Minneapolis ? Sure, you forgot long ago about that department store credit card you got for the discount. But your credit report has a memory like an elephant — an elephant that sometimes makes mistakes and squishes your credit score underfoot.

Getting a copy of that credit report got easier on Tuesday for Midwesterners, as free copies became available for the asking.

The Midwestern states added Tuesday — including Kansas — are the second phase of the Federal Trade Commission’s rollout of the service. It began in December with Western states and will finish Sept. 1 when the Northeast is added.

The three major credit bureaus have long been required to provide the reports upon request. Some consumers could get them for free, others had to pay a fee. Either way, the process could be cumbersome.

Now, reports from all three bureaus are available at www.annualcreditreport.com. Consumers can get one free report per year from each agency — Equifax Inc., Experian Information Solutions and Trans Union.

The reports were in high demand, just as they were when they became available in Western states, said David Rubinger, Equifax spokesman.

“Volumes were heavy as we expected,” he said.

The reports list a consumers’ credit history — including auto loans, mortgages, home equity loans, and credit cards. Lenders use the reports to decide whom to lend to, and at what interest rate.

Credit counselors said would-be borrowers can find their loans held up by long-forgotten financial transgressions like missed payments, or even bad debts added to their credit history by mistake. That makes it a good idea to check your credit report even if you don’t suspect any problems, said Mary Blegen, who runs U.S. Bancorp’s fraud liaison center.

Consumers can report discrepancies through the Web site. By law, the credit bureaus have to investigate within 30 days.