Despite a push to help people understand that they are entitled to get their credit report for free, many people are still confused because there are so many offers that say "free" but are only free when you buy some sort of credit monitoring service. So, here's the deal...

AnnualCreditReport.com is the only site where you can get your credit report for free without any further obligation.

That said, here are some points to understand, and a little advice:

* There are three credit reporting agencies: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. You are entitled a free credit report from EACH AGENCY one time per year. (When you request your report at AnnualCreditReport.com it will ask which report(s) you want.)

* Advice: Don't get your report from all three agencies at the same time. Stagger them. For example, get one report in January, one in May and one in September. That way, you'll be able to keep as running tab on what's happening with your credit, without having to pay anything.

* A credit report is NOT THE SAME as a credit score. A credit report will show you all of your open credit accounts, loans, etc., including information such as who the creditor is, how much you owe, any history of late or non-payments, etc. This is what you get for free. If you find a problem, you can dispute it with the creditor and/or the credit reporting agency in question. A credit score (also known as a FICO score) is a number that the credit reporting agencies attach to you, based on your past use of credit - whether you pay your bills on time, how much credit you have available, etc. This credit score is then offered to lenders to help them decide if they should loan money to you. Unlike the free credit report, there is no free credit score for you. If you want to know what score the agencies have pegged you with, you'll have to buy a score. In summary, credit report is free, credit score you pay.

Easy enough. Don't get taken by shysters!