How to Get Your Free Credit Report Every Week (and What to Look For)

Your credit report is the record lenders, landlords, insurers and sometimes employers look at to judge how you handle money. It shapes your credit score, which affects the interest rates you pay on everything from car loans to mortgages.

Here's the surprising part: mistakes on credit reports are common. In a major study by the Federal Trade Commission, about one in five consumers found an error on at least one of their three credit reports. Some of those errors were serious enough to lower credit scores.

The good news? Checking your report is completely free, takes about 15 minutes and doesn't hurt your score one bit. Here's how to do it, what to look for and how to fix problems.

Where to get your free credit report

The official site is AnnualCreditReport.com. It's the only website authorized by federal law to provide free reports from the three nationwide credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

The name is a little out of date. You used to get one free report a year from each bureau. The bureaus started offering free reports weekly during the pandemic, and in 2023 they made free weekly credit reports permanent.

You can also call 1-877-322-8228 to request reports by phone or mail.

Beware of lookalike sites

Be careful with websites and ads that promise "free credit reports." Many sign you up for paid subscriptions. Type AnnualCreditReport.com into your browser yourself, and skip any site that asks for a credit card to see your "free" report.

Credit report vs. credit score

• Your credit report is the detailed history: your accounts, balances, payment history, inquiries and some public records.
• Your credit score is a number calculated from that report.

The free reports from AnnualCreditReport.com usually don't include a score. Many banks, credit unions and card issuers show you a free score, though. See how credit scores work.

What's on your credit report?

• Personal information: name, current and past addresses, Social Security number, date of birth and sometimes employers
• Credit accounts: credit cards, loans, mortgages, with balances, limits, payment history and status
• Inquiries: who has requested your report, both hard and soft
• Collections: debts sent to collection agencies
• Public records: bankruptcies

Your report doesn't include your income, bank account balances, race, religion, medical history or criminal record.

How to read your credit report: what to check

Go through each report line by line. It helps to have your recent statements handy.

Personal information

• Is your name spelled correctly?
• Are the addresses ones you've actually lived at?
• Is your Social Security number correct?
• Are there names or addresses you don't recognize? (A possible sign of identity theft or a mixed file.)

Accounts

• Do you recognize every account?
• Are the balances and credit limits right?
• Are payments you made on time marked as on time?
• Are closed accounts shown as closed?
• Is the same debt listed more than once?
• Are accounts from divorce or co-signing showing correctly?

Inquiries

Hard inquiries happen when you apply for credit. Did you apply for everything listed?

Collections and public records

Is anything listed that isn't yours, that's already been paid or settled, or that's older than seven years?

Common credit report errors

• Accounts that belong to someone else with a similar name
• Incorrect late payments
• Closed accounts reported as open
• Wrong balances or credit limits
• Duplicate debts
• Old negative information that should have dropped off
• Accounts opened by identity thieves

Signs of identity theft on your credit report

• Accounts you never opened
• Hard inquiries from companies you didn't contact
• Addresses you've never lived at
• Collection notices for debts you don't recognize

The FTC receives about a million identity theft reports a year. If you see these red flags, act quickly. Visit IdentityTheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's site, to report it and get a personalized step-by-step recovery plan.

How to dispute errors on your credit report

1. Gather evidence: statements, payment confirmations, letters.
2. File a dispute with each bureau that shows the error. Each has an online dispute process, or you can dispute by mail (keep copies and send it certified).
3. Explain the error clearly and include copies (not originals) of supporting documents.
4. Contact the company that supplied the information, too, like your credit card issuer.
5. Follow up. Bureaus generally must investigate within 30 days and send you the results.

You don't need to pay a "credit repair" company. You can do this yourself, for free. If a dispute isn't resolved fairly, you can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Freeze your credit for free

A credit freeze (also called a security freeze) blocks new creditors from seeing your report, which makes it much harder for someone to open accounts in your name. It's free by federal law and doesn't affect your credit score.

• You need to set it up separately with each of the three bureaus.
• You can temporarily lift it when you apply for credit yourself, usually instantly online.
• It doesn't affect your existing accounts.
• Parents can freeze a child's credit too, which protects kids from identity theft.

Credit freeze vs. fraud alert

• A fraud alert asks lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity. It's free, lasts one year and you only need to contact one bureau (it tells the others).
• A credit freeze is stronger and stays until you lift it.

Many experts suggest that everyone consider a freeze, especially after a data breach.

Stop prescreened credit offers

Tired of credit card offers in your mailbox? Visit OptOutPrescreen.com, the official site, to opt out of prescreened offers for five years or permanently. It also reduces the chance of someone stealing an offer from your mail.

What to do after a data breach

If you get a notice that your information was exposed in a data breach:

1. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
2. Change passwords for the affected account and anywhere you reused them. Use a password manager and turn on two-factor authentication.
3. Check your credit reports for unfamiliar accounts.
4. Watch your bank and card statements closely.
5. Be alert for phishing emails, texts and calls that use the stolen information to seem convincing.
6. Consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN, which helps stop someone filing a tax return in your name.

Protecting your child's credit

Children's identities can be stolen for years before anyone notices, often not until they apply for their first loan or job. Parents and guardians can request a credit freeze for children under 16 with each bureau. It's free and prevents accounts from being opened in their name. Teach teens to protect their Social Security number and to check their reports when they turn 18.

Other consumer reports you can check for free

Credit reports aren't the only files companies keep about you. Specialty consumer reporting agencies track things like tenant history, check-writing and insurance claims, and you're generally entitled to see those reports for free too. The CFPB publishes a list of these companies.

How often should you check your credit report?

Since reports are free every week, a good habit is to check every few months. Some people stagger the bureaus, checking one each month. Always check before a big application, like a mortgage, car loan or apartment rental, and after any data breach that affects you.

Frequently asked questions about free credit reports

Is a credit monitoring service worth paying for?

Free weekly reports and free credit freezes cover most people's needs. Some banks and card issuers also offer free monitoring alerts. Paid services may add extras, like identity theft insurance, but aren't essential for everyone.

How long does a credit freeze last?

Until you lift it. You can lift it temporarily for a specific application or remove it permanently at any time, for free.

What's the difference between Equifax, Experian and TransUnion?

They're three separate companies that collect credit information. Lenders may report to one, two or all three, so your reports can differ.

Does checking my credit report lower my score?

No. Checking your own report is a soft inquiry and never affects your score.

Why are my three credit reports different?

Not every lender reports to all three bureaus, and they may update at different times.

How long does negative information stay on my credit report?

Most negative items, like late payments and collections, stay for up to seven years. Some bankruptcies stay for up to ten years.

Can I get my credit report if I don't have a credit history?

You can request it, but there may be little or no information on file. See our tips for building credit in how credit scores work.

While you're checking things, check in on yourself. Our free wellness wheel quiz takes about two minutes.