In these tough economic times, a credit check has become more important than a health check. However, the good news is that you don’t have to spend a single penny on getting a credit check done. A number of websites now offer free credit checks online for people who want to find out about their financial situation.

First you need to get onto one of the three major credit bureaus website (Equifax, Experian or Transunion) or get in touch with them via their toll free numbers. These companies then ask you for your personal information which will help them pull up your records. An important thing to note is that you need to have a credit card or some other form of credit to be able to get a free credit check online or on the phone.

The free credit checks online will then show you where you stand financially. People who have made their loan, mortgage or credit card payment on time will obviously see good scores whereas those who have lapsed will have poor scores. Another thing that credit check helps with is identity thefts. A number of identity thefts have been reported wherein the person’s personal information is used by someone else to take loans and cards and then lapse on the payments. Regular credit check shows a person if such instances have occurred with them, and if they have, provisions can be made to rectify these problems.

While you get your credit check, you can also go ahead and order a credit report. A credit report is similar to your college report card. It shows you exactly how you have been performing financially and grades you with a credit score. These scores play an extremely important role when you apply for your next loan or credit card. Depending on your credit report, the financial institutes will make a decision as to how much you receive and in some cases whether you receive anything at all.

According to the Federal Law, it is your right to have access to and to be able to order a credit report from one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian or Transunion). Just like a credit check, it is a smart idea to order these reports annually and check to see if you have been scammed by an identity theft.  When you order a credit report from any one of these bureaus, they will provide you with their report, and in addition to that, they will give you a 3-in-1 report which includes all the three credit reports.

We recommend that you use Go Free Credit to perform a free credit check. It's completely free and gives you the information instantly. For more information, read this Go Free Credit Review.