In part two of our series, we’ll be showing you how to pull your credit report from Experian without accidentally signing up for any subscriptions (check out Part one – Transunion). That is, we’ll be getting your credit report absolutely free, in spite of nearly every other force colluding to induce you to buy something. In part one of our series, we walked through the process of starting an AnnualCreditReport.com session. We’ll pick up where we left off there.

1. The first thing Experian will ask you for is the last four digits your Social Security number. They’ll use this to check to see if you are eligible for a free report. You are allowed one free report every 12 months. If you’ve already pulled your report this year, they’ll ask you if you want to buy one instead. Anyway, type in your digits and hit “Submit.”

2.  On the next screen, they’ll try to sell you Triple Advantage Credit Monitoring.  This costs $14.95 a month and essentially alerts you anytime something happens to your credit report. It’s not necessary, and certainly not free. In the “Important Information,” they even note that this offer is not affiliated with the free report from AnnualCreditReport.com. Skip this and the offer to see you Experian Credit Score for Only $5.95 (this isn’t the same as your report, note, and is NOT free) and click the sad, boring looking “Annual Credit Report” button.

3. Next, Experian will confirm your order. Ensure that the grand total is $0.00 and check that you’ve read the terms and conditions and click “Submit.”

4. Experian will now ask you to verify your identity.  This part is kind of fun, actually – it’s like a pop quiz, but all the questions are about you. It’s also a bit disconcerting to know how much information the credit reporting agencies have on you, but it’s ultimately for your own good. Often, the answers will be “None of the Above” so don’t stress if the options seem out of left field. Fill them out and hit “Continue.”

5. Congrats! You’ve got your free report and you didn’t sign up for any junk. Click “Print Your Report” and print a hard copy or save a PDF for future reference. You won’t get  a free report from Experian until next year.

6. To return you AnnualCreditReport.com,. click the “Return to AnnualCreditReport.com” button at the top. Note that this bar should always be present on the screen – if it’s not, do not proceed. It means you’ve been taken away from the AnnualCreditReport.com offer. When you click the button, Experian will let you know that you’re leaving. Click “OK” to go back to AnnualCreditReport.com and move along with any other credit reports you’d like to pull.

There you have it – you’ve got your credit report from Experian and no one had to pay a single cent. Experian is one of the friendlier websites to deal with – next time, we’ll tackle Equifax, which is the most confusing of the three credit reporting agencies. And remember, that the only place you can get a free report is AnnualCreditReport.com. For more information, see the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website at http://www.ftc.gov/freereports.

Related posts:

1. A Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Your (Actually) Free Credit Report without Accidentally Signing Up For Extras: Part Three Equifax
2. A Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Your (Actually) Free Credit Report without Accidentally Signing Up For Extras: Part One – TransUnion
3. Guide to Getting Your Free Credit Report from GoFreeCredit.com
4. Getting Your (Actually) Free Credit Report from SmartCredit.com
5. FICO vs. VantageScore and the Truth About Free Credit Scores