On Dec. 1, Utahns can get free credit reports

Starting in December, you will no longer have to pay to see what's inside the personal dossier that creditors, insurance companies, potential employers and landlords check before deciding whether or not to do business with you.

For years, you've had the right to see your credit report free only after you've been denied credit. But a new federal law gives you a free, once-a-year look so you can check for errors before they inflict financial harm.

"Will it be like free beer — will everyone want some?" That's the question posed by Helen Goff Foster, a Federal Trade Commission lawyer, about the upcoming arrival of free credit reports.

To slow down the rush to the bar, the new rule will be rolled out gradually across the country. On Dec. 1, residents in the following states can contact credit bureaus for free reports: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Residents of 12 states will have to wait until March 1, 2005, and 11 more states will be added on June 1. The final 14 states and the District of Columbia will not come on board until Sept. 1, 2005.

Several states are ahead of the federal government in mandating a free look. Residents of Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont already get free access to their reports.

Getting a head start on correcting any errors could make buying a report now a wise investment. Each of the three major credit-reporting bureaus will sell you a report that combines information from all three, for the price shown below. You can buy a report separately from each bureau for $9.

• Equifax — Go online to www.equifax.com, write P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374, or call 800-685-1111. 3-in-1 Credit Report with Score Power, price: $39.95.

• Experian — Go online to www.experian.com, write P.O. Box 9563, Allen, TX 75013, or call 888-397-37423. Bureau Credit Report and PLUS score, price: $34.95.

• TransUnion — Go online to www.transunion.com, write P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022, or call 800-888-4213. 3-in-1 Credit Report and free credit score, price: $29.95.

If you have reason to believe your file contains inaccurate information as a result of fraud, or if you have been the subject of an adverse decision, such as denial of credit, insurance, employment or rental housing, within the past 60 days that could have been based on information in your record, you're already eligible for a free copy of your report from each of the credit-reporting bureaus.