Online Access Considerations

• The only truly free, government-approved annual credit report website is AnnualCreditReport.com, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Other sites claiming to offer free credit reports usually require credit card information, billing the consumer for credit monitoring services once the "trial" period ends.
  
  

Additional Free Reports

• If you are denied credit or employment or might be a victim of identity theft, you can get additional free credit reports, but you must contact the agency directly. If denied credit or employment based on your credit rating, you must be told which agency provided the information; you then get your free credit report directly from the agency in question.
  
  

Considerations

• AnnualCreditReport.com or representatives at credit reporting agencies can require you to prove your identity before providing any type of credit report. You usually must complete a brief multiple-choice identity verification quiz, though any of these companies can demand you provide a photocopy of a government-issued ID before furnishing your credit report.