So how reliable are these ads for a free credit report? Of the eight top credit monitoring and free credit reporting offers only two of the eight actually deliver all three of the necessary credit scores from Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. The other six offered only one score from the three.

A few minutes can lead to more than a few “free” credit report programs. Most people don’t know the difference between them. And we have all seen the wacky guy in the pirate hat, playing guitar and singing, “Because my credit was whacked; now I’m driving a used sub-compact.”

So how reliable are these ads? Of the eight top credit monitoring and free credit reporting offers only two of the eight actually deliver all three of the necessary credit scores from Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. The other six offered only one score from the three.

And why is this important? Why do we need all three scores? In today’s world, where even many employment opportunities require credit checks, everyone you will deal with checks all three. If you have the score from one but a bad report on another that you’re not aware of, you’re in for some big surprises. The higher your score the better your chances are of getting approved for the loan, apartment, or better job. Imagine getting turned down for a life changing job because just one of your three credit score were low to do errors that you weren’t aware of.

So how free is free credit health? We have all heard the phrase “there aren’t no such thing as a free lunch”? All of these offers come with about the same types of extra services. While your score is free, that alone will not do the job. Identity theft protection and credit monitoring are necessary evils in today’s world. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world with over 10 million cases reported last year. The cost for identity protection is minimal compared to the cost to you and consequences if your identity is stolen. On the low side it runs about $7.50 per month and $14.99 for premium plans that offer triple scores and advanced credit monitoring.

Follow these few simple rules for better credit health:

• Get your free credit health checkups regularly by checking all three scores and reports.

• Make use of the different services offered by these companies. You will have to pay for them, but it’s much less expensive than having to correct errors or having to deal with identity theft.

• Keep accurate records.

Free credit health is available. It’s your responsibility to take advantage of it.