How to Get a Personal Credit Report

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By WriterGig
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Annual credit report

It's a good idea to download your personal credit report each year to check for errors, possible identity theft and warning signs that your credit score might have gone down. Hopefully, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you pull your credit report and see that your responsible financial behavior has paid off. You no longer have to wait to be denied credit to see your report for free; you are allowed access once a year by law.

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Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Computer
Internet Access
Social Security Number
Personal information

Your Personal Credit Report

Step 1

Visit the Annual Credit Report website to begin the process of obtaining your personal credit report. Be sure to have your social security number and recent mortgage or credit card bills handy.
Step 2

Login or set up a profile to access your report. You'll need to provide your identifying information, as well as answer a few questions that usually involve house numbers or streets you've lived on, as well as the amount of your monthly payments on some bills (such as your mortgage).
Step 3

Choose which credit reports to see. Some consumers like to get all three reports at once for comparisons purposes; others prefer to space them out over the course of the year. By law, you can get one from each of the three reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each year for free.
Step 4

Examine your personal credit report for errors, omissions or inaccuracies that might harm your credit score. You want your credit to be as pristine as possible, even if you aren't currently in the market for a loan.