Under the provisions of federal consumer law, if you want to obtain a free credit report from one or all of the big three credit reporting companies, go to AnnualCreditReport.com.

Period.

If you want a free credit report from Experian -- one of the big three -- and the possibility that the company will sign you up for a credit report monitoring service with a monthly fee, go to Experian's FreeCreditReport.com website.

Likewise, FreeCreditReportSource.com; FreebieCreditReport.com; FreeCreditReportsInstantly.com and a host of other similarly named websites will all also "give" you your "free" credit report, but you could wind up paying extra for credit services you may not want.

Confused?

That's not surprising.

First, the facts.

A year ago this month the federal government finished rolling out the free annual credit report provision of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), enacted Dec. 4, 2003 to overhaul the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

The provision says you are entitled to one free credit report each year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax; Experian; and TransUnion.

Along with your personal identification information -- Social Security number, birth date, name, recent addresses and employers, etc. -- your credit report is a sort of fiscal fitness report on your credit habits. It names your credit accounts, identifies them by type and tracks balances, credit limits, payments, available credit, open-or-closed status and other information that reveals how well or how poorly you pay each account. The report also documents credit requests and notices of liens, judgments and other "derogatory" remarks, remarks from the consumer, and other information.

(Your credit score, a numerical analysis of your credit worthiness, is not available under the free credit report provision and typically must be purchased separately.)

When you apply for credit, the creditor takes a look at your credit report, among other documents and data, to determine if you qualify for credit and to determine how much credit it will grant you.

It's a good idea to keep tabs on your credit report before you apply for credit to avoid surprises, to correct any mistakes that could adversely affect your application, and to take steps to improve your credit whenever possible. An unblemished credit report not only gives you fast access to credit, you also pay less in interest than you would if your report contains blemishes.

You've always had access to your credit report under previous provisions -- say, if your credit application was denied -- but now you need not apply for credit to learn what's on your report. It is, after all, your information.

Under the federal law's provision, official, free access to your credit report is available through a single website, AnnualCreditReport.com; by phone, via (877) 322-8228; by mail (Annual Credit Report Service, P.O.Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281); or by filling out the official "Annual Credit Report Request Form" available on the Federal Trade Commission's website.

Now for the fiction.

The FTC warns consumers to beware of "impostor" websites, those with enticing names that pose as "free credit report" websites but which are questionable marketing gimmicks designed to enroll you in credit report monitoring and other credit services in exchange for granting you your "free" credit report.

Selling credit report monitoring services is a legitimate business, though consumer advocates say the services are of dubious value.

Federal law says you can get one free credit report from each of the three agencies each year. That means you can get three free credit reports each year. If you spread them out over the year, obtaining one report every four months, each time choosing a report from a different company, you can effectively self-monitor your credit data at no charge. Any nominal extra charge for your credit score is worth the fee.

Before the feds were finished rolling out the official, federally sanctioned free credit report service a year ago, it went after Experian (operating under FreeCreditReport.com and ConsumerInfo.com), charging the company with "deceptively" enticing consumers with "free credit reports" but "not adequately disclosing that consumers automatically would be signed up for a credit report monitoring service and charged $79.95 if they didn't cancel within 30 days, in violation of federal law."

A settlement bars deceptive and misleading claims in such offers and requires clear disclosure of terms and conditions of any such offers. Experian had to return $950,000 to consumers.

Now websites typically, clearly state that when you obtain your "free credit report" you'll be signed up for monitoring or other services -- for a fee. Most websites give you the first month of services free, but then it's up to you to remember to cancel the service.

If you don't, your "free" will become a "fee."

Unfortunately, you may even want to avoid the official, federally sanctioned website if you don't want to chance being sucked into buying credit monitoring services.

The home page of AnnualCreditReport.com contains a link to each of the big three credit reporting agencies. In all three cases, hit the link and you'll arrive at a page hawking credit monitoring and related services.

Keeping Your Credit Clean

Many homebuyers frequently wonder, "If I am shopping for a home loan will my credit be affected each time a credit report inquiry is made?"

