Free Credit Report Without a Credit Card

I was looking at the search engines the other day and I noticed that 5,400 people search every month for “Free Credit Report Without a Credit Card”. This tells me that a lot of people are confused and think that they have to give out their credit card information to get a copy of their credit report. This is far from true. You are entitled by law to get a free copy at no charge.

The problem is that a lot of companies are playing on this to get you to sign up for something. Every time you get on your computer you have to be on the lookout for scammers! Some people may be trying to get your information to steal your identity or credit card information. And still others may be trying to make a commission by getting you to sign up for something that you do not need.

Where can you get a free credit report?

There is a central site where you can access all 3. It is AnnualCreditReport.com. As the official website of FTC says “AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized online source to get a free credit report under federal law.” You can also get one from one of the official credit reporting agencies. They are:

Equifax: 1-877-576-5734     www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742    www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289  www.transunion.com

If you are trying to get a copy of your credit report and someone asks for your credit card number, you better stop and start all over again. You are at the wrong place!

What is on my credit report?

Identity Information. Your name, any aliases, current and previous addresses, birth year, social security number, jobs held, and if you are married the same information for your spouse.

Credit information. All the accounts you have with credit card companies, banks, retailers, utility companies, and any other type of lender. It will have information about the age, amount, credit line, cosigners, and any payment deviations over the past 2 years.

Public record information. This would include bankruptcies, tax liens, and any other type of monetary judgments against you or your spouse.

Inquires. It will show who and when someone inquires about your credit.

When should I get a copy of my credit report.

You are allowed by law to get a copy from each reporting agency once per year. They should really have the same information, but they may not in all cases. If you are just checking for your own information, we recommend that you get one copy from each reporting agency every 4 months. That should do the job. If you are getting ready for a major move such as a new mortgage, you may want to get them all, just so you will not have any surprises! The number of inquiries into your credit report actually lowers your credit score, but your inquires do not count.

Who should get a copy of their credit report?

EVERYONE! You never know who might have gotten your identity information and starting charging things in your name. Identity theft is the number 1 crime in the US. We also recommend that you talk with your insurance company about identity theft protection. The rates are very reasonable.

We hope that this has cleared up any misconceptions that you have about getting a free credit report without a credit card. Your credit is a very valuable thing in your life. It determines a lot of things. It can cost you a lot or save you a lot. You would be wise to treat it accordingly!