“What’s with all of these websites offering free credit reports?”

“Why do free credit reports, records, and scores matter so MUCH…so much that people take care of them like they’re taking care of a baby?”

If you are someone who doesn’t use a credit card or someone who doesn’t use credit at all, perhaps these questions are lingering at the back of your head.

And I’ll be answering those questions in a minute. Trust me, after reading this article, you’ll know why these free credit reports matter so much and you’ll understand why you should keep an eye on your credit score and status.

First, let’s see what’s in a free credit report.

Basically, a free credit report is…well, a report about how you’re doing with your credit and your history with it. A report includes –

- Personal information
- Financial accounts you’ve opened
- Payments you’ve made
- Payments skipped

And that goes along with a FICO score – a sneak preview used by banks and financial institutions to see how well or bad you are doing and if you should be approved for any form of financing that you apply for.

What makes this important?

See, many people, especially those who’re transacting almost every minute, need an up-to-date free credit report to check if their credit is healthy or not. Many loans, mortgages, credit card applications, etc. have been declined because of a bad credit score which could’ve been fixed by having a look at a free credit report.

“BUT what if I don’t have to apply for those?” you might ask.

That’s a good question, and here’s the answer.

As someone working from a bank, I have seen people just like you who think they don’t have anything to do with credit falling victims to crimes like identity theft and credit fraud. Someone, without their knowledge, has used their financial and credit information to get some form of loan or financing.

So what’s the end result? They have to pay for something they didn’t ask for in the first place. If they’re able to fix that part, they still have to go through a long and tedious process to get back their credit in shape.

I don’t know about you BUT getting a free credit report to spot for any inaccuracies and prevent any identity theft and fraud is easier than having to go through such hassle.

Don’t bump your head just like many people before you did. Get your free credit report right after reading this and know what’s in it!

Your credit score and records are financial assets that you need to take good care of. And getting a free credit report is a step into the right direction.

Anyone who understands how one’s free credit report and standing can make or break your financial situation sure knows that. After all, your free credit report contains…

- Basic and personal information
- All of the financial accounts you’ve opened like credit cards, loans, mortgage, etc.
- How long they’ve been around
- How many payments you’ve made
- How much payments you’ve made
- How deep you are in debt
- How many payments you’ve missed

And that’s just to name a few.

To top it off, it even contains a FICO score, which is different from your credit score by the way, that gives the bank or financial institution you’re asking some financing from a quick peek at how good or bad you are faring and if you’re credit-worthy so to speak.

A thorough look at your free credit report will let you know if there are any inaccuracies that need some correction, or if there’s some fraud or identity theft going on.

The good news is that you can easily get a report from BIG guys like Equifax and TransUnion. There are numerous smaller websites that allow you to access you credit report annually.

That’s a piece of cake if you have a credit card.

BUT the bad news – what if you don’t have a credit card? Does it mean you can’t access your free credit report unless you apply for a credit card deal in your local bank?

Many of these online credit agencies REQUIRE a credit card. Why? First, that’s because they give you a free trial of their credit reporting service. And as we all know, getting your hands on free trials need a credit card.

That brings us to the second point.

If you’re satisfied with the service and would like to move beyond the trial period, they’ll be charging you, and again, a credit card is needed for that.

HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your free credit report. Even without a credit card, you’re entitled to seeing your report for free and taking the necessary actions with it although the process may take a little longer than usual.

How?

Mail them!

That’s right. You can ask these credit agencies for your free credit report by mailing in your request. And you can do it anytime of the year and that will be free of charge…nothing to pay for…zilch…nil…zero!

So don’t fret if you don’t have a credit card! Have a look at your free credit report now and take good care of your credit score and records.