounts at each of the agencies every 90 days (they expire after 90 days. Having a fraud alert on your account makes it more difficult for identity thieves to open up credit in your name.
• have me removed from pre-approved credit card and junk mail lists at each of the three agencies. Pre-approved credit card offers are one of the most sources of identity theft.
• will help you get any identity theft issue cleared up, up to a million dollars, if it happens while you're using their service (see the LifeLock Website for details).

Not only is it easier and quicker using LifeLock, but I also don't have to keep track of all these different things to do at different intervals. I'm too busy to worry about all that stuff.

Click here for more information about LifeLock