Quick Answer: Yes, free credit monitoring for military is legitimate through a 2019 FTC rule requiring Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to provide these services to active duty and National Guard members. Military personnel can sign up directly through each credit reporting agency’s website to receive alerts about potential identity theft or credit report errors.
Starting October 31, 2019, many members of the military will have access to free electronic credit monitoring, which can help them spot identity theft.
In response to a new FTC Rule implementing a 2018 law, the nationwide credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—are providing free electronic credit monitoring services to active duty service members and National Guard members. Credit monitoring services can alert consumers to mistakes or problems with their credit reports that might stem from the unauthorized use of their personal information to obtain credit.
For details on how to sign up for the free credit monitoring, go to the websites for each of the credit reporting agencies. For information about how to dispute an error in a credit report, read Disputing Errors on Your Credit Report. To spot signs of, or recover from, identity theft, visit Identitytheft.gov.
Each weekday I send one short email: one money story that caught my attention, why it might matter to you, and one manageable thing you can do with it. A couple of minutes, and a dad joke.
In the latest issue (Oct 15): The ones who need the Social Security raise the most keep the least of it
Free. I sell nothing. Unsubscribe any time.
Before You Sign Anything: Run any debt relief contract through the free Contract Decoder to spot hidden fees and unfair terms. Check the company’s complaint history with the Scam-O-Meter.
Compare Your Real Options: Most debt relief companies won’t tell you about all your options — especially the ones they can’t profit from. Credit counseling has a 21-27% completion rate. Settlement resolves about 1% of enrolled debts fully. Bankruptcy has a 95% discharge rate — and protects your retirement. Take the Find Your Path quiz for a recommendation based on your actual numbers.