Military members can access free credit report

Military members will have access to a free credit report thanks to an initiative from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The agency said that it will provide a free consumer credit score reading for all active personnel and "educational tools" to help military personnel better understand how their credit scores affect their purchasing power. "The FINRA Foundation is providing free access to this vital credit management tool to help active duty servicemembers take real steps to achieve a more secure financial future," said FINRA Foundation president John Gannon. The Baltimore Sun reports that military members will gain a significant advantage from this campaign because they will be able to access a credit score prior to obtaining a loan. That will give them much greater clarity before taking on a significant financial obligation. "If you have a bad score and don't know why, you can go an try to solve the problem," Fred Eisenbrandt, finance corps commander with the Maryland Defense Force, told the Baltimore Sun. Often, military personnel serving overseas run into credit and lending issues because they are unable to maintain strong finances while away or go into default due to unpaid loans.