Since 2005, in America you are entitled to an annual Credit report free. The problem is many consumers are not even aware that this law exists, so when they come across an advertisement for a free credit report they jump thinking they are getting something for free.

Debt consolidation and credit counseling services that use this tactic are starting off building clientele on a deceptive note. After all, they aren’t giving you anything free you couldn’t get on your own. By choosing to omit that little fact, it makes their actions even more underhanded.

Many using the free credit card report tactics require you to provide Your Credit card information and sign up for a thirty-day trial of their services to get your free credit report. Trouble is had you known you could have gotten it with no catch.

Any of the services where you are asked to sign up for can usually be cancelled at the end of the trial period. However remembering to do so is not always that easy, and that’s exactly what they count on. If you forget to cancel, they are going to charge you their monthly fee, until you remember to do so.

Besides, if you are required to sign up for a service in order to get your free credit report there’s really nothing free about it is there? A good rule of thumb is this: if you must provide your credit card number, it’s not free.

It would benefit you more if you obtained your free annual credit report and then paid for a service that showed you needed to do to improve your Credit Score. That’s far better use of your money and you are also not being deceived.

Once you receive your free credit report, you should go over it carefully looking for errors. You might be surprised to learn that more than 40% of all Credit Reports contain errors that directly affect ones credit score. If you find errors on your credit report, it’s important to clear them up as soon as possible. When was the last time you reviewed your credit report?

It’s a common mistake to believe that those reporting to the Credit Bureaus are ensuring what they report is accurate. It’s also a mistake to think the credit bureaus take every precaution to make sure what they record and what they report is accurate. It’s simply not the case. As a result, Your Credit Score could be lower than it should be making it more difficult for you to borrow money at an affordable rate.

Once you have corrected any errors on your credit report, there are many other things you can do in order to improve your overall credit score. The higher your credit score the easier it is to borrow money and the lower the interest rate you pay will be. There are services that can show you How To Improve Your Credit Score so that you can borrow much easier.

The next time you see someone advertising a free credit report, remember you are allowed an annual credit report for free, without ever having to sign up for any service or provide your credit card information.