How important is your credit report? Very. The information on your credit report determines whether you will get a credit card, a loan or a mortgage. It can even affect your chances of getting an apartment or a job. The passage of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act in December 2003 required each of three credit agencies (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) to give consumers a free report once every twelve months upon request.http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ159.108 

Though many websites and other sources claim they will give you a free credit report, most are scams. Often a site will give you a credit report while signing you up for some form of self-renewing subscription. Avoid the fraudsters by following the instructions below.

The easiest way to get a free credit report is via the Web. However, you can't get it from the individual credit agency websites; you must go to the official website set up by the three agencies.http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/11/how-to-obtain-your-free-credit-report/

1. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only website authorized to give out annual free credit reports.https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
2. In the window in the middle of the page, where it says "Start Here," select your state from the pull-down menu.
3. Click the "Request Report" button.
4. On the page that appears, type out your personal information. This includes your full name, date of birth, address and social security number.
   • If you have lived at your current address for less than two years, you will need to give your previous address as well.
5. At the bottom of the page, click the "Continue" button.
6. The next page will let you choose which companies you would like to get a credit report from. Select the company (or companies) you are interested in, and click "Next."
   • Each company will give you a free report only once every 12 months.
7. The company you've selected may ask you detailed financial information in order to identify you. Make sure to have your financial records on hand.http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/Yourcreditrating/P119570.asp
8. The companies will often give you the option of adding more services for a fee. They're just trying to make money off you. You are not required to add these services.http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/30/business/30credit.ready.html
9. Click "Accept" to accept their service agreement.
10. You will now be able to view and print out your credit report.

If you don't have a way to print your report and want a hard copy, getting your report by phone may be your best option. It will also protect you from fraudulent web sites.http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-34739_20942-111010--,00.html

1. Call 1-877-322-8228 from your home phone.
2. You will need to give your name, current address, social security number and your date of birth.
   • The service is almost entirely voice activated.
   • Only your social security number and birth date can be entered via your telephone's keypad.
   • If you have any problems with speech or the English language, this option will not work well for youhttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/thecheckout/2006/01/check_out_your_credit_report.html
3. After you identify yourself, you can choose which companies you would like to get a credit report from. You can choose to receive a free credit report from Experian, TransUnion or Equifax. You can select a free report from just one of the agencies or all three.
   • Each company will give you a free credit report only once every 12 months.
4. Once you have ordered your free credit report, it will be mailed to you within approximately 15 days. If there is a high volume of credit report requests, it may take a bit longer or you may be asked to resubmit your request. If this happens you will be notified by the credit reporting agencies.http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre34.shtm

If you don't want to order a free credit report online or via phone, you do have the option of getting a free credit report by mail.

1. Download the official request form (in PDF format) from AnnualCreditReport.com.https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf
2. Print out the form.
3. Fill out the form, providing your name, birth date, address and social security number.
4. Mail the form to:
   Annual Credit Report Request Service
   P.O. Box 105281
   Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

You will receive your credit report by mail in four to five weeks (up to 15 days for processing, then two to three weeks for delivery).https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/order?mail If there is a high volume of requests, your report may be delayed. You'll be notified by the credit agencies if this happens.http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre34.shtm