Online Credit Reports - the Safe Way!

A Credit Article Contributed by Christopher Yuscavage

Keeping Safe With Online Credit Reports!

You're 25, looking to buy your first home with your new bride, and currently searching the Internet to find somewhere to check your credit. You come across a decent web site that offers you a FREE online credit report (it's even written in BIG red bubble letters with dancing bears! ) and you proceed to type in your Social Security number and send your online credit report application on its way! 3 months go by before you realize that someone out there has obtained a credit card in your name and basically stolen your identity off of one point-and-click rob job! What happened?

More and more, identity theft is on the rise in the United States, and the Internet is partly to blame. Further, in the above scenario, you were just trying to check your credit report on the Internet and wound up becoming the victim and actually losing credit as a result of the procedure. Want to check out an online credit report? Be safe! Here's how.

Tips For Safe Online Credit Reports

When September 2005 hits, ALL citizens of the United States become eligible to receive a free credit report over the Internet once a year. An online credit report can be convenient and easy and someone in Congress obviously recognized this and sought to bring free online credit reports to everyone. However, if you should decide to take a website up on its claim of "free online credit reports," first check the authenticity of the site. Does it have testimonials from other users?

Check the Frequently Asked Questions portion of the site. Does it offer assistance to those that want to know how secure their information will be? Check for physical addresses, phone numbers, and even go as far as calling and speaking with someone for more information. Contact your local credit bureau and ask them where and how you can obtain a free online credit report. Take all precautions when dealing with your personal information.

A free credit report is one thing, but a loss of identity is just as bad as finding out that your credit is bad in the first place!

Is Your Money Worth An Online Credit Report?

How much is your identity worth? While few credit reports will be free until late 2005, there are some leading credit agencies (TransUnion, Equifax, Experian) that will send you a credit report for a slight fee. When paying these trusted professionals, you can sleep more securely knowing that your personal information is being safeguarded. No one is stealing your information and generating credit card applications! They are using your online credit report for what it is meant to be used for - showing you your current credit status.

Do not end up 25, just married, ready to buy your first home, and suffering from a lack of security at some website. Investigate sites first and make an educated decision concerning your online credit report! Safe, secure, and reliable: the way that an online credit report should be!