How to Get Free Credit Reports with No Strings Attached

You have probably seen the television ads telling you to visit a particular website for a free copy of your credit report. What they don't tell you, except in a very quick and almost unintelligible blurb at the end, is that you only get your free report if you enroll in credit monitoring or buy other services. Your "free" report will suddenly result in monthly charges on your credit card bill or withdrawals from your bank account.

Once such provider of free credit reports was charged by the Federal Trade Commission with deceptive marketing practices. It agreed to pay out almost $1 million as a settlement. However, similar ads continue to blanket the airwaves.

You really are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus, and there are no strings attached. The trick is knowing where to get the free reports. You must use the www.annualcreditreport.com website to order the free reports. This is the only official site. It gives you access to your reports from Transunion, Equifax and Experian. The bureaus may offer to sell you other services when you order your reports, but you are under no obligation to accept them. Simply select the option to decline any services you might be offered and continue with the process to get to your free report.

You can use your free credit reports to monitor your credit history throughout the year. Order a report from one of the bureaus every four months and you'll cover the entire year. For example, order your Experian report in January. Next, order your Transunion report in May, and finally, order your Equifax report in September. Simply start over again in January with Experian.

If you find incorrect information on one of the credit reports, you may need to abandon your plan and order reports from the other bureaus immediately to see if they have the same mistake. File a dispute with any of the bureaus that show the incorrect information. If they cannot confirm it, it has to be removed from your report.

Don't be fooled by slick advertisements that can mislead you in an expensive way. Use the official free credit report website and you can monitor your credit without having to pay a penny.