News & Stories

July 2024

Free weekly online credit reports

Did you know you can now get your credit report online, for free every week?

The three national credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — have extended a program through AnnualCreditReport.com that allows you check your online credit report from each of the agencies once a week, for free.

A Federal law has been in place for some time, allowing you to obtain a free copy of your credit report every twelve months from each of the three credit reporting agencies. In 2020, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic upended the finances of millions of people, the three agencies announced they would temporarily make free reports available every week. The program was extended twice and has now been made permanent.

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com, which is authorized by Federal Law to request free copies of your credit reports from each of the three bureaus. Beware of other sites that may charge you or seem suspicious.

To get your free credit reports

1. Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com.
2. Click on “Request your free credit reports.”
3. Fill out one form.
4. Choose which reports you want (Experian, Equifax and/or TransUnion).
5. Answer several questions to verify you’re the correct person to be accessing your report
6. Review your report(s).

Why check your credit report?

Your report shows things like how many credit cards and loans you have, whether you pay your bills on time, and whether any debts have been turned over to collections. Creditors, insurers, some employers, and other businesses use it to determine if they would like to do business with you, as well as  the terms they will offer you.

Mistakes, like accounts or bankruptcies that are not yours, can hurt your credit, increase how much you will have to pay in interest to borrow money, and even derail your chances of getting a loan, insurance, a rental home, or a job. Mistakes can result from errors by businesses that report credit information to credit reporting agencies. By checking your reports regularly, you may be able to catch any mistakes and have them corrected.