How to Get a Free Credit Report

Offers for free copies of your credit report used to be all over the internet and television. They are harder to find since the federal government issued a mandate requiring those that offer free reports to tell consumers that they can get a free copy from annualcreditreport.com. Now, the sites offering the reports must charge a minimum of one dollar, and you still need to remember to cancel your subscription to avoid being charged a monthly fee. Don't worry- there are still ways to get a free copy of your credit report, even if you've used up your freebies for the year. This guide will show you how to get a free credit report.

As you already know, your credit report contains info that businesses like banks, lenders and employers use to make decisions concerning you. Sometimes, the information within your credit report can even keep you from getting a job, so it is important that you know what's in it. Here are the main ways to get a free report:

*Annualcreditreport.com. By federal law, you can get one free yearly copy of your credit report from each of the three main credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax). You have to go to the site to get your reports; do not contact the credit bureaus directly.

*Get denied for credit. The law also says that you can get a free copy of your reports if you have been denied credit due to information within the report. You have to request the report within two months; contact the lender to find out which bureau issued the report.

*Search for a job. If you are unemployed, you can get a free report within two months of starting a job hunt. Call the credit bureaus and tell them that you are looking for a job, and ask for a free report under the FCRA.

*Get government assistance (welfare). When you are on government assistance, you can get free copies of your reports. All you have to do is to call the appropriate credit bureau.

*Report an instance of identity theft. This is a prevalent and unfortunate crime, but you do not have to pay to check your report in this case. You can get a free copy of your report if you have been proven to be a victim of identity theft and there are inaccuracies on your report.

*Live in one of the eight states that have a free credit report law. People living in Vermont, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Georgia, or Colorado can get an additional copy of their credit reports yearly, for free. Simply call the bureau for which you want the credit report.

Monitoring credit history is something that we should all do; after all, credit influences our chances of getting loans, credit cards, homes, and even jobs. With the free methods of getting copies of your credit report, keeping tabs on your credit will be a lot easier to do.