It's a logical and intelligent question to ask; the answer is: not significantly, if the credit checks are done in a short period of time.

When a credit check is made by a potential lender it is called a hard inquiry. When a hard inquiry occurs it does have an impact on your credit score. However, when you're shopping for a mortgage or a car loan, credit bureaus typically cluster the hard inquiries together because the credit reporting bureaus understand that the consumer is shopping for the best loan.

"So for example, if you're shopping for a new mortgage and three potential lenders pull your credit score within three weeks, that is looked at as one inquiry for that purpose," says Steven Katz a spokesperson for TransUnion's TrueCredit.com.

Keeping your credit clean is critical. Katz offers the following advice to help ensure healthy credit.

One card you should not carry: Leave your Social Security card at home. "There is basically no reason that you need to carry that with you," says Katz.

Most people have their Social Security card number memorized. If you're not one of those people, then only carry your card with you when you know you need the information on it. Your Social Security card number contains personal information that if it gets into the wrong hands, can cause major credit dilemmas.

Lock it up: Apartment complexes and condominiums typically have locking mailboxes, but these types of secure mailboxes aren't as common in residential, single-family neighborhoods.

"If at all possible, people should have a locking mailbox," says Katz.

Katz says mailboxes with locking devices are becoming more popular at hardware stores because identity theft is spreading. Taking precaution to protect your personal information can save you months of agony.

Shred your documents: Katz says if you don't shred your personal documents and criminals access the information, the result can be devastating to your credit. Criminals will often attempt to open new accounts using your name and information. If they're successful, they will use the new account and divert the account information to the criminals' address or post office box.

"So, you'll never even know that the account was established. They'll be receiving the bills and then just throwing them out. It's ruining your credit." explains Katz.

Keep an eye on your credit card: Katz says while it is difficult, people should not let their credit card out of their sight or else they run the risk of becoming a victim of skimming.

Skimming has become prevalent at some restaurants and gas stations where a clerk might have a small device that scans the consumer's credit card.

"It's a very small scanner that captures all the information that is on the magnetic strip, and then the card's information can be cloned," explains Katz.

Of course, keeping your credit card visible at all times is nearly impossible. Katz says, "If you're going to go to a restaurant in an area that you're a little uncertain of -- that's in a fringe area or you're in a foreign country and you're not too certain about where you're dining -- attempt to use cash."

Also, when using credit cards be sure that the receipt you leave with the merchant does not have your credit card number exposed. Most merchants have credit card systems that only print out the last four digits of a consumer's credit card; however, some still show the entire account number on the print out. If your full credit card account number appears on the receipt, scratch it out with a pen. Additionally, in rare cases where carbon copies are used, ask for the carbon.

Check your credit history

Consumers can check their credit history for free once a year at http://annualcreditreport.com. Katz says that the free reports will not contain an actual credit score, but you can get the scores for a fee.

Document Value Of Donated Household Goods

If you regularly count on Goodwill, the Salvation Army and others to find homes for what won't fit in your attic, garage or spare room -- all while getting a charitable tax deduction -- do your spring purging now.

That's especially true if you commonly fudge the value of donated items.

In 2007, the Internal Revenue Service will hold you accountable for accurately documenting the value of donated goods under a new tax edict tucked away in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, signed by President Bush this summer.

The broader act is aimed at curing the ailing defined-benefit pension system but it includes a host of unrelated provisions, including one that governs required, accurate documentation when you claim tax breaks for gifts, including household goods trucked off to charitable organizations.

Under the current law, the IRS pretty much takes you at your word when you claim a tax break for donations of money or items you've valued at up to $250. Documentation is required for larger amounts and, of course, if you are audited.

Next year, you might want to put a check in the Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle and make sure that futon is really worth $50 -- if you take the deduction.

Under the new provision, you won't have to file your receipts, canceled checks or other donation documentation, but you'd better have proof on hand.

