Free Annual Credit Report – USE IT!
By Irene Morales Ward
8/10/2007
You probably hear it in your sleep… 
”Freeeee Credit Report DOT commmm” UGH, it makes me sick yet the tune never seems to leave my head. The commercial cleverly disguises itself as an official site where you can view your credit but has a nifty little disclaimer that reads:
"IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don't cancel your membership within the 30-day trial period, you will be billed $12.95 for each month that you continue your membership.
ConsumerInfo.com and Freecreditreport.com are not affiliated with the annual free credit report program. Under a new Federal law, you have the right to receive a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. To request your free annual report under that law, you must go to http://www.freecreditreport.com/ACRRedirect.aspx?WT.svl=acrHome&SiteVersionID=522&SiteID=100133&sc=667153&bcd=&areaid=22&pkgid=X2THZ.
Remember, all free credit reports are not created equal. Get your Free Credit Report and Credit Score from the leading provider of consumer credit monitoring products."
IMPOSTERS
Many consumers are under the false impression that this site, and many like it, is the equivalent of the program established under the FCRA and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act, the Free Annual Credit Report program. This program was specifically designed by the federal government to protect consumers from identity theft and empower them to take a proactive approach to correcting the almost always flawed reporting tendencies of the credit bureaus.
IT IS NOT THE SAME – Make NO mistake!
In order to access a truly free credit report (and this does not include your credit score), you must acquaint yourself with the Federal Trade Commission web site. Here you will learn exactly where you must go to get your free reports.
WHY BOTHER?
“A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Because the “BIG THREE” agencies (Experian®, Equifax®, and TransUnion®) essentially impact every aspect of our financial and personal lives, it is imperative to make sure the information they are reporting is accurate and up-to-date.When you consider that these agencies….” sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home”, you want to be certain it is representing you correctly.
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