Getting a Credit Report
You have the right to access your credit report to view information reported on your account. Sometimes you have to pay for the report, and in other cases you can download the information for free. In any case, it's important to get your credit report at least annually to ensure that creditors have reported correct data regarding your payments and credit accounts.
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Instructions
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Visit the Annual Credit Report website to get your credit report. This website is the official destination where you can download your report for free, once per year, from all three major bureaus. Enter your name, social security number and additional contact information, then answer unique questions pertaining to your credit profile in order to access the file.
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Contact each credit bureau (Transunion, Equifax and Experian), individually, via mail or website to retrieve your credit report. Again, you're entitled to receive one free report each year. You can also receive a free copy via mail or download within 60 days of being denied for credit. If you fall victim to fraudulent activity on your credit accounts and call the credit bureaus to place a fraud alert in your name, you can also receive copies of your credit reports for free. This way you can investigate and resolve issues immediately. You can also order the credit report for a fee if you're not eligible for a free copy.
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Sign up for a third-party credit monitoring service to get your credit report. In addition to delivering your credit report periodically, these services may also notify you of strange activity on your credit report and provide you with your credit score. Keep in mind that you'll likely have to pay if you use a third-party service. Check with your bank or credit union first to see if it offers a credit monitoring feature.
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Tips & Warnings
If a website requests your credit card number in order to receive a free annual credit report, this is not the official website where you can access the report for free.
