How to Get Your 3 Credit Reports for Free

AnnualCreditReport.com is the federally authorized place to request reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Here is the safe way to pull all three.

Start with the right site

Use AnnualCreditReport.com. The Federal Trade Commission identifies it as the only authorized website for the free reports you are entitled to by federal law. You can request reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A credit report is not the same thing as a credit score, so do not be surprised if the report does not include a score.

Pulling your own report does not hurt

Requesting your own report is a soft inquiry. It does not lower your scores. Save a copy from each bureau because the same account can look different across the three files.

What to check first

Confirm your name, addresses, employers, open accounts, balances, payment history, collections, and hard inquiries. Mark facts that are inaccurate or incomplete. Do not dispute information merely because it is negative; the dispute process is for report errors.

A simple review rhythm

Review all three files before a major apartment or loan application, after an identity-theft warning, and after a dispute result. Space routine reviews through the year if that makes changes easier to spot.