Your free credit reports — every week

Federal law gives you the right to free credit reports from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The bureaus now permanently offer free weekly reports through the only official site: AnnualCreditReport.com. ^[1][2]

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com ↗

Credit report vs. credit score

Your credit report is the record of your accounts and payment history. Your credit score is a number calculated from that report by companies such as FICO and VantageScore. Free reports from AnnualCreditReport.com do not include a score, and credit scores are not free government data. Many banks and card issuers show you a score for free; otherwise you may have to pay. ^[1]

What to look for

• Accounts you don't recognize (possible identity theft)
• Late payments you believe were on time
• Wrong balances, credit limits, names, or addresses
• Negative items older than the reporting period (generally 7 years for most negatives)

How to dispute an error

1. Contact the credit bureau that shows the error and explain what's wrong, with copies of supporting documents.
2. Also contact the company that supplied the information (the lender or collector).
3. Bureaus generally must investigate within 30 days.

The CFPB has step-by-step dispute instructions and sample letters. ^[1]

Protect yourself

You can place a security freeze with each bureau for free, which stops new creditors from viewing your report until you lift it. If you're a victim of identity theft, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. ^[2]

Beware of look-alike sites. AnnualCreditReport.com never asks for a credit card to get your free reports.