Getting Your Free Credit Report Without a Credit Card - Here's How

Reader Question: I am trying to get a copy of my free credit report online. But most of the websites I visit want me to sign up for some kind of free trial that requires a credit card number. Where can I get my free report without having to use a credit card, or is there such a thing?

Yes, there is such a thing. It's a website called AnnualCreditReport.com, and you can use it free of charge with no credit card required. Of all the websites offering free credit reports online these days, this is the only one recommended by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other government agencies. The website is jointly owned by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and it's the only place where you can get all three of your free reports without entering any credit card information.

Now that I've answered your most immediate question, let me offer some background information to clear up some of the confusion you have. For what it's worth, a lot of people are equally confused about this topic, and you will soon understand why.

First of all, it's important to realize you have not one but three different reports, one for each of the credit reporting companies. So if you really want to know what's going on with your credit picture (and to check for errors), you need to request all three of them.

The reason you've encountered so many websites asking you for credit card information is that the free credit reports are often used as an enticement to sell other products. It's perfectly legal, and sometimes those other products are worthwhile, but it does create a lot of confusion.

Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report per year, from all three of the companies that maintain them -- Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. You can do this without using a credit card by visiting the website I began this article with. You can request them online through that site, or you can request them by phone or mail. Mailing address and phone numbers are provided on the website. No credit card is required when you go this route.

What to Do With Your Credit Reports

So that answers the question of obtaining your free reports without a credit card number. The next question is, what do you do with them once you've received them?

I once read an independent study that claimed something like 70% of consumer credit reports contained some kind of mistakes on them. These errors might range from misspelled names to "phantom" accounts that don't actually belong to the consumer. These things can be innocent administrative mistakes, or they can be signs of identity theft.

Errors on your reports can also lower your overall credit scores, which can affect your ability to get financing (car loans, mortgage loans, etc.). So it's important to review your information once a year or so, in order to correct mistakes and monitor for identity theft. And you can do this without a credit card by getting your free credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com.

Here are some helpful articles to continue your research:

• How to Read Your Credit Reports
• How to Dispute Errors if You Find Them

I hope this answers your question, and I wish you luck in your financial future. Keep in mind that this blog has hundreds of credit lessons and articles. You can use the Google search tool at the top of the blog to find more information.