How to Check Credit Report
Consumers in the United States can obtain their credit reports from the three nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — at no cost through AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized site. Reports are also available by mail or phone. Credit scores are separate from reports and are not included at that site.
Federal law, specifically the Fair Credit Reporting Act, entitles consumers to a free file disclosure from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The centralized, federally authorized channel for those disclosures is AnnualCreditReport.com, which is operated by the three companies and is the site designated by federal law to supply the free reports. Requests can also be made by mail using a printable request form or by telephone through a toll-free line. The site has at times made free reports available more often than once every twelve months, such as on a weekly basis, under temporary programs announced by the credit reporting companies.
Requesting a report requires verifying identity. The online and telephone systems typically ask for a full name, current address, Social Security number, date of birth, and answers to questions drawn from the consumer's own file, such as a former address, a previous employer, or the approximate monthly payment on an existing account. A mail request uses a printable form available through AnnualCreditReport.com and generally requires copies of identifying documents. Because verification questions are pulled from file data, a recently changed name or an outdated address can cause a request to fail. Each company maintains its own file, so a request must be submitted to each company separately.
A credit report is a record of how obligations have been handled, not a rating. It typically contains identifying information, account histories reported by lenders and servicers, balances and payment status, collection accounts, bankruptcy filings and other public record items where applicable, and a list of inquiries generated when a lender or other permitted party requested the file. The three nationwide companies do not necessarily hold identical information, so reports obtained from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion can differ, sometimes substantially. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers may dispute incomplete or inaccurate information either with the company that furnished it or with the credit reporting company.
Credit scores are separate products calculated from report data and are not part of the free file disclosure obtained through AnnualCreditReport.com, though some card issuers, lenders, and nonprofit counseling services provide a score at no charge. Beyond the three nationwide companies, specialty consumer reporting companies keep files used for tenant screening, employment background checks, insurance underwriting, and check verification, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act provides a right to a free disclosure from those companies as well. Consumers who suspect identity theft can report it through IdentityTheft.gov and can request fraud alerts or a security freeze, which are free by law.