You can check your credit report by following these steps:
Obtain a free copy: By law, you are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can request your free reports at www.annualcreditreport.com.
Purchase a report: You can purchase a credit report from the credit bureaus or from a credit monitoring service. These reports may include additional information not provided in the free reports.
Monitor your credit regularly: Consider enrolling in a credit monitoring service to keep track of changes to your credit report. This can help you catch and address errors or suspicious activity promptly.
Note: Regularly monitoring your credit report can help you spot errors, identity theft, and other potential issues, and take action to protect your credit history and score.
Your credit report is divided into four sections: identifying information, credit history, public records, and inquiries.
By law, and at your request, you are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus listed below once every 12 months.
- Experian Credit Bureau: 888-397-3742
- Equifax Credit Bureau: 866-349-5191
- TransUnion: 877-322-8228
By law (under the Fair Credit Reporting Act) you have the right to correct inaccurate information in your credit file. You must dispute your report directly to the credit reporting agency.
Every time someone requests a copy of your credit report, it is noted as an “inquiry” on your credit file. This information is provided when you order a copy of your credit report.