How can you get your credit report

You can request and review your free report through one of the following ways:

  • Online: Visit  AnnualCreditReport.com
  • Phone: Call (877) 322-8228
  • Mail: Download and complete the Annual Credit Report Request form . Mail the completed form to: 

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

You can request all three reports at once or you can order one report at a time. By requesting the reports separately (for example, one every four months) you can monitor your credit report throughout the year. Once you’ve received your annual free credit report, you can still request additional reports. By law, a credit reporting company can charge no more than $13.50 for a credit report.

You are also eligible for reports from specialty consumer reporting companies. We put together a list of several of these companies so you can see which ones might be important to you. You have to request the reports individually from each of these companies. Many of the companies in this list will provide a report for free every 12 months. Other companies may charge you a fee for your report.

You can get additional free reports if any of the following apply to you:

  • You received a notice that you were denied credit, insurance, or employment or experienced another “adverse action” based on a credit report, you have a right to a free report from the credit reporting company identified in the notice. To get the free report you must request it within 60 days after you receive the notice. Other types of “adverse action” notices you might receive include notice of an unfavorable change in the terms or amount of your credit or insurance coverage, or unfavorable changes in the terms of your employment or of a license or other government benefit.
  • You believe your file is inaccurate due to fraud.
  • You have requested a credit report from a nationwide credit reporting company in connection with the placing of an initial fraud alert (you may request two free copies for an extended fraud alert).
  • You are unemployed and intend to apply for employment within 60 days from the date of your request.
  • You are a recipient of public welfare assistance.
  • Your state law provides for a free credit report.

Tip: Be cautious of websites that claim to offer free credit reports. Some of these websites will only give you a free report if you buy other products or services. Other websites give you a free report and then bill you for services you have to cancel. To get the free credit report authorized by law, go to AnnualCreditReport.com  or call (877) 322-8228.

How Can I Check Credit Scores?

Credit scores are how financial institutions assess your credit risk. Even though credit reports from the three nationwide credit bureaus don’t usually contain credit scores, there are other ways to check your score. [Duration - 1:01]

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Highlights:

  • Credit reports from the three nationwide credit bureaus do not usually contain credit scores

  • You may be able to get a credit score from your credit card company, financial institution or loan statement

  • You can also use a credit score service or free credit scoring site

Many people think if you check your credit reports from the three nationwide credit bureaus, you’ll see credit scores as well. But that’s not the case: credit reports from the three nationwide credit bureaus do not usually contain credit scores. Before we talk about where you can get credit scores, there are a few things to know about credit scores, themselves.

One of the first things to know is that you don’t have only one credit score. Credit scores are designed to represent your credit risk, or the likelihood you will pay your bills on time. Credit scores are calculated based on a method using the content of your credit reports.

Score providers, such as the three nationwide credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- and companies like FICO use different types of credit scoring models and may use different information to calculate credit scores. Credit scores provided by the three nationwide credit bureaus will also vary because some lenders may report information to all three, two or one, or none at all.  And lenders and creditors may use additional information, other than credit scores, to decide whether to grant you credit. 

So how can you get credit scores? Here are a few ways:

  • Check your credit card, financial institution or loan statement. Many credit card companies, banks and loan companies have started providing credit scores for their customers. It may be on your statement, or you can access it online by logging into your account.
  • Purchase credit scores directly from one of the three major credit bureaus or other provider, such as FICO.
  • Use a credit score service or free credit scoring site. Some sites provide a free credit score to users. Others may provide credit scores to credit monitoring customers paying a monthly subscription fee.

In addition to checking your credit scores, it’s a good idea to regularly check your credit reports to ensure that the information is accurate and complete.

You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit reports every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also create a myEquifax account to get six free Equifax credit reports each year.  In addition, you can click “Get my free credit score” on your myEquifax dashboard to enroll in Equifax Core Credit™ for a free monthly Equifax credit report and a free monthly VantageScore® 3.0 credit score, based on Equifax data. A VantageScore is one of many types of credit scores.

If you find information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete on your credit reports, contact the lender or creditor. You can also file a dispute with the credit bureau that provided the report. At Equifax, you can create a myEquifax account to file a dispute. Visit our dispute page to learn other ways you can submit a dispute.

How can I get my credit report immediately?

Online: If you request your report at AnnualCreditReport.com , you should be able to access it immediately. Phone: If you order your report by calling (877) 322-8228, your report will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days.

Can I look at my credit score for free?

Use a credit score service or free credit scoring site. You're entitled to a free copy of your credit reports every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also create a myEquifax account to get six free Equifax credit reports each year.

How can I see my entire credit history?

You can get it online: AnnualCreditReport.com, or by phone: 1-877-322-8228. You get one free report from each credit reporting company every year.