Finding My Free Credit Report Online

Nowadays, with the economy the way it is, many people can’t even get a new credit card or a car loan even with good credit. For anyone who has a few problems with past due accounts and a questionable payment track record, you need to know what all the credit bureaus are saying about you. You should be thinking, “Where can I get my free credit report”?

Don’t wait till the last minute. Planning ahead is essential. For instance, if you already have a new car picked out, you don’t want to be disappointed to find out you can’t get the loan.

Recent legislation forces the credit bureaus to provide each consumer from almost every state with the right to receive one free credit report annually. They want you to do this online. However, since it is mailed out, it might take more than two weeks for it to arrive.

There are ways around this, though. The three credit bureaus, along with many new companies that provide this type of service, have various types of plans where you can pay a monthly fee and receive not only your credit reports but additional services as well. They all will provide you with a free trial period of about a week.

If all you need is your credit report, why do they charge a monthly membership? You’re really paying for all the benefits they provide in addition to the credit report.

Unless you are truly interested in these extra services, all you need to do is cancel your membership before the trial period ends. At the end of the trial period, your credit card will be charged. Of course as you attempt to call and email to let them know you’d like to cancel, you may not get a response. They certainly aren’t going to let you off easy.

So what happens? You may get charged for the first month. If you do, and if the company or credit bureau won’t refund your money, go directly to your credit card company and explain the problem. Provide them with copies of emails you sent along with a copy of the free trial period information on their website. Most credit card companies will see to it that you receive a credit if you can prove to them you attempted to cancel within the allotted timeframe.