Free credit reports now available to residents of southern states

As of June 1, 2005, free credit reports are now available to those living in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Last March, free credit reports became available to those living in : Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Last December, residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming were granted the right to a free credit report.

By September 1, 2005 every American will be able to get one free credit report every year -- with no further obligations and no subscription to cancel. The free credit reports are the result of The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) final ruling regarding free annual credit reports under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). FACTA, which was enacted on December 4, 2003, amends the FCRA and requires, among other things, that the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union) provide to consumers, upon request, a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months. According to the ruling, a free copy of your credit report must be provided upon your request to one of the following three centralized sources:

1. annualcreditreport.com
2. 877-322-8228
3. by completing the FTC's Annual Credit Report Request form , and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281

You can order all three credit reports (one from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) at one time, or at different times throughout the year... It's your choice.

The free credit report program is rolling out region-by-region with residents of the West, Midwest & South now eligible to request their free annual credit reports. On September 1, 2005, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories will become eligible.

Of course, if you've been denied a loan, insurance policy or job based on your credit report; or you're applying for unemployment or receive public assistance; you are also entitled to receive a free credit report.

For those of you living in Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and Vermont, your state laws already entitle you to a free annual credit report. If you're lucky enough to live in Georgia, you are entitled to two free annual credit reports from each credit reporting agency.