Free Credit Report

A credit report is a record of all of your borrowing history from the last seven years. Every time you apply for a credit card or a loan, the lender will check your credit report to determine whether or not you’re creditworthy. The information in your credit report comes from lenders, who are obligated by law to provide accurate information to one or more of the credit bureaus. The three main credit bureaus are Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. You can see all of the information in your credit report by requesting your free credit report from the bureaus.

What’s in your credit report

Your free credit report contains a record of all of the money you’ve borrowed in the last seven years. This includes credit cards, store cards, mortgages, car leases, and personal loans. It also contains your repayment history. If you’ve missed a payment, or were late by as little as a day, this will be reflected on your free credit report. Even if you’ve just applied for credit but were turned down, it will be on your credit report.

A credit report also contains a record of any court judgments that were issued against you or liens. If you’ve filed for bankruptcy, it will be a part of your credit history for up to 10 years.

Why you should get a copy of your credit report

When you’re trying to manage your personal finances, it’s important to know what’s in your credit history. By requesting a copy of your free credit report, you’ll know what the bureaus are reporting to lenders about you. So if you’re turned down for a loan, you’ll have a good idea why.

Getting a copy of your free credit report is the best way to spot errors on your credit history. These can be minor or very significant. An error can destroy your credit score and make it very difficult to borrow money in the future. It can also be a sign of identity fraud. It’s not uncommon for conmen to steal the identities of other people and run up huge debts on their behalf. The sooner you notice the problem, the sooner you can get it sorted out.

How to get a copy of your free credit report

Because different lenders report to different bureaus, you will need to request not one but three different free credit reports, one from each agency. You can do this by going directly to their websites and filling in a form. You can also write to them by mail, or request a copy over the phone. You’ll need to confirm your identity first.

If you’ve been a victim of identity fraud, the bureaus are obligated to provide you with copies of your credit reports for free. If you haven’t, you can still get a free credit report once a year.

If you want to request a copy of your annual free credit report, you don’t have to go to each bureau. You can get all three directly from AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only website authorized to provide credit reports on behalf of the credit bureaus. Don’t be fooled by copycat sites run by people who may be trying to scam you.

Annual Credit Report Request Service
877-322-8228
www.annualcreditreport.com

TransUnion
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064-0390
800-916-8800
www.transunion.com

Experian
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-2104
888-397-3742
www.experian.com

Equifax
P.O. Box 105783
Atlanta, GA 30348
800-685-1111
www.equifax.com