September is the one year anniversary for yearly free credit reports for consumers. Phased in across the country, all areas were eligible by September of 2005.

All consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months form each of the three national credit reporting agencies – Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.

To obtain your free credit reports, you can order them online at www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll free at 1-877-322-8228 or obtain an Annual Credit Report Request Form at www.ftc.gov. Once completed, mail the request form to Annual Credit Report Service, P O Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Knowing what is on your credit report is the first and most important step to taking control of your personal finances. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to get the information you need to repair your credit rating and to discover and correct mistakes that your credit report may contain.