| Even though everyone in United States now has a | | | | credit bureau from which you requested the report will |
| right to obtain a free credit report annually from each | | | | ask you to answer a question, the answer to which |
| of the three main credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and | | | | only you may know. Questions may change from one |
| TransUnion, there is still considerable doubt among | | | | bureau to another, but they will most likely comprise |
| consumers as to whether they can get a credit report | | | | employment history, previous addresses or telephone |
| without having a credit card. | | | | numbers. |
| In fact having a credit card is not required to get your | | | | You can also request your free credit report through |
| credit report. Everyone is free to have a look at his | | | | the toll free telephone number or through the mailing |
| financial records without any charge whatsoever once | | | | address provided by the three credit bureaus. Using |
| a year. This is mandated by law. However many (in | | | | that method you will get the report within 15 days of |
| fact almost all) of online credit report providers that | | | | the request. |
| offer free credit card reports use credit cards as a | | | | Federal Trade Commissions which mandated the law |
| method to verify the identity. This is one of the main | | | | for receiving your annual credit report free of charge |
| reasons for the confusion. Consumers should be wary | | | | has given notice that only one website has the |
| of using such services and they must go through the | | | | authority to provide your free annual credit report. That |
| small print. | | | | website is They also warn of other websites that |
| In any case there is no need for a credit card to obtain | | | | offer free credit reports, but with the catch of having |
| your free credit report and you can bypass the need | | | | to signup for credit monitoring. It should be noted that |
| to go through other online sites when you can obtain | | | | the only true way of receiving your report without |
| the credit report from the legally mandated source site. | | | | having to register for other services is to contact the |
| All you have to do is to visit the central website | | | | credit bureaus directly. This is done either via the |
| maintained by the three main credit bureaus to provide | | | | website, telephone or through postage mail. |
| the free credit reports according to the provisions of | | | | Since you can request the credit report from each of |
| The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Fair and | | | | the three credit bureaus annually you can space the |
| Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACT). This website | | | | requests out instead of requesting all three report at |
| is named and once you complete the form there, you | | | | once. That way you will not have to wait 12 months |
| can almost immediately see your credit report. | | | | for your next free credit report. Note, however, that |
| You will be asked for proof of identity but it will not be | | | | the three bureaus have different sources for the |
| your credit card. You will be asked to provide your | | | | information they include in their reports. Therefore, their |
| name, address, date of birth, and social security | | | | credit reports for the same person tend to differ from |
| number. If you have changed residence you will be | | | | each other. |
| asked to provide previous address. In addition the | | | | |