There are some other ways you can be entitled to a free copy of your credit report as well as your annual free copy of your credit report that you are legally entitled to.

Q: Are there any other situations where I might be eligible for a free report?

A: Under federal law, you’re entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you such as denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company. You’re also entitled to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you’re on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft. Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $9.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period.

# To buy a copy of your report, contact: Equifax: 800-685-1111; www.equifax.com
# Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com
# Trans Union: 800-916-8800; www.transunion.com

Under state law, consumers in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont already have free access to their credit reports.

There you have it. If you have just been denied credit for example, you don’t need to pay to see why. It may well be something on your credit report, and you can find out if you have a low credit score. Make sure you take advantage of this.