We have probably all seen the numerous commercials on TV advertising a “free” credit report for going to a web site. Of course, in the fine print it says you have to enroll in some credit monitoring program to receive the report (a waste of money in my opinion).
To get your credit report for free with no strings attached, simply go to Annual Credit Report. Here you can download your credit information as reported by the 3 major players once every 12 months. Just note, this will not give you your credit score only your credit history. It is a good idea to review this periodically (once a year) to make sure there is nothing bogus against your name.
One thing to be careful of: when you are redirected to each credit reporter’s site they do their best to ‘upgrade’ you to credit monitoring or try to get you to pay for your score. Just pass on these options and get the report.
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Jason is right. I almost got fooled by one of the other “free credit” websites years ago.
More info:
http://www.ftc.gov/freereports
I just noticed that out replied get moderated (edited?) now? Bummer…
David M… I read you second comment five times.
I have no idea what you are trying to say.
Sorry, I don’t know how that got totally butchered. I meant to say: I just noticed that our replies get moderated (edited?) now? Bummer…
It is a good idea to know your credit score at some point. Make sure it is a FICO score, though. It is dangerous to advise against knowing one’s FICO score. At least once a year, it is a good idea to find out your score from one of credit bureaus. These are very inexpensive (about $8 – $15).
Automotive insurance, homeowner’s insurance, car loans, home loans, and sometimes employment decisions are tied to your credit. For example, my homeowner’s policy was reduced significantly due to a favorable FICO score. Those with scores higher than 720 generally get the best loan rates.