Free Credit Report Sites: Be Wary!

How many different ads for a free credit report do you see on the TV every day? Did you ever stop to think why there are so many, and whether they're all truly free? If you haven't, here's why you should.

AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY truly free, government-mandated website for free credit reports. Here, you can request a copy of your report once a year for free. It's the law. Other sites might actually give you a free copy of your credit report, but their goal is to lure you into buying something, such as credit monitoring services. If you really want credit monitoring services, you should evaluate each company that provides them carefully. There are many that charge too much for the service they provide.

It is also important to note that whenever you provide the personal information required to pull a copy of your credit report, you're running a risk. There is always a chance you've stumbled on a site set up by identity thieves--a site that masquerades as a legitimate company. So, be very careful.

Again, the only government-mandated website that provides truly free copies of your credit report is AnnualCreditReport.com.