how to get your free credit report

Even if you don't live in a "free credit report" state, I may have discovered a way to get one for free. Not too long ago, we switched car insurance and were informed that we didn't receive the "ultra-preferred" rate due to our credit report. Now, I am not sure what my credit report has to do with my car insurance rates, but none-the-less this counts as a negative notice from a potential creditor and therefore may allow you to request a free credit report. We called Equifax and sure enough it worked.

So here is my suggestion. If you don't live in one of the 13 western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming that allow you to receive one free copy of your credit report each year, you may still be able to request one for free under the guise of a "bad credit" notice. In fact, you could easily stop by a bank, ask them for a loan for several million dollars, have them run your credit report, and when they laugh in your face, ask the credit reporting agencies for a free copy for being "denied" a loan. (If the bank actually approves the loan for you, take the money and run! LOL.)

There are lots of free sites on the internet that offer free information on credit reporting and how to get your free copy. One such site that I noticed at PPP that has several articles on credit reporting is called CreditLoan.com. Their site was apparently scammed by a fraudulent advertiser pretending to have their same name, and they are working with the FBI on remedying the situation. However, the site remains online and there are some good articles to be found. For example, here's an article on where to find your credit report and how to get it.

There are three primary credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Unfortunately, their systems and records are in no way associated so you are required to keep an eye on all three, as each will hold its own surprises. It is a veritable pain in the neck to try and keep all three of them in shape, which is why those credit report maintenance programs that you see on late night TV are so popular right now. I'm torn at the moment because I can't stand the idea of there being one single company that maintains our credit reporting, but I also can't stand having several that I have to monitor because they are all different.

Sometimes I feel like this is something that should be maintained by the government, but I know that would open up a whole other can of worms.