Credit reports affect decisions about loans, credit cards, housing, insurance, and, in some situations, employment. Reviewing them can help you find inaccurate account information or signs that someone has used your identity.
Federal law gives consumers the right to receive a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The companies also currently allow consumers to view their reports online once a week for free through the federally authorized service.
Use the Official Request Service
AnnualCreditReport.com is the only website authorized by federal law to process free annual credit report requests from all three nationwide credit reporting companies.
You can request reports in one of three ways:
Online
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com and choose reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, or all three.
Online reports are generally available immediately after successful identity verification. Download or print each report before closing the page because returning to it later may be difficult.
By Phone
Call 877-322-8228 and follow the automated instructions. Reports requested by phone are processed and mailed, generally within 15 days. Delivery may take additional time.
By Mail
Complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
A mailed request is generally processed within 15 days after it is received. Identity-verification issues can extend the processing time.
Avoid mailing unnecessary original documents. If supporting identification is requested, follow the instructions carefully and send copies when permitted.
Decide Whether to Request All Three Reports
You may request all three reports at the same time or review them separately.
Requesting all three together can be useful before:
Applying for a mortgage
Financing a vehicle
Renting a home
Applying for a job involving a credit review
Correcting suspected identity theft
Making another major financial decision
Reviewing the reports together makes it easier to compare information among the bureaus. An account or error may appear on one report but not the others because creditors do not necessarily report to every company.
Staggering the reports can help you monitor your credit at different points during the year. However, consumers can currently access updated reports from each nationwide bureau online once a week at no charge, providing more frequent opportunities to check for changes.
Prepare Your Personal Information
To verify your identity, be ready to provide:
Full legal name
Current address
Previous address if you moved recently
Social Security number
Date of birth
Each credit reporting company may ask separate identity questions. These may involve a previous address, loan, monthly payment, or account that appears in your file.
Read the questions carefully. “None of the above” may be the correct response when the system lists an unfamiliar loan or address as a security check.
Do not guess repeatedly. Unsuccessful answers may prevent online access and require you to request the report by phone or mail.
Protect Your Information During the Request
A credit report contains sensitive financial and identifying information. Request it using a private device and a trusted internet connection.
Before entering information:
Type the official address yourself
Check the spelling carefully
Avoid links in unsolicited emails or text messages
Do not respond to pop-up advertisements
Avoid public Wi-Fi when possible
Confirm that the device has current security updates
Close the browser after saving the reports
Store downloaded copies securely
The official service and credit bureaus will not unexpectedly email or call to ask for your Social Security number or account information. Treat an unsolicited request for those details as suspicious.
Avoid “Free” Report and Score Offers
Other websites may advertise free credit reports, scores, or monitoring. Some require a paid subscription, collect information for marketing, or begin charging after a trial period.
You do not need to buy credit monitoring, identity-theft protection, or another product to receive the reports provided through the federally authorized service.
Review the terms before entering payment information on any commercial credit website. A request for a credit or debit card is a sign that the offer may involve a paid service.
Understand the Difference Between a Report and a Score
A credit report contains information about credit accounts, payment history, balances, inquiries, collections, and certain public records. A credit score is a number calculated from information in a report using a particular scoring model.
The free annual reports do not necessarily include a free credit score. A bank, credit card issuer, lender, or financial counseling service may provide a score separately.
Different services can display different scores because they may use different scoring models, credit bureaus, or calculation dates.
Requesting your own credit report is a personal review, sometimes called a soft inquiry. It does not lower your credit score.
Review Personal Information First
Check the identifying section of each report for:
Incorrect names or name variations
Addresses where you never lived
Incorrect employers
An inaccurate Social Security number
Information belonging to someone with a similar name
An old address or employer is not automatically harmful, but unfamiliar information may indicate a mixed file, reporting mistake, or identity-theft problem.
Review Every Account
For each credit card, loan, collection account, and other listed item, check:
Whether the account belongs to you
The lender or creditor name
The account status
The balance
The payment history
The credit limit or original loan amount
The date the account was opened
Whether a closed account is shown as closed
Whether the same debt appears more than once
An unfamiliar creditor name is not always fraudulent. A lender may operate under a parent company, or a debt may have been transferred or sold. Investigate the company before deciding the account is not yours.
Check Credit Inquiries
The inquiry section shows certain businesses that accessed the report. Some inquiries result from applications for credit, while others may involve account reviews or promotional screening.
Look closely at inquiries connected to credit applications you do not recognize. An unfamiliar inquiry combined with a new account or incorrect personal information may require immediate attention.
Save a Copy of Each Report
Download or print the reports and record the date requested. Store them in a secure folder, encrypted drive, locked filing cabinet, or another protected location.
Do not leave printed reports in a shared workspace or discard them intact. Shred copies that are no longer needed because they may contain account details and personal information.
Comparing a current report with an earlier copy can help identify when an account, balance, or address changed.
Dispute Information That Appears Incorrect
Consumers have the right to dispute information they believe is inaccurate or incomplete. A dispute can generally be submitted to the credit reporting company and the business that supplied the information.
Identify the exact item, explain what is wrong, and include copies of documents supporting the correction. Keep:
The dispute confirmation
Copies of supporting records
Mailing or delivery proof
Correspondence from the companies
Investigation results
A corrected report, when provided
Do not send original records unless specifically required and appropriate.
A disagreement with a creditor does not automatically make information inaccurate. State the facts and provide evidence showing why the reported item should be corrected or removed.
Act Quickly if You Find Possible Identity Theft
An account, address, or application you do not recognize may indicate identity theft. Contact the relevant creditor and credit reporting companies promptly.
Depending on the situation, consider:
Placing a free security freeze with each credit bureau
Adding a fraud alert
Changing affected account passwords
Reviewing bank and credit card activity
Reporting identity theft through the federal identity-theft recovery process
Filing a police report when appropriate
Keeping a written record of every contact
A freeze generally restricts access to the credit file, making it harder for someone to open new credit in your name. It does not correct existing report errors, so disputed information must still be addressed separately.
Additional Free Reports May Be Available
Consumers may qualify for other free reports in certain situations, including when:
A company takes an adverse action based on a credit report
The report may be inaccurate because of fraud
The consumer places a fraud alert
The consumer is unemployed and plans to seek work within 60 days
The consumer receives public assistance
State law provides another free report
An adverse-action notice should identify the credit reporting company involved. A consumer generally must request the related free report within 60 days after receiving the notice.
Check Reports Regularly
Reviewing credit reports is useful even when you are not applying for credit. Regular checks can uncover incorrect late payments, duplicate debts, unfamiliar accounts, and outdated information before they affect an important application.
Set a calendar reminder and keep a record of which reports you reviewed. The request itself is free, does not require a subscription, and does not damage your credit score.
This article provides general educational information and is not individualized legal, credit, or financial advice. Credit-report rights and additional consumer protections may vary by state and circumstance.
