Reader Question: Am I entitled to a free credit report each year?

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June 16th, 2008 - Posted by Joe

Q: As a consumer am I not entitled to a free credit report each year? Do have to join a club or pay for it?

A: The Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) entitles each and every American consumer to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit reporting bureaus including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The three credit bureaus set up the website AnnualCreditReport.com which allows consumers to request their free credit reports.

It is important to note that the free credit reports you receive through AnnualCreditReport.com don't include your credit score. Many of the credit report monitoring services that we have reviewed offer both a free credit report and free credit score for signing up for a free trial of their credit report monitoring service. You can keep the credit report and score even if you decide to cancel the credit report monitoring service during your free trial.

We recommend Equifax's credit reporting monitoring service since they provide you with a free 3 bureau credit report and FICO score when you sign up for a free trial of their service. It is important to know your FICO score since it is the credit score that most lenders use to make lending decisions. gain, your free credit report and FICO score are yours to keep even if you decide to cancel your 30 day trial of Equifax credit report monitoring service.

You can learn more about Equifax and other credit report monitoring services by visiting our credit report monitoring service reviews and comparison.