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Nov 05, 2009 -- AnnualCreditReport.com offers free credit reports

Have you seen those ads that push you to get a supposedly free credit report? The catch is that they also enroll you in a subscription service where you pay as much as $200/annually to have your credit monitored!

Under federal law, you are allowed one free credit report every year from each of the three main credit-reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Additional copies are available if your identity is compromised. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to get your free credit reports. No strings attached!

Meanwhile, you can also get a free non-FICO credit score from Quizzle.com, CreditKarma.com or Credit.com. These services will try to sell you certain mortgage and financial services, but you can decline their pitches and get free access to your score.

One nuance that's important to understand: Each credit bureau's report will contain three credit scores. For example, if you get your Experian report, it will have a made-up score; the true FICO score used by most lenders; and a Vantage score.

So there is no single credit score for people. What's important is to know where you rank on a scale as a credit risk compared to other people.

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

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What others are saying

  • Listen to Clark about AnnualCreditReport.com
    Had Credit Frozen. Wanted to check credit before refinancing home and unfreezing credit. Called Transunion. They said use TrueCredit.com. We checked both mine and wife's credit scores. In a few shot clicks we were able to get our credit scores, but were signed up for TureCredit.com, My Privacy Matters.com, Credit Diagnosis.com, My Credit Health.com, and a couple of others - all protecting my identity, offering me a credit report and changing me a fee. Fortunately I heard his radio show today and he alerted me to that fact and I was able to cancel before my many trial periods ran out. I so hope they pass a law against this type of stuff. While I am sure these services would be good, I truly did not realize I had been signed up for a fee for so many. As I understand it annualcreditreport.com does not do this to you. And thanks so much to Transunion whom I thought was on my side. Be careful!
  • More difficult to get "Free Report"
    Last year I got 3 out of 3 reports -No problem! This year I ended up with 1 out of 3: Experian was quick and easy; Equifax rejected me after I declined to enter credit card information for a 'free' report by saying "identification information submitted online may not match the information on file," but I can always fill out a form and mail in documents to get my report; TransUnion will not allow you to decline entering your credit card info. Seems to me, the last two agencies aren't much different than "FreeCreditReport.com" if they try to trick you into "ordering" a free report.
  • Clearing up the confusion
    There seems to be some confusion about the credit report sites. www.freecreditreport.com is not what Clark is referring to. This site is the one from the commercials and yes, they will attempt to get your money. Clark is referring to www.annualcreditreport.com and this is a free site for receiving your credit report from each agency for free. You are allowed 1 free credit report from each agency once a year in most cases.
  • Free Annual Credit Report
    I think not! Went to the free annual credit report. They say the first one is free, but they want your CC info and will charge you $19.95 a month after 30 days. Just another 'come-on'
  • Thank you Clark, had no trouble at all getting the credit report or credit score. Total cost at check out $0, too easy.
  • What three scores are you talking about, Clark?
    In your article you mention that Experian contains a "made-up" score, your true FICO and a Vantage score. Say what?
  • free credit report
    Thanks to Clark Howard, i got my free credit report. although they tried to charge for the credit score. i decided not to get that.
  • free credit report
    the credit report was free, however the credit score required a payment, which i dont care to know anyway. I just wanted to know what was on my report, and i got that free. Thanks to Clark Howard.
  • "Free" Credit Report
    I got the free credit report from Experian, but had to pay $7.95 to get my Experian credit score. Not really free then, is it?
  • Free Credit Report
    I don't think they will give you the all important FICO score for free. If someone knows a place where you can get that for free or for less please Post.

    Thanks
  • no strings huh?????
    went and tried the"free credit report"what a bunch of BS then at the end as always "the charge" no strings my but!
  • Nice but...
    It's nice to know I can obtain a free annual report of my credit, it would also be nice if the government stepped in and made regulations to not only prevent employers from accessing an employees or potential employees credit report, but to punish them for doing so. You cannot judge a humans worth and life by some dumb illegal report that in many cases in inaccurate and has ZERO bearing on how good of an employee they would be. I hope to see this issue on the congress floor and/or in our supreme court soon.
  • @Dave: Arrrr!
    Ha ha ha!

    Although I always want to dress like a pirate, I don't want to end up selling fish to tourists in t-shirts.
  • Credit report
    Can I check my dream girl's credit too. I'd hate to live in her parent's basement.
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