Beginning on December 1, 2004, residents of the Western U.S. have the right to order a free copy of their credit report under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Residents of the final group of East Coast states will be able to request their free credit reports by September 1, 2005

All U.S. consumers have become eligible for free reports on this schedule:

WESTERN STATES: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) will become eligible on December 1, 2004;

MIDWESTERN STATES: (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) will become eligible on March 1, 2005;

SOUTHERN STATES: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas ) will become eligible on June 1, 2005;

 EASTERN STATES: (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia) and Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories will become eligible on September 1, 2005.

FACTA, which was enacted on December 4, 2003, amends the FCRA and requires, among other things, that the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) - Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union - provide to consumers, upon request, a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission's final ruling on the issue of providing U.S. citizens with free access to their credit reports at: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2004/06/040624factafreeannualfrn.pdf

You have the right to request one (1) free credit report from each of the three (3) credit reporting agencies each year. It is recommended that you request a free credit report EVERY FOUR (4) months on a rotating basis. For example, request your report from Experian on January 1st, Trans Union on May 1st, and Equifax on September 1st. Unfortunately, you must pay for your summary credit score. What a surprise that the fee has been raised from $3 to $7. However, unless you have corrected many factual errors or experienced major changes in your personal finances, the purchase of your credit score once per year should be sufficient for monitoring your credit report.

Currently, you can purchase your FICO score directly at www.myfico.com as well as examine personal financial attributes that can improve your credit score at the FICO simulator.

After December 1, 2004, you may request your free credit report via the internet at www.annualcreditreport.com or request the report by phone: Toll-free number: (877) 322-8228.

You may also make your request by writing to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Requests by phone or mail will be processed within 15 days of receipt.