Free Credit Report vs Annual Credit Report
The Free Credit Report site is often confused with the Annual Credit Report (annualcreditreport.com), a government-mandated site jointly run by Experian and the other two bureaus, TransUnion and Equifax. Annual Credit Report provides users with free credit reports every year as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Unlike Free Credit Report, it does not require users to sign up or enroll in any program.
Another key difference between the two sites is the credit score. Credit reports are normally issued without the credit score, which can be purchased separately at the same time as the free annual report. The free Experian report, on the other hand, includes a PLUS credit score.
Free Credit Report includes a link to the Annual Credit Report site. This has led to allegations that Experian was trying to associate itself with the government site and intentionally misleading consumers. The site now includes a larger, more readable notice that it is not affiliated with Annual Credit Report.
