Online Credit Report for Credit Monitoring

Online credit report is one of many ways to access your credit record. Checking your credit report online is easy and fast. You can order your credit report through the site that is specifically set up for consumers to request the free annual credit report almost instantly.

Alternatively, you can visit the three major credit reporting companies -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- or other credit monitoring agencies to get your "free" credit report.

Is Your Instant Online Credit Report Really Free?

With all the hype of identity theft people are becoming more and more concerned about how it affects their credit report and score. To help consumers keep an eye on what is happening on their credit record a lot of credit monitoring services offers a one time free credit report for trying out their services.

Credit monitoring agencies allow you to access your credit report online, but most of the time, their services are only free for thirty days. Most of them allow you view your credit report online free for 30 days, then they charge you a monthly fee to "monitor" your report, emailing you when there are any changes.

Once the trial period ends, the companies charge a monthly fee ranging from ten dollars to fifty dollars a month to continue using their services. If you use one of these agencies and you do not want to continue with their services, be sure to cancel your subscription before the thirty day trial period is over.

Choosing a Credit Monitoring Service

The FTC has cautioned consumers that e-mails and pop-up ads claiming to be from AnnualCreditReport.com are unauthorized and could be scams. So when you are looking for a credit bureau find one that doesn't use fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Make sure that their transaction is secure and your personal information is not at risk.

Another thing to look for in a reputable company is the way they verify your information when you fill out the request for your credit report. Do they just take your social security number and address, or do they make you answer identifying questions that only you should know before they let you view your one time free credit report?

Also, don't forget to check the reputation of the company through the Better Business Bureau and make sure that they have a satisfactory rating. Be sure to read the fine print before giving them your credit card number.

Using Your Free Online Credit Report

Once you view your one time free credit report or free annual credit report, print it out and file it in a safe place for future reference because there is no guarantee that the credit monitoring service will let you view it again free of charge. Remember, the "free credit report" is part of their sales pitch to get you to try their services.

Also, check for errors or inaccuracies and which agencies report the mistakes. If there are discrepancies in your free online credit report, be sure to contact the credit reporting agency immediately to dispute the information.

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