IRS will keep tabs on you through a form that's already necessary when you give goods, IRS Form 8283, "Noncash Charitable Contributions" which comes with instructions, both of which you can download from http://www.irs.gov/.

Along with newly required documentation, the IRS will be beefing up enforcement of existing penalties that rain down on you if you overstate the value or adjusted basis of donated goods.

The penalty is 20 percent of the underpayment of tax related to the overstatement if the value or adjusted basis claimed on the return is 200 percent or more of the correct amount, and you underpaid your tax by more than $5,000 because of the overstatement.

The penalty jumps to 40 percent if the value or adjusted basis claimed on the return is 400 percent or more of the correct amount and you underpaid your tax by more than $5,000 because of the overstatement.

And of course you'll have to pay any taxes that were actually due.

The Salvation Army (http://www.satruck.com), Goodwill Industries (http://www.goodwillpromo.org) and other charities offer suggested values for a host of items, but it's up to you to make sure you get it right.

Buying To Expand Can Be Tricky

It may be better to buy the square footage you need in a neighborhood of larger homes rather than buying into a neighborhood of smaller homes with plans to build up or out.

At the very least, if you decide to shop for a home you want to expand, also shop for zoning laws that will allow it.

The purchase money you save up front on a smaller home may not be worth the headache that could come later from building restrictions and market conditions that leave you with a home that doesn't fit.

Shifting cash into major home improvements can have a triple payoff -- the work will likely increase the value of your home, boost your net worth and improve your quality of life, especially if you need room for an expanding family.

But if you've got a case of palace envy and plan to tear down walls or pop off the roof to create an expansive estate, make sure you don't move into a community where zoning laws won't let your home become your castle.

Numerous jurisdictions passed restrictions preventing so called "monster homes" in response to the late 1990s "wealth effect" of stock market endowed riches. Many home owners used their stock market winnings to rebuild homes, twice or three times their original size -- much to the chagrin of neighbors.

Today, the cost of housing is forcing many owners to consider staying put and expanding their home, but that door may be closed.

Bowing to community pressures, jurisdictions enacted home improvement restrictions that prevent home owners from spreading out or up too much. Often based on the lot size, square-footage and footprint of the existing home, the new zoning laws are designed to allow neighborhoods to retain their character as well as prevent starter mansions from physically over shadowing their neighbors.

Even where such laws don't exist, you must consider a major home improvement's impact on your resale. Rebuilding or expanding a home beyond the scope of existing homes could be financially hazardous if you plan to sell the home later.

Major home improvements don't always return to the value of the home the full cost of the work and even if you plan on remaining in your home indefinitely, your heirs could be stuck with a very large, immobile white elephant.

In the best of markets, where there's room for appreciation, improvements are generally wise if they don't push your home's value beyond 20 to 25 percent above the current value of like homes in the community, appraisers say.

In a tired market where there's less wiggle room, your improvements should keep your home's value in line with the value of existing homes.

How Much is Too Much to Fix up Your House?

As with any resale product, the person trying to sell said product will usually try to make the product look as new as possible to ensure the highest profit available. In reviewing many of the homes on the market today, however, some sellers don't get that notion.

Don't make the mistake of the seller who, knowing full well that buyers were coming by, not only failed to do a fresh clean up, but also left his underwear on the exercise bike, a pan of crusty macaroni and cheese on the stove and debris throughout the yard.

There are some task items any seller should consider when selling a house. Even if you decide to sell "as is," a little soap and water could put a few more bucks in your pocket. With that in mind, let's look at what sellers should look at doing with any house they want to put on the market; what to do when you want to get a little more money; and how to compete with the Joneses when looking to prepare your home for sale.

Any House

All homes going on the market should receive a deep cleaning. This is the cleaning that you do when -- well, you would never do it unless you're selling your house (or you're just an absolute neatnik. This involves scrubbing every cranny of the house. Nothing goes unscrubbed. I would suggest bringing in a professional group to get this done and plan on spending a couple hundred bucks (maybe more) to get the house ready for your new buyer.