You will have to prove you are who you say you are.

There are the usual legal disclaimers to wade through, as well as an affidavit stating that you are the person for whom you are ordering the report. There will also be a plethora of different offers for credit monitoring services and those debt consolidating companies I referred to earlier. Somewhere on the page is a link, probably almost unnoticeable with all the ads, that will take you straight to the free credit report, bypassing all those advertisements and offers.

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ACCEPT ANY OF THE OFFERS IN ORDER TO OBTAIN YOUR REPORT.

2. Enroll in a monthly credit monitoring service.

Ok, I just advised you how to bypass the credit monitoring ads, and now I'm going to tell you how to use them your advantage. There are several advantages I personally have benefited from. First, I get a monthly, automatic email telling me when my credit report updates. I also receive email alerts between the automated email if there is any kind of change to my credit report. Second, when I get these reports, they are updated for ALL THREE of the major credit bureaus. I get a brand new credit report and updated score each month from all three bureaus. I can compare all three report side-by-side. I get my updated composite credit score, and have an updating chart that shows the progress of my score. There are options for disputing inaccurate information. I have access to several phone numbers and addresses of different government organizations regarding credit laws and rights.

Those are just some of the highlights of what I get. I also wound up getting a pretty good credit card from a link on my account page. (Please note: I DO NOT advise taking advantage of very many of these ads at all. I have found most of them to be either dead links or leading off on some wild goose chase, destination Something to Buy. You do not want to continue to damage your credit). Enroll in email and text alerts if they are available. This will remind you to check your credit report, and it will alert you to any changes made. The cost is usually minimal (I pay $9.95 a month).

3. Carefully read over your entire report.

There will almost undoubtedly be several versions of your name, current and past phone numbers and addresses. For women who have been married, you will probably see varying versions of your maiden and married names. Your spouse's name will likely be included, as well as any ex-spouses.

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