The feds just expanded the pool of people likely to see their scores. Initially, the Dodd-Frank financial reform law requiring credit score disclosure was assumed to apply only to people who were either turned down for credit or who didn’t receive the best rate and terms. Now, according to final rules released yesterday by the Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission, anyone who applies for credit after the July 21 implementation date is likely to see their scores, said John Ulzheimer, author of “You’re Nothing But a Number” and a credit expert who offered advice to U.S. Senator Mark Udall, who drafted the credit score provision.

There are a few narrow exceptions allowing lenders not to disclose the scores, but Ulzheimer believes that for simplicity and compliance many banks will default to always disclosing a score.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “The vast majority of consumers who apply for anything in the financial services arena are going to see their score, even if you’re approved for the best rate and terms.”

There’s a lot of confusion about credit scores. Many people erroneously assume they have the annual right to see their scores for free, which isn’t true (you have a right to see your three credit reports, not your scores, via www.annualcreditreport.com). The only scores you have a right to see are the ones your mortgage lender uses to grant or deny you a home loan; that’s been true since 2004. Otherwise, though, you typically haven’t had free access to your scores.

People also believe that the scores they buy from the credit bureaus or get for free from various Web sites are the same scores lenders use; typically, that’s not the case. To see two of your three available FICO scores, you’ve had to buy them from MyFico.com at $19.95 a pop. (The third credit bureau, Experian, no longer sells FICO scores to consumers, although it continues to sell them to lenders.)

The new disclosure rules do not, unfortunately, extend to insurance companies as originally expected. Insurance companies use insurance scores, rather than credit scores, to determine premiums. Insurance scores use credit bureau data, just as credit scores do, but the feds decided insurance scores were different enough in form and function not to qualify for the new disclosures.

Still, this is great news for consumers, and yet another step in lifting the veil of mystery that’s surrounded credit scoring for too long.

THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW. Read more at FTC.GOV. You have the right to a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228, the ONLY authorized source under federal law.

I hear from a lot of readers who’ve tried to get their federally-mandated free credit reports from one of these lookalike sites, and instead been duped into buying credit monitoring or other products. So in my view, the disclaimers are long overdue.

Except Experian, one of the companies that has benefited from the confusion, has done a end run around the new regulation. Instead of posting the required disclaimer at FreeCreditReport.com, they’re now charging you a dollar and saying this:

Due to federally imposed restrictions it is no longer feasible for us to provide you with a free Experian Credit Report. So for now we’ll be charging you $1 for your Report. But instead of keeping your $1, we’ll donate 100% of the proceeds to DonorsChoose.org, an online charity providing funds to classrooms in need.

There is a notice at the top of the site, where the federal disclaimer would otherwise be, outlining what FreeCreditReport.com is all about–signing you up for credit monitoring for $14.95 a month.

But Experian’s refusal to make it clear that FreeCreditReport.com isn’t the federal site, and the picture of the smirking 20-somethings from its musical ads, leaves the impression that Experian thinks thumbing its nose at regulators, and consumers, is cute or clever.

Here’s a news flash, boys: it’s neither. It just stinks.

Interested but cautious, I called the toll-free number and spoke to an actual person who said the company represents homeowners in pre-foreclosure. They try to match qualified renters (there was an income requirement, but no credit check) with struggling homeowners in a win-win situation: Renters get into desirable properties, paying “rent” directly to mortgage companies, and homeowners avoid foreclosure.

This matchmaking arrangement sounds logical and appealing for both parties. However, something that sounds too good to be true usually is. Still, I can’t help but wonder whether there is a shred of legitimacy to such arrangements. If so, where can I find credible information and legitimate opportunities to help a struggling family while benefiting my own?

Answer: Think this one through a little more. Why would anyone — homeowner or “rescue” company — leave money on the table by charging below-market rents on desirable properties and to people of uncertain creditworthiness? Out of the goodness of their hearts? That’s a stretch.

Just because an ad appears on a reputable website does not mean the advertiser is a reputable business. A common scam these days is for con artists to promise homeowners salvation from foreclosure by taking over their mortgage. The scammers rent out the house but simply pocket the rent payments. The home goes into foreclosure, the renters get evicted and no one wins but the bad guys.

You can read more about foreclosure scams at the Federal Trade Commission website.

These are not our debts, and we check our credit report regularly enough to know that these also are not fraudulent charges made to our accounts or accounts opened fraudulently in our names. Is there a way to stop these calls?

Answer: Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you have the right to tell collection agencies in writing to stop contacting you, and they’re supposed to comply.

This, unfortunately, can be tougher than it sounds.

Some of the agencies employing automatic dialers routinely ignore the laws requiring that they identify themselves and provide you with contact information, including the firm’s name and address. If they leave a return phone number, you can try calling it or entering it into an Internet search engine to see if you can determine who’s calling.

If you get a name and address, you can write a letter telling the agency the debts aren’t yours and to stop contacting you. If the agency calls again, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission or sue it in Small Claims Court for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Don’t get scammed and let your hard-earned dollars fall into the wrong hands.  If someone asks for a donation, take your time and familiarize yourself with the charity by following these steps:

• Ask for the charity’s name, address, and phone number, and written information about its programs.
• Ask whether the person contacting you is a professional fundraiser and how much of your contribution will go to fundraising costs.
• Check the history of the organization with the office that regulates charities in your state. For a list of state offices, visit the National Association of State Charity Officials.

You should also know the warning signs of a scam:

• High-pressure pitches. Reject them: It’s OK to hang up.
• A “thank you” for a pledge you don’t remember making.  Be skeptical; scam artists will lie to get your money.
• Requests for cash.  Avoid giving cash donations.
• Charities that offer to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect your money.
• Charities that guarantee sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution.
• Charities that spring up overnight, especially those that involve current events like natural disasters, or those that claim to be for police officers, veterans, or firefighters. They probably don’t have the infrastructure to get your donations to the affected area or people.

Still not sure? Here are some Web sites where consumers can check out a charity:

• www.nasconet.org - National Association of State Charity Officials, where you can look up and contact your state’s charities regulator for more information.

• www.guidestar.org - Guidestar

• www.bbb.org/charity – Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance

• www.charitynavigator.org - CharityNavigator

• www.charitywatch.org – American Institute of Philanthropy

Want more info? Check out my tips on giving:

• How much should you give?

• The 100 most useful Web sites