My (Real) Free Credit Report

I finally got my (real) free credit report. I went to AnnualCreditReport.com, which is a web site that the three main credit reporting bureaus created to comply with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act). The FACT Act requires each credit bureau to provide you with a free copy of your credit report once ever 12 months.

The 3 major credit bureaus – TransUnion, Equifax and Experian -- can provide you with detailed report information, they can also provide you with your credit score, these details are not available with the annual credit report you receive for free once every 12 months from Annual Credit Report.com.

The annual credit report gives you a nice view of your credit and the areas that need work. There are links to each of the three credit reporting bureaus at the bottom of the page that will take you to each credit agency's web site, where you can find details on how to dispute any inaccuracies.

Remember however, that if you wish to check your credit reports more often, you won’t be able to do that using the annual free credit report. You have to order those from other Web sites, such as from the credit bureaus directly.

By the way, you may want to be careful with some Web sites that offer free credit reports. Some of them try to trick you into ordering something you have to pay for.

Your FICO score isn't included in the free deal, so if you really want that, you'll have to pay for it, but you don't really need it unless you're going to be applying for a loan and want to make sure your score is OK, or you've been working on improving your credit and want to see if it's working.

Check for any discrepancies in your report. Even the smallest error could dent your credit score. If you find a mistake, immediately bring it to the credit agency's attention. You have the right, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to dispute any erroneous information or inaccuracies in your credit profile. You can also visit an excellent site called CreditDemystified.com which provides free information on credit repair, FREE home loan guides, debt-consolidation workbooks, and interesting podcasts on various topics.

Because credit history plays a big role in many areas of our lives, making sure that the credit report is accurate helps you manage your credit to accomplish all your financial goals.

Web Sites for Credit Information:

Credit Demystified - a credit education site with articles and a credit quiz

Annual Credit Report.com - the source of the (really) free credit report

Equifax Credit Information Services Inc - the source for your Equifax credit report

TransUnion LLC - the source for your Transunion credit report

Experian - the source for your Experian credit report

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