How to Get Free Credit Reports

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The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—to provide a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the FCRA.

A credit report includes vital personal and financial information, including:

• Your current and former addresses
• Your credit history, including open/closed accounts, balances, and any late or missed payments
• Requests for your credit information, either as “soft” inquiries to confirm identity or as “hard” inquiries to extend credit
• Any public record of a lawsuit, arrest, or bankruptcy under your name

Consumer reporting companies sell information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses. Recipients use the information to evaluate applications for credit, insurance, employment, or housing.

The FCRA and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act extend specific rights to consumers regarding their credit reports. If you’re interested in accessing your report, read below for more information.

How do I order my free report?

Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion sponsor a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report:

• Online: Visit AnnualCreditReport.com
• Phone: Call 1-877-322-8228 (TTY: 1-800-821-7232)
• 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

Don’t contact Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion directly. They only provide free credit reports through the above methods.

What information do I need to provide to get my free report?

• You’ll need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth
• To maintain security, each reporting company may ask for additional identifying information, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. These requests may differ between each reporting company.

Why would I want a copy of my credit report?

Potential lenders use your credit report to determine whether to extend credit, and to assign interest rates. With a copy of your report, you can:

• Verify that all information is accurate, complete, and current before applying for credit, buying insurance, or applying for a job
• Protect yourself from identity theft

Criminals with access to your personal information—like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number—can use it to open new accounts in your name. Then, when they don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account appears your credit report. This could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or a job.

How long does it take to get my report after I order it?

• If you request your report online at AnnualCreditReport.com, you can access it immediately
• If you order your report by phone or mail, it will be mailed to you within 15 days
• You may experience delays if the reporting companies need more information to verify your identity, or if they receive a high volume of requests

Are there any other situations where I might be eligible for a free report?

• Under federal law, you can receive a free report if a lender denies a credit application, an insurer denies a policy application, or any employer rejects a job application. You need to ask for your report within 60 days of the adverse notice. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the relevant reporting company.
• You’re also entitled to an additional free report a year if:
  • You’re unemployed and planning to look for a job within 60 days
  • You’re on welfare
  • You’re a victim of fraud or identity theft.
• You can place a “Fraud Alert” on your credit reports, which require potential lenders to contact your directly before opening new accounts

Should I order a report from each of the three reporting companies?

That’s up to you. Information may vary between each report, as the reporting companies sometimes use different sources. That doesn’t necessarily meant the information in any of your reports is inaccurate; it just may be different.

Should I order my reports from all three of the reporting companies at the same time?

You can do that, or you can stagger your requests. It’s your choice. Staggering your requests during a 12-month period may help monitor accuracy and completeness over time.

What if I find errors in my credit report?

Under the FCRA, both the reporting company and the information provider should correct inaccurate or incomplete entries in your report. You can file a dispute with the reporting company, identify the errors in your request, and provide documentation to support your claim.

What can I do if the reporting company or information provider won’t correct the information I am disputing?

If an investigation doesn’t resolve your dispute, you can add a statement of the dispute to your file and any future reports. You can also ask the reporting company to provide the statement to anyone who recently received a copy of your report. You may need to pay for this service.If you inform the information provider of your dispute for an item, they must include a notice of the dispute any time they report the item to a reporting company.

Can anyone else can get a copy of my credit report?

The FCRA specifies who can access your credit report, including:

• Current creditors
• Current insurers
• Current or future employers (with your approval)
• Businesses evaluating your applications for credit, insurance, or housing

Can my employer get my credit report?

Yes, but only with your approval. Reporting companies can’t provide your report to your current or prospective employer without your written consent.

A Warning about “Imposter” Websites

Many websites claim that they can offer free credit reports, but only one is authorized by federal law to provide them: AnnualCreditReport.com.

With imposter websites, any “free” product usually comes with strings attached. For example, some sites offer a “free” service for a trial period, before converting to a paid service. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, they may start charging fees to your credit card.

Other imposter sites use terms like “free report” in their names, or misspell AnnualCreditReport.com. They ultimately direct you to other sites to sell you something or collect your personal information.

Remember these points when seeking free reports:

• AnnualCreditReport.com, along with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, will not send you an email asking for your personal information.
• If you get an email, see an ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from AnnualCreditReport.com, Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion, do not reply or click on any link in the message. It’s probably a scam. Report any such message to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.