The Fair Credit Reporting Act was created as a way for consumers to access their credit information so they could make informed financial choices. The three credit reporting companies, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, are required by law to provide a free copy of your credit report on an annual basis. You can review your credit standings through this report, as well as look for any inaccuracies that may be on it.
Step 1
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only site approved by the Federal Trade Commission. All other commercial sites are not recommended by the FTC. There have been incidents of free credit report websites running scams.
Step 2
Choose your state from the drop-down menu on the homepage of AnnualCreditReport.com. You will then be redirected to an information sheet that requires you to provide your contact details, as well as your social security number. The entire form needs to be filled out for processing.
Step 3
Select the credit reporting company or companies that you want to receive a report from. You can choose to look at your TransUnion, Equifax and Experian reports simultaneously or only select one at a time. Some people like to check a single one at a time so they can access a free report from the other agencies at a later time.
Step 4
Pass the security check to receive your free credit report. The site will require you to give sensitive information to verify your identity. One common inquiry is to provide your previous home address.
Step 5
Download the credit report onto your computer. Once your identity is verified, you can view your report on the agency's website.
Tips and Warnings
- You can also request your free annual credit report by phone or by mail. Contact information is available through AnnualCreditReport.com.
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