Which Web Site Offers Free Credit Reports For Consumers?

Many people know the importance of monitoring your credit reports; especially after your sensitive personal data has been lost or stolen. But, which Web site is the official site for free credit reports? Is it FreeCreditReport.com or AnnualCreditReport.com?

To answer this question and to help educate consumers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) produced several short and funny videos for consumers. Here's one FTC video:

The FTC videos are available on Youtube.com and at www.ftc.gov/freereports. The videos parody the commercials by FreeCreditReport.com. Nicole Vincent, a Consumer Education Specialist at the FTC, wrote to me recently via e-mail:

"As you know, the only authorized source to get your free annual credit report under federal law is AnnualCreditReport.com. Other sites require users to pay hidden fees or agree to additional services in order to get a free credit report. If consumers don’t cancel the service during a short trial period, they’re likely to pay membership fees. The FTC encourages consumers not to pay for something they can get for free."

Now you know, too. And, it is good to see that the FTC has a sense of humor.

Comments

[Lisa]

My credit report seems to be very bad and im not sure why. I have been working in a great job now for 5 years and always pay every bill on time. Yet friends of mine in worse situations have better credit scores. I will recheck it again in a few months and see if there is an improvement

[George]

Lisa:

Check all three of your credit reports for errors... not just one. You can correct one and the other two still contain wrong information. Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion may be sharing wrong data between their systems.

George
Editor
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