Jerry Brown is a personal finance writer based in Baton Rouge, La. He's been writing about personal finance for three years. Financial products he enjoys covering include credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages.
Jerry Brown ContributorJerry Brown is a personal finance writer based in Baton Rouge, La. He's been writing about personal finance for three years. Financial products he enjoys covering include credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages.
Written By Jerry Brown ContributorJerry Brown is a personal finance writer based in Baton Rouge, La. He's been writing about personal finance for three years. Financial products he enjoys covering include credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages.
Jerry Brown ContributorJerry Brown is a personal finance writer based in Baton Rouge, La. He's been writing about personal finance for three years. Financial products he enjoys covering include credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages.
Contributor Jordan Tarver Lead Editor, Mortgages & LoansJordan Tarver has spent seven years covering mortgage, personal loan and business loan content for leading financial publications such as Forbes Advisor. He blends knowledge from his bachelor's degree in business finance, his experience as a top perf.
Jordan Tarver Lead Editor, Mortgages & LoansJordan Tarver has spent seven years covering mortgage, personal loan and business loan content for leading financial publications such as Forbes Advisor. He blends knowledge from his bachelor's degree in business finance, his experience as a top perf.
Written By Jordan Tarver Lead Editor, Mortgages & LoansJordan Tarver has spent seven years covering mortgage, personal loan and business loan content for leading financial publications such as Forbes Advisor. He blends knowledge from his bachelor's degree in business finance, his experience as a top perf.
Jordan Tarver Lead Editor, Mortgages & LoansJordan Tarver has spent seven years covering mortgage, personal loan and business loan content for leading financial publications such as Forbes Advisor. He blends knowledge from his bachelor's degree in business finance, his experience as a top perf.
Lead Editor, Mortgages & LoansUpdated: Sep 1, 2022, 3:34pm
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
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Checking your credit report—a financial report that includes information about your credit accounts—can help you maintain or improve your credit and check for signs of identity theft. If you want to check your credit reports for free, use AnnualCreditReport.com.
Federal law allows you to use this website to request one free copy of your credit report a year from each of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
We’ll teach you how to use the website and what to look for while reviewing your credit reports.
Start by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com to get your free credit report. Make sure you visit the correct website by typing the address into your browser’s search bar or clicking a link from a website you trust to avoid attempts to steal your personal information. Here’s what it looks like:
Once you’re on the correct website, click on the button near the top of the page or bottom left that says, “Request your free credit reports.” Afterward, click on the button with the same words below the line that reads, “Fill out a form.” Finally, complete the form by entering your name, birthdate, current address and Social Security number (SSN).
If you haven’t lived at your current address for at least two years, you’ll have to enter your previous address, too.
After you fill out the form, you can request your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. You’ll likely be asked to answer some security questions to verify your identity. For example, you may be asked when you were born or information about past accounts you may have owned. In addition, you may be asked to provide your phone number to receive a one-time password.
Once you access your credit reports, download them to your computer or print them before you exit out of the window for later review.
If you have trouble requesting an online copy of your credit reports, you can also request to receive a free copy by mail or phone. To receive a free copy by mail, fill out the mail request form and send it to this address:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, Ga 303348-5281
The form asks you the same questions as the online form.
If you prefer calling instead, dial 877-322-8228.
Reading your credit report is one of the most vital steps when it comes to building credit and maintaining it. While reviewing your report, make sure your personal and account information is accurate.
Common credit reporting errors to look for include the following:
If you spot an error, dispute it with each credit bureau that lists it on your report or the creditor that reported it. The investigation will typically take 30 days to complete. Once it’s over, the credit bureau will remove the information if it finds that it is in fact an error.
Experian can help raise your FICO® Score based on bill payment like your phone, utilities and popular streaming services. Results may vary. See site for more details.
It’s important to check your credit report because credit reporting mistakes happen. They can be the result of a creditor reporting inaccurate information or a sign of identity theft. If the error lowers your credit score, it can decrease your approval odds when applying for a loan and it could prevent you from securing the best rate.
The number of credit reports you can get for free depends on where you get them from and whether you’ve placed a fraud alert on your credit reports. For example, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) entitles you to receive one free credit report from each major credit bureau a year. This means you can view all your credit reports for free once per year through AnnualCreditReport.com. In addition, some credit reporting companies and personal finance websites allow you to check one or more of your reports for free. For example, if you sign up for myEquifax™, you can get six free Equifax credit reports per year through 2026. Experian also allows you to view your Experian credit report for free 12 times a year. You can also get an additional free copy of your report from each credit bureau if you suspect fraud and place a fraud alert on your credit reports. To do this, you must contact one of the credit bureaus. If you’ve been a victim of identity theft and filed a report, you can get an additional six free credit reports per year, two from each credit bureau.
It’s generally recommended that you check your credit reports a minimum of one time a year, but you can check them as often as you like. Before you apply for credit, it can be a good idea to review your reports for errors to increase your chances of securing more favorable terms, such as lower interest rates.
Although they are interconnected, your credit report and credit score are separate. Your credit report contains information about your credit accounts, including any balances you owe and your payment history. Your credit score, on the other hand, is a three-digit number that usually ranges from 300 to 850. Credit scoring models, such as FICO, use the information listed in your credit reports to calculate your score.
Requesting your credit report requires a soft credit check, which has no impact on your credit score.
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ContributorJerry Brown is a personal finance writer based in Baton Rouge, La. He's been writing about personal finance for three years. Financial products he enjoys covering include credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages.
Lead Editor, Mortgages & LoansJordan Tarver has spent seven years covering mortgage, personal loan and business loan content for leading financial publications such as Forbes Advisor. He blends knowledge from his bachelor's degree in business finance, his experience as a top performer in the mortgage industry and his entrepreneurial success to simplify complex financial topics. Jordan aims to make mortgages and loans understandable.
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