How to Get Your Credit Report

It's a really good idea to check your credit reports from all three bureaus regularly. Not only will you get a bird's eye view of your credit, you'll also make sure there is no evidence of identity theft or unauthorized activity. There are two main ways to access your reports:

Option 1: The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) of 2003 entitles you to a free annual credit report from each bureau. You can choose to get all three reports at once, or stagger them out individually over the course of the year. To get your free reports, visit the official federally operated website www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. You can also mail your request, though be sure to download the request form online first:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

• Pros:  It's free. Multiple delivery options (mail, internet, phone). Expect an up sell for other services. Any dispute made to a free report will take 45 days to resolve, instead of 30.  
• Cons:  Does not include your credit scores. Reports are only accessible once a year. No credit monitoring services.

Option 2: If you are looking for continuous access to your latest credit reports, as well as credit scores and monitoring services, there are a host of companies like www.SpendOnLife.com that offer these for a monthly fee. You can also go directly to the bureaus' websites to find similar credit report, score, and monitoring offers. Here are the advantages and disadvantages to signing up with www.SpendOnLife.com:

• Pros:  Instant, convenient, and continuous online access to your latest reports and scores from all three bureaus. Free 7-day trial of our credit monitoring service. No obligation and no cancellation penalty ever. Sign up to get your free reports and scores, and then cancel within 7 days to avoid any fees. Completely safe and secure. 
• Cons:  $29.95/month after free trial. 

No matter which option you choose, the important thing is to obtain your credit report as soon as you can--especially if you are considering applying for a new loan or credit card. See where you stand from a credit point of view, and make sure your report doesn't contain signs of identity fraud.