Student Credit Card Forum

[bjm2328]

How do I know if the offers for free credit reports that I get in my email are legitimate? They ask for personal identifying information, which I know they need to have, but how do you tell the honest one's from some that might be dishonest. If I accept one of these "free" offers for my credit report, does that mean I get hundreds of junk e-mails from people they sell my name to?

[Credit Card Guy]

There is only one free credit report. Each US citizen has the right to one free credit report each 12 months and its available from http://www.annualcreditreport.com. The US Government has mandated that this site be put together and maintained by the three main credit reporting agencies. You also are entitled to a free credit report if you are declined for credit.

http://www.annualcreditreport.com says the following about providing your info to email requests for free credit reports:

* Consumers should never provide their personal information to any other company or person for requesting free annual credit reports under the FACT Act.
* AnnualCreditReport.com will not approach consumers via email, telemarketing or direct mail solicitations.

Here is "About Us" statement from the Annual Credit Report website:

AnnualCreditReport.com is a centralized service for consumers to request free annual credit reports. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

nnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies in accordance with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act).

AnnualCreditReport.com offers consumers a fast and convenient way to request, view and print their credit reports in a secure Internet environment. We also provide options to request reports by telephone and by mail.

AnnualCreditReport.com is the only service authorized by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for this purpose. The three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies have always encouraged consumers to regularly review their credit reports.

[Mimee]

Three major credit-reporting agencies are keeping tabs on your financial comings and goings, and so should you. At least once a year (and certainly several months before entering any major loan situation), go to annualcreditreport.com and pull your rap sheets from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. (You get one freebie from each bureau once a year.) Find such information on this site that I came across http://www.mycreditdetail.com. It'll help you manage your cards better.

[jasminc2732]

Thanks so much! I knew there was some way to get a liable credit report but first I didn't know where to get it from and second I didn't know that it really was for free. I think this is a great service!
Don't doubt any of the strange internet companies that want to sell you some reports or claim to give them to you for free - guess these are all frauds!

[CreditLee]

i used annualcreditreport.com as well and was very pleased with it

[purplegem]

Don't forget that if you are ever denied for a credit card, you're entitled to a free credit report. You'll get a letter in the mail saying something like, "This is why you were denied credit. Our decision was based on information from (name of a credit bureau)." Then just go to that credit bureau's web site to get your free report.