Free Credit Report
Under federal law, you have the right to one free credit report a year from each nationwide credit reporting company. You can request all three reports at once or stagger them throughout the year.
A credit report contains information about your financial history. It includes information about loans, credit cards, and how promptly you pay your bills. Companies put this information into a credit report so that other businesses can assess your risk before lending you money. Credit reports also contain information about legal decisions, such as liens or judgments against you. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that all three nationwide credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—make a free copy of your credit report available to you once a year. You can order one of these reports from each of the three credit reporting agencies at the same time, or you can stagger them throughout the year. Some financial advisors recommend staggering your requests to ensure you receive the most up-to-date information.
Other Options for Free Credit Report
Under federal law, you are eligible for one free credit report from each nationwide credit reporting company every 12 months. These companies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. They’ve set up a central website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address to handle requests for your free annual report. You can request your free report at the same time or stagger them throughout the year. Many banks and credit card issuers now offer free credit scores to their customers. These are typically based on a combination of FICO and VantageScore scoring models and your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus.
Many online companies charge for access to your credit report, but there are some that offer free credit reports as part of a larger service package. For example, MyCredit Guide offers a free monthly TransUnion credit report in addition to other services that help you monitor your credit.
You have other options as well. To check your credit score, you can visit WalletHub’s Free Credit Report page and enter your personal information. You’ll get a free Experian credit report and FICO (r) score*. You can also request your report from the specialty consumer reporting companies that track data like your rental history, checking account activity, and insurance claims. See WalletHub’s Credit Reporting Agency Overview to learn more about these companies.
Another option is to sign up for a free account with Credit Karma, which partners with Equifax and TransUnion. It offers free credit reports and scores from these two credit bureaus, updated weekly. You can check your credit score as often as you want without any impact to your credit health, and you can also track important changes in your credit history.
