Are Those Free Credit Reports Really Free?
With so many companies advertising free credit reports on national television, it's becoming increasingly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Because if the advertised offer is really free, then can the company justify paying for national advertising? And it's not like the campaigns ran and then stopped all of a sudden. They've been on the air for years now, so it has to be a profit-generating venture. And they all seem to be hell-bent on showing you what horrible things can happen to you should you not get your free credit report, while minimizing the fact that they're just as intent on selling you something.
Common sense tells us that if the ads keep airing, it's because the campaigns are successful in reeling in new customers. At the same time, almost everyone knows that there's no such thing as a free lunch and that "free" is often a bait that scammers use to lure in unsuspecting victims. In that regard, it's relevant to wonder if those offers are really free? Free as in no monetary exchange whatsoever.
The short version of the answers to these questions would simply be "No, they are typically not free", and "Yes, they mostly come with strings attached". If you're the type of person who like more detailed answers, then feel free to read on. A more detailed answer would be that just about any offer you see advertised on TV is NOT free, and so are most of the offers you see online. There are free offers, though, and we can help you sort out the free variety from the paid variety.
Most of the free credit report offers do cost money. Most of them, even the ones that are sent out by major banks and lending firms, are really subscription services that let you view your credit report when you want to. Those services are offered directly by the lending companies, or indirectly by one or more of the three major credit bureaus. Experian, Equifax and Transunion are the "big three" credit reporting firms, and because of their clout the other credit bureaus have become largely irrelevant.
Another reason for the rise in free credit report offers is that people have been getting more concerned about the content of their credit reports, because of the rise of "identity theft". Consequently, a lot of companies have entered the so-called "identity protection business". Their business model is simple: they advertise a free credit report, but in the fine print of their offer, should you accept it, it says that you're agreeing to subscribe to their credit monitoring services. They typically charge from $6.95 to $19.95 a month, and upon sign up you enroll for a plan that lasts anywhere from 3 months to a year. For your money, you get alerted in the case of suspicious activity on your account, and get notified about credit inquiries and late payments.
Because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the "big three" credit bureaus are legally obligated to give anyone who asks for it one free credit report every year, which means that you're eligible for three free credit reports a year. Whether you request it online, by mail, or over the phone, be sure to follow the instructions given to you so that you can receive your free, no strings attached credit report.
You can legally request a free credit report if a company denies your credit, insurance or employment application based on information that was in said report. Just know that you have 60 days from the date this happened to make your request. Unemployed people are also eligible for a free credit report every year, provided that they're planning to look for a job within 60 days. Finally, if you're on welfare, or if you have reason to believe that your credit report contains errors, you can also request a free credit report and it will be sent to you.
Due to the competitive nature of the banking business, there are some banks in the marketplace that offer a free credit report, and a basic online access service that also gives you your credit score, when you get approved for their credit card or open another type of account. Sought-after credit cards as the premium American Express products, also offer their high-income, low-risk consumers various packages of services, including credit report access and monitoring.
If your needs do not go beyond looking at your credit report a couple of times a year to check for erroneous reports and misuse of your accounts or identity, there's no need to pay a monthly fee for that. Even if you do want to monitor your credit report on an ongoing basis, before you go to a paid service, set up your free reports so that you receive one every four months. If that's still not enough for you, then you can investigate one of the banks or credit card issuers that offers the service as part of a package deal.
With so many aspects of your life being impacted by your credit report (credit, insurance, employment), there's no need to stress the importance of monitoring your credit report. Should you spot any errors, you should definitely take action as soon as possible to correct them. And there's no reason why you shouldn't be on top of this: odds are, you won't even have to pay to get your credit reports.
Common sense tells us that if the ads keep airing, it's because the campaigns are successful in reeling in new customers. At the same time, almost everyone knows that there's no such thing as a free lunch and that "free" is often a bait that scammers use to lure in unsuspecting victims. In that regard, it's relevant to wonder if those offers are really free? Free as in no monetary exchange whatsoever.
The short version of the answers to these questions would simply be "No, they are typically not free", and "Yes, they mostly come with strings attached". If you're the type of person who like more detailed answers, then feel free to read on. A more detailed answer would be that just about any offer you see advertised on TV is NOT free, and so are most of the offers you see online. There are free offers, though, and we can help you sort out the free variety from the paid variety.
Most of the free credit report offers do cost money. Most of them, even the ones that are sent out by major banks and lending firms, are really subscription services that let you view your credit report when you want to. Those services are offered directly by the lending companies, or indirectly by one or more of the three major credit bureaus. Experian, Equifax and Transunion are the "big three" credit reporting firms, and because of their clout the other credit bureaus have become largely irrelevant.
Another reason for the rise in free credit report offers is that people have been getting more concerned about the content of their credit reports, because of the rise of "identity theft". Consequently, a lot of companies have entered the so-called "identity protection business". Their business model is simple: they advertise a free credit report, but in the fine print of their offer, should you accept it, it says that you're agreeing to subscribe to their credit monitoring services. They typically charge from $6.95 to $19.95 a month, and upon sign up you enroll for a plan that lasts anywhere from 3 months to a year. For your money, you get alerted in the case of suspicious activity on your account, and get notified about credit inquiries and late payments.
Because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the "big three" credit bureaus are legally obligated to give anyone who asks for it one free credit report every year, which means that you're eligible for three free credit reports a year. Whether you request it online, by mail, or over the phone, be sure to follow the instructions given to you so that you can receive your free, no strings attached credit report.
You can legally request a free credit report if a company denies your credit, insurance or employment application based on information that was in said report. Just know that you have 60 days from the date this happened to make your request. Unemployed people are also eligible for a free credit report every year, provided that they're planning to look for a job within 60 days. Finally, if you're on welfare, or if you have reason to believe that your credit report contains errors, you can also request a free credit report and it will be sent to you.
Due to the competitive nature of the banking business, there are some banks in the marketplace that offer a free credit report, and a basic online access service that also gives you your credit score, when you get approved for their credit card or open another type of account. Sought-after credit cards as the premium American Express products, also offer their high-income, low-risk consumers various packages of services, including credit report access and monitoring.
If your needs do not go beyond looking at your credit report a couple of times a year to check for erroneous reports and misuse of your accounts or identity, there's no need to pay a monthly fee for that. Even if you do want to monitor your credit report on an ongoing basis, before you go to a paid service, set up your free reports so that you receive one every four months. If that's still not enough for you, then you can investigate one of the banks or credit card issuers that offers the service as part of a package deal.
With so many aspects of your life being impacted by your credit report (credit, insurance, employment), there's no need to stress the importance of monitoring your credit report. Should you spot any errors, you should definitely take action as soon as possible to correct them. And there's no reason why you shouldn't be on top of this: odds are, you won't even have to pay to get your credit reports.
About the Author:
We strongly suggest that people get a no trial credit report, instead of having to pay for the service. For more of the same type of money-saving advice, feel free to drop by our personal finance blog.
posted by Debt Consolidation Loan at
4:39 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home