Every so often I address questions and comments I receive via email. If you have a question, please contact me using the form on this page. I try to respond to everyone, but it might take a while before I read every email I receive.

From Mary Lynn:

I really liked your article that explained how freecreditreport.com isn’t free at all. I was wondering if you knew of any credit report site that doesn’t ask for a fee! I don’t have any credit cards since I just turned 18 and graduated from high school but I need a credit report for this job I’m taking. Please, if you know of any, let me know.

First, to answer Mary Lynn’s question, the one and only website for retrieving the government-mandated three free credit reports each year, one from each credit reporting bureau, is AnnualCreditReport.com. Even there, since the site works with the for-profit reporting agencies, they will try to sell you something. Steer clear of the offers and get your free credit report once every four months.

I find it odd that your employer requires you to get your own credit report and present it. Employers, if they must to a credit check on prospective employees, should do it without requiring you to do anything other than provide your Social Security Number.

From Jake T.:

You seem to open a lot of bank accounts. How many different banks do you have accounts at, and which one is your favorite?

I do have a diversified set of savings accounts. I wrote about reducing your number of banks as a way to simplify your finances, but I like the idea of keeping money spread around. Without Quicken, this would be an organization nightmare. I have accounts with Wachovia (my main brick-and-mortar bank for both business and personal savings and checking), TD Bank (formerly Commerce Bank, open on Sundays, my secondary brick-and-mortar bank), Ally Bank, FNBO Direct, HSBC Direct, ING Direct, E*TRADE Bank, and Emigrant Direct. I’m also in the process of opening an account at EverBank. Of these, ING Direct and FNBO Direct stand out as favorites.

If you have questions, let us know. You can email your questions directly to me (or to Smithee, Jeff, or Tom) or leave your questions in the comments area.

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