How To Get Your Credit Report For Free

As I write this I can hear a commercial for a free credit report, the commercial has a very catchy tune and cute appearance that makes you want to find out more. Well here’s the catch – you will be giving them all of your personal information and you will be signed up for services from their website. These services will cost you somewhere around $40 a month and the only thing that may be remotely helpful past day one is the alert system which notifies you if there is a change on any of your credit reports so that you can monitor for fraud. If you are paying a fee each month then how is the credit report free?

Do not pay anyone for your own information; you do not have to since the government has made it quite easy to obtain your credit report for free. If you haven’t requested one in the last 12 months then simply go to the Federal Trade Commission website and click on the link for the Annual Credit Report Request Form. Print and complete this form for each member of the household, I suggest that you even check your children’s credit reports to ensure that there is no fraud which could affect their futures.

Once you receive your reports check them over very carefully. If you find errors make notes and go back to the site for full instructions on how to repair these errors, you will have to fill out another form, but the site will guide you and it is very easy to do.

If you find outstanding debts and want to better your credit then the best way is to simply pay these debts. Sometimes this is very difficult to do, you may just not have the money to do it. Take a look at your assets – do you have any stocks, bonds, cash flow notes, or even mortgage notes that you can sell to pay these debts? Your credit report can keep you from getting a job, home, or adopting a child, it is one of the most important documents in your life. It may be worth it to sell one of those assets to pay and clear your report to improve the overall credit score.

In the end you will have saved yourself a great deal of money just for being patient and doing things yourself. You can order these reports every 12 months, any time you are denied credit, and anytime you are denied a job or housing due to your score. Take advantage and get a new copy anytime that you qualify, it is in your best interest.

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